Johnny Jump-up Viola Seeds
Heirloom, Edible Flowers
Small purple, yellow and white flowers that bloom almost endlessly in the Australian climate, and you can eat them.
- About 50 seeds per packet
- Edible flowers, excellent on a plate
- Grows to just 15 to 20cm
- Flowers almost endlessly here
For Christmas, order by 16 December, or 18 December in WA. All dates
Growing no taller than 15 to 20cm, these small purple, yellow and white flowers bloom almost endlessly in our forgiving Australian climate. They make an excellent border of colour, and a tempting offering for the array of beneficial insects they attract. Little Veggie Patch Co pack them in their Edible Flowers range, in collaboration with Petite Ingredients, so they are grown to be eaten as well as looked at. Roughly 50 seeds in a packet.
Key Features
- Approximately 50 seeds per packet. Enough for a border.
- Edible flowers. Part of Little Veggie Patch Co's Edible Flowers range, with Petite Ingredients.
- Grows to just 15 to 20cm. Ideal for borders, edging and pots.
- It flowers almost endlessly. In the Australian climate.
- Attracts pollinators. And an array of beneficial insects.
- Heirloom variety. So you can save seed from mature plants.
Pūrē Standard
- A garnish you would otherwise buy from a florist. Crystallised violas on a cake are a speciality item, and this is one seed packet and some patience. Fresh, they turn an ordinary salad into something that looks considered.
- Grown to be eaten, not just to look at. The Edible Flowers designation and the Petite Ingredients collaboration mean these were selected for the plate. Plenty of ornamental viola seed gets sold as edible without that behind it.
- It flowers, and then it keeps flowering. Almost endlessly here, and it self-seeds readily, so one packet tends to become a permanent fixture along a border.
- Small enough for anyone. At 15 to 20cm this works in a pot on a balcony, which is not true of most of what we sell for the garden.
- On seed treatment. Little Veggie Patch Co disclose chemical seed treatment where it applies, and carry a Thiram note on the handful of imported lines it affects. This packet carries no such note. They do not publish a germination rate or packing date.
Overall score:
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Low-Tox & Material Safety | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5) |
| Sustainability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5) |
| Manufacturing Transparency | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) |
| Packaging | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5) |
How to Use
- Prepare the bed a fortnight ahead. Fresh manure and compost. Violas want it nutrient rich and well drained.
- Soil pH. 6.5 to 7.0.
- Sowing. Sow directly once daytime temperatures regularly pass 18 to 20 degrees. If it is still cold, start in seed trays and transplant once conditions improve.
- Spacing and depth. 20 to 30cm apart, 0.5 to 1cm deep.
- Position. Full sun, though it will not mind a little afternoon shade.
- Keep picking the flowers. Deadheading is what keeps a viola blooming rather than setting seed and stopping.
- To crystallise them. Paint the petals with lightly beaten egg white, dust with caster sugar, and dry on baking paper. They keep for weeks in an airtight tin.
When to Plant
- Zone 1, cool. October to April.
- Zone 2, temperate. September to May.
- Zone 3, subtropical. Anytime.
- Zone 4, tropical. Anytime.
- Perth and the south-west are Zone 2. So September to May. Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and most of the southern half of the country are Zone 2 as well.
Product Details
- Variety. Viola tricolor, "Johnny Jump Up", heirloom.
- Seed count. Approximately 50 per packet.
- Height. 15 to 20cm.
- Range. Part of the Edible Flowers range, with Petite Ingredients.
- Packaging. Plain paper seed packet.
- Sourcing. Little Veggie Patch Co are a Melbourne-based small business. They do not state where the seed itself is produced.
- Interstate customers. Some states restrict the entry of seed and plant material. Check your own state's plant biosecurity rules if you are unsure.
Choose options
For Christmas, order by 16 December, or 18 December in WA. All dates
Our Take
Cheerful little edible violas that self-seed with abandon and make a salad look like it is genuinely trying. They flower almost endlessly here, which is the real reason to grow them.
Pūrēly Organic
Good to know
Frequently asked
Are the flowers edible?
Yes. Little Veggie Patch Co pack this in their Edible Flowers range, in collaboration with Petite Ingredients, so it is grown to be eaten. Scatter them fresh over salads and desserts, or crystallise them in egg white and caster sugar to decorate a cake.
When should I sow them in Perth?
Perth and the south-west are in Little Veggie Patch Co's Zone 2, temperate, so September to May. Zone 1 (cool) is October to April, and Zones 3 and 4 (subtropical and tropical) can sow anytime.
How big do they get?
No taller than 15 to 20cm, which makes them ideal for borders, edging and pots.
How do I sow them?
Prepare the soil with fresh manure and compost a fortnight beforehand. Sow directly once daytime temperatures regularly pass 18 to 20 degrees, at 0.5 to 1cm deep and 20 to 30cm apart, in well-drained soil at pH 6.5 to 7.0, in full sun with a little afternoon shade tolerated. If it is still cold, start in trays and transplant later.
How many seeds are in a packet?
Approximately 50.
Do they keep coming back?
They flower almost endlessly in the Australian climate and self-seed readily, so once you have them you tend to keep having them. Being heirloom, you can also collect seed deliberately.
