One of the sweetest treats that you can find in a fall garden are violas.  The blooms look quite similar to their better-known relative, the pansy, but are much smaller and more abundant on each plant.

Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and Master Flower Show judge, has been active in the Openwood Plantation Garden Club for over 35 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.

They look somewhat vulnerable but are quite vigorous. Plant them now and enjoy their cute little faces from fall throughout the spring. They are excellent in a border, rock garden, and window box or in a container as large as a whisky barrel or small as a teacup.

Violas should be available this fall at any local nursery. The introduction of some newer selections has greatly increased their popularity over the last several years. The more traditional purple and yellow violas, called Johnny-jump-ups, are still enjoyed in many gardens but the newer cultivars offer a variety of delightful colors. They range from pure whites and yellows to deep purples and light violets. Some are bi-colored and some are edged in a contrasting color such as the Sorbet Coconut Swirl, which is white edged in purple.

Plant violas in loose, well-amended and well-draining soil or a good potting mix if you are using them in a container. Planting in fall gives them plenty of time to develop a good root system and gives you plenty of time to enjoy their beauty for months.  Full to partial sun is needed to develop these compact, bushy plants and violas are heavy feeders.   Give them a small dose of all-purpose fertilizer, such as 12-6-6 two weeks after planting and water it in well. Feed every four weeks with a light application of fertilizer or every week with diluted water-soluble fertilizer. Remove spent blooms periodically to encourage continuous blooming and mulch.

The  Sorbet hybrids produce blooms the size of demitasse spoons in cool shades of white, purple and yellow. There are 30 cultivars in this series. According to a spring 2008 article in Country Gardens Magazine, the hallmark of the Sorbet series is what plant breeders call vigor, or a plant’s ability to thrive in a garden, even during the coldest winter months. They will bloom even if neglected and will last longer in spring than their cousin, the pansy.

Norman Winter says to be on the lookout for trailing violas this fall.  The Violina and Rebelina series were introduced a couple of years ago and he has been quite taken with their versatility for use in hanging baskets and cascading out of containers. The Violinas are a little larger than the Rebelinas and come in aquamarine, orange and purple blue. The one-half inch Rebelinas are either bright yellow, blue or combinations of red and yellow and purple and yellow. Expect them to grow only to a height of about 6 inches but a width of up to 14 inches. All violas are fragrant, but these two are particularly nice, according to Winter.

Not all violas are brightly hued.  The Angel series with over 20 different colors offers some delicate pastels.  Another new viola series, the Velours, has one cultivar with brown tones and is called Frosted Chocolate. Predominately chocolate brown, it has a tiny yellow face and white frosted wing.

Violas work well when planted with any of the other fall favorites such as kale, cabbage, cardoon, snapdragons, dianthus, pansies or Citrona erysimum. Violas can be used effectively in a bed with spring bulbs. Together they create a riot of spring color. The secret is to plant violas in groups of six to eight plants of the same or similar color as opposed to single plants in order to get a sweep of color.

Violas may not command as much attention at the garden center as their cousins the pansies do, but with so many delightful colors, fragrance and vigor, they make an excellent addition to any cool-weather garden.