Viola Laeta Antique Shades seeds - Viola cornuta

Viola cornuta 'Laeta Antique Shades', also known as Horned Violet or Horned Pansy 'Laeta Antique', produces small flowers, the size of a coin, in captivating colours. The translucent petals are tinted with a blend of butter yellow and plum, speckled with black-brown at the centre. It pairs well with spring bulbs and autumn asters in the garden, allowing for beautiful container compositions. This small biennial plant thrives in humus-bearing soil, in partial shade or dappled sunlight, where it spreads its carpet of dark, evergreen foliage. The flowers are edible and add a perfect touch of elegance to pastries.

Belonging to the violet family, the horned violet, which grows wild in the Pyrenees, is a low perennial plant that has given rise to many hybrids, among which the most famous are horticultural pansies. The variety 'Antique Shades' is a spreading herbaceous plant that reaches 10 to 15 cm high in flower with dark green, oval, scalloped evergreen leaves forming a spreading clump. Depending on the sowing date, this plant blooms from spring to autumn. Its flowers are quite round, resembling pansy flowers, but with a different arrangement of petals. The top two petals are upright, while the other three are downward-facing. It spreads quite rapidly thanks to its rhizomes and also readily self-seeds in the garden.

Horned violets are ideal for borders, shaded rockeries, front of low borders, as well as in pots and containers on balconies and terraces. They can be combined with other low spring plants such as Forget-Me-Nots, Primroses, Botanical Tulips, Daisies, small Daffodils. In autumn, they complement the blooming of Asters.

The flowers of horned violets are edible, so you can decorate your plates with one or two flowers, or even sprinkle some on your salads for a touch of colour.