Description
Viola Black Delight (Viola spp.)
Viola Black Delight is a striking edible flowering variety with rich velvety black-purple blooms that add elegance and drama to the garden. With their compact growth habit and long flowering season, violas are perfect for containers, borders, hanging baskets, and edible flower gardens.
The delicate blooms have a mild sweet flavour with subtle grassy notes, making them both beautiful and versatile in the kitchen.
In the Kitchen
Viola Black Delight flowers are edible and make stunning garnishes for salads, desserts, cakes, cocktails, and cheeseboards.
Their deep dark petals create beautiful contrast when paired with colourful dishes, while their mild flavour complements both sweet and savoury recipes. The flowers can also be candied for cake decorating or frozen into ice cubes for elegant drinks.
In the Garden
Violas flower abundantly over a long season and are ideal for brightening up containers, hanging baskets, pathways, herb gardens, and flower borders.
They combine beautifully with spring-flowering bulbs and other cool-season annuals, while also attracting bees and other beneficial pollinators when nectar sources are limited.
Their neat compact growth makes them especially useful for edging beds and filling smaller spaces with colour.
Cultivation
Violas are easy-to-grow cool-season annuals that thrive in full sun to partial shade. In warmer regions they perform best during autumn, winter, and spring, while cooler areas may enjoy flowering for many months.
Plant in fertile, compost-rich soil with excellent drainage, and water regularly to keep plants healthy and blooming freely. Avoid overwatering and ensure the crown of the plant is not buried when transplanting.
Regular deadheading encourages continuous flowering, and light trimming later in the season helps keep plants neat and compact.
Violas grow exceptionally well in containers using a quality well-draining potting mix and benefit from regular feeding with a liquid fertiliser for flowering plants.
Growing From Seed
Seeds are best sown in trays from late summer to early autumn. In cooler regions they can also be sown in spring.
Keep the soil lightly moist and maintain temperatures between 18 and 24°C for successful germination, which usually occurs within about a week.
