Honeysuckle Cottage

'When daisies pied and violets blue And lady-smocks all silver-white And cuckoo buds of yellow hue Do paint the meadows with delight' Shakespeare's 'Love's Labour Lost'	Double Violet 'King of the Doubles'
The French Connection Honeysuckle Cottage offers the largest violet collection in Australia, a collection begun in the 1970s and collected from around Australia as a result of searching old gardens, and which has recently grown considerably thanks to two very different French Connections. About four years ago, a lady visited our nursery and brought with her a parcel of violets. She explained that her grandmother, who had been born in France, had always grown them in her garden, as had her mother and herself. She was moving into a smaller place and would no longer be able to garden, and wondered if we would like her grandmother's violets. Theose violets have all flourished and flowered, and among the finds were the Parma violet of Toulouse, known as 'Parme de Toulouse' and the gorgeous historic double rose pink violet 'Rose de Bruant'. Our second French connection arose from a visit to Nathalie Casbas who owns, together with her husband, a wonderful fruit farm just north of Toulouse. Nathalie holds a French National Collection of violets, as well as being a violet breeder. A delicious lunch was followed by the gift of a truly wonderful collection of historic and new varieties of violets. (We were of course carrying all the correct Australian quarrantine paperwork!) The plants were carefully nursed for almost four weeks on our travels before our return to Australia. Both of these collections were very carefully tended (particularly those that spent months in quarrantine) and safely multiplied, so that they are now available. Violet breeding has been carried out by us at Honeysuckle Cottage for almost a quarter of a century. Some of those violets are now sold around the world. ( No,sadly we made not a cent as they were sent abroad without our knowlege). 'Crépuscule' shares its name with the beautiful old French Noisette climbing rose, and like it the violet is named for its colour which resembles the apricot and lavender glow in the sky after sunset. The French name we chose caused unintended confusion in the violet world as it was presumed to be a previously unknown French heirloom violet. The many other varieties bred by us include the vigorous 'Lady Rose' with large single rose pink very fragrant flowers, and a beautiful pale soft pink striped and veined with deep pink and with a sweet scent named, in honour of Judyth's mother, 'Yvonne Kathleen'. (The violet bred from 'John Raddenbury' and called 'Yvonne' was also named for her, as well as an early flowering cherry 'Yvonne Matthies' bred by Graeme Richards and now released in Europe.) 'Queen of Burgundy' is another recent release, a large, fragrant, deep burgundy violet which gradually turns to plum lit with deep pink, and was bred from one of our earlier violet releases 'Opal Prince'. Our most recent releases are the theatrical violet, named for obvious reasons 'Theatre', and 'Dilly Dilly', an immensely floriferous violet with deliciously strongly scented flowers in the truest lavender blue we have seen.
Lost Violets Although Honeysuckle Cottage has escaped serious effects from the worst drought in Australia's recorded history, thanks to our bore which we bless daily, our nursery has acted as a nightly restaurant not only for local wild animals but for those driven over the mountains from the inland. Wallaby damage, in combination with possum damage, has caused us to lose some precious violets which we would love to get back into tour collection. If anyone has 'Yvonne', 'Crépuscule', or 'Fragrant White' ('Rawson's White'), we would love to hear from you and arrange an exchange.
