It is the springtime and the blood is warming up. Nothing heats my blood more than flowers. Did nature create flowers just for bees or to excite we humans? I think the latter is likely because flowers are the balm of springtime. Every day brings a new surprise in the garden. Something pops up that you had forgotten was there and it lives a life. I first saw these violets in a cemetery in the 1980’s. They had been planted on a grave by someone grieving over a death, perhaps back in Victorian days. I had put some of the old burial areas into conservation zones. This meant we stopped mowing the grass and allowed what was there to grow. We were more than surprised. Dog’s tooth violet sprang up and I had to research it.

Flower power

This plant was a favourite in Victorian times and yet I knew it not. It grows early, flowers and then dies away during the summer. Some would see that short flowering as a weakness. In reality, we need early flowers, as well as late, to extend the season. Heaven knows what bees or flies need early flowers, but it is not the common honey bee. They just need summer heat. Variety is the spice of life and the essence of a garden good for the environment.

Dog’s-tooth violet

This plant prefers light shade, especially woodland shade. It is a bulb of the lily family. It has soft, mottled leaves and will spread in the right ground conditions. That is damp soil but not waterlogged, so water must drain away. I quickly pick some of these flowers and put them into a suitable vase. That needs to be a stone pebble design so that the flowers hang above and add joy to the day. It will only be a couple of weeks, short and delicious!