Viola 'Sorbet Sunny Royale'
Viola
This viola bloom has a deep yellow face with 3 purple blotches, a deep purple cap and deep purple whiskers. The eye is a deeper yellow than the rest of the face. The beautiful yellow combined with the deep purple causes the small, but numerous blooms to be easily seen. (San Antonio, Tx.)
htop, don't you just love these sorbets! This one is quite whimsical!
Weezingreens, I sure do! The color combinations are so beautiful. Everytime I see a variety that I haven't planted yet, I just have to buy it. The sorbets are the ones that are available here at Walmart, Home Depot, etc. I call all of the violas my "happy plants". They seem to be so perky that they always make me more cheerful when I see them. What I like too is that I can place them in with container plants as fillers because they are small. Thanks for your comments.
Yes, violas are surely happy plants! I have some collected seeds for trade, so email me if you want some new blood in the mix!
Thanks for the offer. Right now I have so many plants to plant I am really behind. The seeds are so small, how do you collect them? I will collect some of these for you if you want some in trade.
Yes, please, htop. Viola seeds are easy to collect. After the bloom falls off, a pod about the size of a cherry pit will form. The trick is to pick it before it pops open and flings the seeds all over! Put the pods in a container that allows air circulation without letting the seeds fly all over, as the pods will pop open shortly after picking.
Violas are prone to cross pollinate, so it is difficult to have seed to the parent plant. Of course, that's one of the reasons they are so enjoyable... you neve know what you're going to get! The hybrids often differ a bit from the original anyway, but closer than one would expect. I grow different types in pots by themselves in hopes of keeping the seed as true as possible.
I have the different types separate from each other also and hopefully far enough away that they will not cross pollinate. I have all of the types for which I I have posted a photo. The one I have not been abble to locate this year is the solid yellow one with brown or black whiskers. It reallly shows up well. I shall attempt to collect seeds for you.
Very nice, Hazel! Do you have a new camera? Your picture is beautiful! Gretchen
Thanks, htop. I have seed from Penny Orchid Frost, and, though a hybrid, it comes back relatively true to the original, and I have seeds from Blackjack, a lovely little deep blue viola with a yellow center. It is supposed to come back true. We'll have to trade some viola seed at some point.
Hi, Gretchen. Yes, I have a new camera which has taken me some time to learn how to use. Thanks.
This message was edited Wednesday, Feb 18th 12:27 PM
It is beautiful. We use these to color easter eggs.
Weezingreens, yes, let's trade some seeds. Mine won't be ready for awhile. I don't have any on the plants yet.
frogsrus, thanks. How do you use them to color Easter eggs?
Get a lot of onion skins, brown or red. Your local grocery store will usually be happy to save them for you. Soak in cider vinegar for at least a week if you can.
Take a raw egg. Place flowers, ferns, grasses against the egg and wrap in onion skins. Use a god amount to be sure the egg is covered. Wrap in a square of cloth and tie like a package. Not too tight!
Place in large pot with the vinegar drainings from the onion skins and enough water to cover eggs. Weight down with a plate or pie pan and the "special" Easter rock. Just heavy enough to hold the eggs under the liquid.
Bring to a boil and steep for 20 min.
Let cool until you can handle them. (Big joke in our house. No one can wait.) Remove skins and plants from eggs.
Rub eggs with vegetable oil and wipe off with paper towel.
Admire eggs and look for things "hiding" in the forest scenes.
The more you use the skins the better the results.
Violas are one of the things that really add color to the eggs.
You can do this with carrot tops too but the results are nowhere near as spectacular.
Thanks for providing the directions. This sounds like great fun. I am going to have to try it!
I advise wearing clothes you do not care about and covering the counter with a couple of big garbage bags. This is a messy business and it stains. I always have to soak my hands in bleach afterward because I forget until it is too late to wear gloves.
I'll be sure to do this when I have plenty of time to prepare for it beforehand. Thanks for telling me to wear gloves too.