About Violets The Athenian Greeks who loved the violet and the carnation above all other flowers, made sleeping draughts of the leaves and flowers, used violet wine or violet tisane to comfort and strengthen hearts, and also used violets as a form of sweetening for food. The Romans, who appropriated so much Greek culture and knowledge, also appropriated the Athenians' flowers. They too drank violet wine, ate violet conserves, and nibbled on violet leaf salads. Violet perfumes, chaplets and cosmetics were thought to ease headaches and dizziness resulting from of an enthusiastic orgy. For those whose constitution failed under such a regime, Pliny prescribed an application of violet roots and vinegar for gout and troublesome spleens. The Anglo-Saxons believed strongly in the efficacy of violets in curing both new wounds and old wounds which failed to heal cleanly. From ancient times violets have been prescribed for colds, bronchitis and irritations of the respiratory tract. Violets have also been used in beauty recipes through the ages. A characteristically optimistic Gaelic beauty recipe states that "If thou annoint thy face with the milk of the goat in which violets have been soaked, there is not a prince upon the earth who will not be pleased with thy beauty...." Violets certainly helped Josephine hold her prince....well, Emperor. Violets were included by Josephine in the superb plant collections she made at Malmaison, perhaps because they were Napoleon's favourite flower. She wore them on her wedding day and was presented with a bouquet of fragrant violets. With such an example before them, Parisians became victims of a period of history which might well have been called 'violetmania'. Many delightful stories were associated with France's violetmania. Perhaps the most delightfully eccentric gesture was that of one French gentleman who commanded his gardener to concentrate entirely on the cultivation of violets so that he might present to his mistress a fresh bunch of violets every day of the year.....for thirty years! Apparently each night she plucked off the flowers to make a violet infusion which she drank as a toast to his loving devotion. Her glowing complexion was attributed to love but might well have come from the steady diet of vitamin C in her evening cocktail.
Hints on Growing Violets Violets are easy to grow in well composted moist soil. Although they make an excellent groudcover in shady areas, they rarely flower well in deep shade. To get masses of flowers, grow them in full morning light, or broken light below deciduous trees. Full sun exposure from late autumn to spring encourages heavy flowering. Don't overfeed violets, or they will put almost all their energy into foliage production. An application of liquid seaweed fertiliser once or twice a year is all that is needed, together with a thin layer of well rotted compost worked between the plants. Violets are prone to very few diseases, but spider mite populations (located under the leaves, with pin sized insects and fine webbing) can explode under dry hot conditions in mid-summer. When watering, spray under the leaves to increase humidity. This will quickly reduce attack, in combination with the use of a soap water spray under the leaves. (Dissolve flaked pure soap or pure liquid soap, obtainable from pharmacies, in water and dilute to one part in one hundred before spraying). Red spider mite will not kill plants but will affect their appearance and cause some wilting in event of heat stress. During wet periods, snails may nibble a violett stems, again causing damage that will be quite quickly outgrown, but can look unsightly for a little while.
We have decided to give a few of our beautiful rare violets which were heavily propagated in 2010 a sabbatical for 2011 so that they will again be available in large numbers in 2012.. There will of course still be many varieties available from this list which is Australia's largest nursery offering.
The Sweet Violet Viola odorata was the ancient flower of love and was chosen by the Greeks as Aphrodite's flower. It is native to Europe but has been selected and hybridised for centuries, particularly in France, but also in England, partly for the once thriving floristry trade in violet posies, so that today we have many delightful fragrant violets in a soft hued rainbow of colour, single and double, passed down from generation to generation.	'Crépuscule'

Admiral Avellan or The Red Violet A nineteenth century single violet with a beautiful deep red-mauve colour that appears almost pure deep red in sunshine.		$7.95
Alba or White Sweet Violet This is the ancient white sweet violet, noted for its icy white flowers and wonderful vigour. It will take full morning sunlight if regularly watered and grown in a well composted soil and tolerates mild frosts.		$7.95
Crépuscule Perhaps the loveliest of the apricot violets with large fragrant apricot flowers with the faintest wash of twilight lavender on the reverse. A vigorous healthy grower, very floriferous, yielding bunches of flowers. Named after the French term for the apricot and lavender afterglow of sunset. Released worldwide by Honeysuckle Cottage and bred by Dr Judyth McLeod. (Nathalie Casbas rated it one of her top favourite violets.) Rare. Not available for 2011 Click on the picture to view a larger image		$7.50
