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

The latest from Carol's beautiful cottage garden… plus her diary for the week!

THIS WEEK AT GLEBE COTTAGE

As well as being a visual feast, a garden can become a fragrant haven, says Heloise Brooke, head gardener at the National Trust’s Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. Here, she advises on plants to include for year-round perfume promise

I love the delicate, open, airy height provided by Anthriscus sylvestris so early in the year, with a drama and elegance like few other spring-flowering perennials. Its off-white flowers and burgundy