Mud & Magic

The sweet violets are blooming. Admittedly weedy, I love them so. Scattered along the fringes of my garden beds and borders, today’s plants are the progeny of a single 4-inch nursery pot purchased in the late 90s. The plants have survived complete neglect and massive renovation in equal measure.

Other than their remarkably resilient constitution, the singular appeal of my very humble violets is their sweet, slightly cloying perfume. And magic. The fragrance of sweet violets can only be detected in brief, intense intervals. One moment you’ll catch a powdery aroma on the breeze—then nothing but mud and wet knees in the chilly spring garden.

OK, so it only seems like magic. The plant’s fragrance contains ionones, compounds that temporarily desensitize scent receptors in the nose, blinding your perception of its perfume. Once the nerves recover, you’ll catch another whiff—and so on, and so on. Transient and lovely, like a flashing sun break on a damp day.

If you lean in close you might be able to catch a whiff of sweet violet magic.

Sweet violet (Viola odorata)
Hardy perennial, grows 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm), provide full sun to shade, zones 6-8