Dilly Dilly This gem was named for the old song "Lavender Blue, Dilly Dilly". We have never seen a violet more truly blue lavender in mid-season, so that the blooms almost glow. The flowers are medium sized and borne in profusion held well above the foliage on plants that are healthy and vigorous. The fragrance is exceptionall sweet and carries far. Lovely!		$7.95
General Herrick A very large flowered deep blueish-purple from 1910, very popular and long lived as a cut flower in Britain. A very strong healthy violet with a light scent. Temporarily unavailable		$8.50
Grey Lady syn. Birch Violet A charming and distictive violet that is snapped up on sight at the nursery, this variety is a heavy bloomer with very fragrant flowers that are a soft clear grey. It has been known under both names in New South Wales for at least fifty years. The plant is vigorous and healthy.		$7.50
John Raddenbury One of the most exquisite violets ever bred and a great success in England and France from the end of the 19th century and into the first part of the 20th century. Bred in Australia in 1895, it is a large single violet of beautiful form in an absolutely pure true blue. It has sweet true fragrance and deserves to be much better known. Now rare. Temporarily unavailable		$8.50
King of the Doubles A huge fully double violet in deep lavender blue striped and splashed with white, and extremely fragrant. The stems are long and strong, the foliage superbly healthy. A glorious violet of the highest quality, our stock came from a violet nursery in Victoria in the 1970s. It is a supreme bunching violet. Temporarily unavailable Click on the picture to view a larger image		$8.50
Lady Rose Bred by Dr Judyth McLeod, this violet opens deep ruby before becoming a clear rich rose in colour and very fragrant indeed. The quite large elegant flowers are born very generously over a long period, held well above the excellent clean foliage.		$7.50
Lavender Lady One of our favourites, found in our 1830's garden and elsewhere in the historical Windsor and Richmond area. The intensely fragrant pale lavender flowers are washed in deeper colour on the backs. Very floriferous and healthy. Temporarily unavailable		$7.50
Lilac Glow A vigorous, healthy, very floriferous variety bearing single well-shaped violet of intense lilac colour. Very fragrant. It is an excellent ground cover violet. Bred by Dr. Judyth McLeod .		$7.95
Pale Blush An exquisite violet, milky-white with the faintest veil of pale pink across the whole flower. It is very sweetly fragrant, very floriferous and healthy, and the flowers are held well above the foliage. One of the most beautiful violets we know.		$8.50
Princess of Wales Greatly admired and widely grown as a picking violet in the days when ladies wore fragrant violet corsages on their coat lapel or to enhance the seduction of a deep décolletage in the evening, the fragrant flowers are large, rounded, and a rich vibrant purple. The leaves, used to edge violet posies, are large, firm, and a deep lustrous green.		$8.50
Queen of Burgundy Greatly admired in our gardens, this gorgeous violet is quite large, opening a rich deep burgundy colour aging to plum, and is very sweetly scented. Very vigorous and floriferous. Bred by Dr Judyth McLeod from 'Opal Prince', one of our earlier releases.		$8.50
Rosina (syn. Rosine) Rosina is a selected form of the naturally occurring pink flowered form of the sweet violet. It was a very popular violet in the 1920's and 1930's for ladies posies. The flowers are medium sized and in a lovely bright pink with very sweet perfume. The plants are hardy, vigorous, healthy, and floriferous. Temporarily unavailable		$7.95
Sulfurea or Yellow Sweet Violet or Yellow Queen or Sulphurea This violet appeared in 1896 and is a lovely creamy-primrose colour deepening to a pale apricot centre. The deep green leaves are glossy and heart-shaped, and the whole plant is very handsome. Not available for 2012		$7.50
Theatre This violet has enticed visitors at the nursery ever since it first bloomed. The flowers are very fragrant, quite large, and a rich deep purple with a diffuse red stripe down the centre of each petal which finally becomes a red sheen across the whole flower. This very theatrical combination has led to its name. The plant is vigorous, strong, healthy, ans floriferous, and was bred from 'Admiral Avellan' by Dr Judyth McLeod.		$8.50
Violet Lady A vigorous and pretty variety with a prolific display of intensely dark violet coloured flowers that are very fragrant. The plants are vigorous and very healthy, quickly making a show. Bred by Dr Judyth McLeod.		$7.50
Yvonne Kathleen The Hand Painted Violet An exceptionally pretty, very fragrant, medium sized violet which is a soft pale pink that appears to have been hand painted with rose pink in the centre of each petal. The abundant flowers are held well above the healthy deep green foliage. Bred from 'Lady Rose', one of our earlier releases. this variety is vigorous, healthy, and floriferous. It was named in honour of Dr Judyth McLeod's mother who was a great lover of sweet violets. Not available for 2012		$8.50

Parma Violets are famous 19th century varieties, all very double and resembling baby roses, with shiny small heart-shaped leaves, and all sharing the most exquisite intense violet fragrance. Their origin is unknown although they were spread through Europe from Italy. They may have been bred in the Middle East. Parmas are particularly delightful grown in a large pot allowing the runners to cascade over the sides with their burden of flowers.

