Viola odorata ‘Lady Hume Campbell’

Lady Hume Campbell (Viola odorata 'Lady Hume Campbell') is an old double sweet violet grown for perfume rather than size. It forms a low spreading clump about 150mm tall and 300mm across, carrying soft lavender flowers packed with petals that scent a whole doorway on a still morning. The petals are edible and the plant is safe around cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Genuine perfume. This is one of the classic scented violets, and the fragrance carries far further than a plant this small suggests.
• Double flowers. The blooms are fully double rather than the flat five petal wild form, which gives them the look of a miniature old rose.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which is unusual among plants grown for scent.
• Frost hardy and undemanding. It handles cold winters and poor soil, and it asks for almost nothing once settled.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Plant 25cm apart for a spreading carpet. At that spacing the clumps knit into continuous cover within a season under deciduous trees or along a shaded strip.

Borders and edging. Run it along a path edge or a front step where people pass close enough to catch the scent, which is the whole point of growing it.

Pots and small gardens. A wide shallow bowl near a doorway concentrates the perfume, and a courtyard bed needs only a handful of plants to be worth it.

Growing sweet violets in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade is ideal, particularly shelter from hot afternoon sun. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy. Humid tropical and subtropical summers are its weak point, where the crowns tend to rot.

Soil. Moisture retentive soil with compost worked through gives the best flowering, though it tolerates poor ground better than most perennials. Mulch lightly and keep the crown itself clear.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the first summer and in dry spells afterwards, since drought stress cuts flowering the following season. A complete fertiliser in early spring is all it needs.

Renewal. Plants spread by runners and gradually crowd themselves. Lift and divide every two or three years after flowering, replanting the strongest crowns.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tubestock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are small young plants, sensibly priced for a border run, and they establish quickly in cool weather. The 140mm plants arrive as fuller clumps and often flower in their first season.

Violets travel well because the foliage is low and tough. Plant in autumn or early spring for the fastest establishment, and expect the main flowering from late winter into spring. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to the most fragrant garden plants
• Creating a cottage garden in Australia
• Browse plants that are safe for pets
• Compare low growing groundcovers

Common questions

Will it take over the garden?

It spreads steadily by runners, so give it an edge it cannot cross or lift the strays each year. It is easy to pull and shallow rooted, so containing it is a few minutes of work.

Sun or shade?

Part shade suits it best, especially protection from hot afternoon sun. Deep shade cuts the flowering right back, and full exposure in a hot inland garden scorches the leaves.

Are the flowers really edible?

Yes, the petals are edible and are traditionally crystallised or used fresh as a garnish. Wash them first, and only use flowers you have grown without pesticide.

Will it grow in a subtropical garden?

It can, in a shaded well drained spot, but humid summers are hard on it and clumps often rot out. Treat it as short lived there rather than permanent.