Modest, alluring and versatile, Viola odorata, or sweet violet, is a small, hardy, herbaceous perennial that tumbles and scrambles close to the ground, forming dense clumps of dainty, heart-shaped, gr

The sweet violet, Viola odorata, may be a diminutive flower, but its small, slightly asymmetrical, pansy-like flowers are highly fragrant. They open in early spring before most plants have even though

Picotee-pink-edged, large flowers that look at you from a tall stem. Followed by marbled evergreen leaves. A sterile cultivar from Rodney Davey, it flowers prolifically as its energy is saved for flow

Just £10 per pack of 12 plants

Now spring is in sight, gorgeous plants herald a new season

Presenter and garden designer Mark Lane shares his top picks for thrifty gardeners – easy to propagate, low maintenance and they’ll put on a fabulous floral show