Ash Vale Blue Found in Essex in England, this is a previously unknown Parma violet and possibly a lost variety, distributed by Natalie Casbas. This is, we think, the most beautiful of all the Parmas, with pure white, very fragrant, double flowers that are suffused with sky blue at the edges. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50
Compte de Brazza Introduced in 1884, this is an exquisitely fragrant, large, fully double, glistening white violet shaped like a miniature rose, with small shiny dark green heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are prolific, and the plants very healthy and vigorous.	$8.50
D'Udine First listed in 1903 in Udine in Northern Italy, this Parma Violet was a mainstay of the violet bunching industry for Italy. It is close to 'Marie Louise', with large, deep lavender, very double flowers on strongly growing plants., and is intensely fragrant. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50
Lady Hume Campbell A sensational rare 19th century Parma Violet that we are very excited to offer for the first time. The very double, baby rose shaped and incredibly fragrant flowers are a deep lavender colour and borne in profusion. It has superbly healthy, glossy, heart-shaped foliage.	$8.50
Marie Louise An exquisitely fragrant large very double lavender-blue violet with a tiny white heart. Released in France in 1865. Leaves shiny, small and heart-shaped. Temporarily unavailable	$8.50
Neapolitan or Pallida Plena This is considered to be the original parma violet, a fully double, intensely fragrant, lavender. The leaves shiny, small, and heart-shaped.	$8.50
Parme de Toulouse This is the Parma violet associated with the once famous violet growing region around Toulouse in the south of France and the foundation of their once extensive violet based industry. Flowers were sold bunched, or used in the perfumery industry, or to make fragrant little pastilles, syrups, and candied flowers.The fully double flowers are silky dark mauve with a pale centre, intensely fragrant, and very prolific. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50

Guiletto Fanin Bred by Fanin in Italy, this lovely violet has large blue flowers, sweetly scented, and is a vigorous grower.	$9.50
La France Bred in France in 1891 by Millet, and thought to have been lost from cultivation, this variety has huge flowers of deep blue- purple with a sheen on the petals. The flowers are borne on long stem, and were much favoured as bunching violets in the 19th and early 20th century. It was rediscovered by Nathalie Casbas who has restored it to cultivation in France. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50
Mme Dumas This old cultivar was discovered by Nathalie Casbas in the garden of Mme Dumas in Tarn-en-Garonne and reintroduced by Nathalie in 1982. It has resisted identification, but is a very hardy double purple violet with a very sweef fragrance. It is now sold under Mme Dumas' name in her honour. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50
Princess of Prussia Bred by Lee in1881. Lee began as a market gardener in Somerset, England, but became deeply involved in growing violets as cut flowers and in breeding them. A large flowered violet with long stems, floriferous, sweetly scented, in rich purple.	$9.50
Rose de Bruant The double rose violet has been recorded for several centuries, but whether the original still exists is unknown. The form 'Rose de Bruant' appeared c. 1889. The sweetly fragrant flowers borne quite prolifically on long stems are fully double in a clear old rose pink touched. Very rare. It was introduced into Australia in the 1940s but appears to have been lost. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50
St Helena A very famous rare heirloom violet from 1897, praised greatly by many famous gardeners including Gertrude Jekyll. The flowers, which come very early in the spring, are the exact exquisite colour of a spring sky in Europe, the clearest pale blue. the small foliage is light green. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50
Victoria This is the foundation of the violet industry in the medieval town of Tourette sur Loup near Grasse on the French Riviera. Alice de Rothschild possessed a very significant garden in Grasse in the late 19th century and Queen Victoria was a frequent visitor at the Chateau (now a private hotel). A gardener from the estate planted his selection of a particularly large, deep purple, and very fragrant violet to line the road over which Queen Victoria trvelled to reach the centre of Grasse. This was the violet now known as 'Victoria'. Today the flowers are bunched fresh, or candied, while the leaves are used to extract the essential oil of violets, making beautiful Tourette sur Loup a major tourist attraction. the products are sold widely in France, but can also be purchased in the town square. Temporarily unavailable	$9.50
Wren's Pink Released in 1994 by John Whitelsey (USA) of Canyon Creek Nursery in California, this is a charming pale pink violet which is delicately and sweetly scented. The plants are healthy and prolific flowering.	$9.50

Alice Witter V. culcullata A stunningly beautiful dciduous violet, an old hybrid of V. cucullata of USA origin, with very large ice white flowers of rounded in form with large ruby red centres, borne in profusion on tall stems. There is nothing like it!		$8.50
Blue Wood Violet or Dog Violet V. riviniana This is an exquisite carpeting violet , very low growing with dark green heart shaped small foliage. with abundant beautiful heavenly blue flowers.		$7.50
Chinese Longleaf Violet Somewhat resembling V. betonicifolia, but the leaves are very much more pointed and longer, while the prolific, erectly held flowers are an exquisite light violet pencilled in deeper violet.		$7.50
Confederate Violet V. sororia f. priceana A deciduous violet with tall stemmed, very large crystalling white flowers of rounded form finely pencilled with purple, and with green in the heart. Stunning/ It does not form obvious runners but gradually makes a densely knitted clump of shiny green, tall stemmed leaves.		$8.00
Freckles V. sororia A deciduous violet that truly touches the heart with large white or palest ice blue flowers delicately speckled with violet-blue like a thrush's egg. Lush foliage. Click on the picture to view a larger image		$8.50
Labrador Violet V. labradorica An excellent carpeting violet with purple leaves and masses of lavender flowers. A charmer.		$7.95
Large Lavender Chinese Violet Collected on an expedition to Yunnan Province in China, this yet to be identified violet is extraordinary. It is a stemmed violet with dark green elongated heart shaped leaves and huge lavender flowers. Very rare.		$8.50
Long Leaf Native Violet V. betonicifolia A showy Australian native violet, with lance shaped elongated leaves and handsome large deep violet flowers streaked darker violet.		$6.50
Native Violet V. hederacea Masses of nodding white violet flowers splashed purple in their hearts with green ivy-leafed foliage. A wonderful groundcover for shady damp places. Click on the picture to view a larger image		$6.50
Purple Cloud This is a delightful tiny leafed ground cover or to spill out of pots in light shade, with fan shaped leaves and masses of small deep mauve flowers.		$7.95
Rodney Davis This is thought to be a cultivar derived from V. japonica f. albida, and is a gem in the garden. It forms a dense rosette about 18 cm wide of spear shaped leaves which are delightfully and strongly variegated with creamy white. The ice white flowers are borne on upright stems well above the foliage. Not available for 2011		$7.50
Snowflake V, hederacea This is a beauty, virtually never out of flower for us and much tougher than its dainty appearance could ever suggest. It resembles its big brother the white splashed purple native violet in forming a densely matting plant but the little frilled leaves are only half the size. The very prolific ice white flowers are held well above the leaves. We have had large pots of this outside in the full summer blaze and it has not turned a hair. It is a perfect flowering groundcover.		$7.95
*V. dissecta* var. *sieboldiana* Perhaps the most beautiful violet we have seen , this is a Japanese species with ferny much dissected leaves form ing a green fountain of foliage from which emerge many glistening, large, rounded, white violets of superb form with an exquisite fragrance. Temporarily unavailable		$7.50
White Wood Violet A European carpeting violet with masses of tiny white violet flowers with purple splashed hearts. The leaves are small, light green, and heart shaped.		$6.00
Wood Violet or Woodland Violet V. reichenbachiana A delightful violet for semi-shade making a superb groundcover with pointed dark heart-shaped leaves and very abundant , pretty, clear lavender-blue flowers borne over an exceptionally long season. Temporarily unavailable		$7.50

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