variegated wild violet

[weretable and the undead chair]

I have been fighting wild violets in my front yard since about six years ago when I intentionally planted some that I dug up from a field that was about to be bulldozed for a development. I leave some alone in the yard well away from the beds, but I have been trying to eliminate them from some of my planting beds with smaller perennials and annuals since they tend to just take over. This year I found one under a shrub that has very lovely green and white variegation. Flower was the same as the others.

Since I have no idea what the seed from this violet will do, I was wondering what to do to propogate it. Just dig it and divide it? Or leave it alone and let it make little bulblets or whatever they are called under the soil? I know it is hard to kill violets most of the time but since this one is pretty I figure I am far more likely to murder it. =)

[madgardener]

[I Love Lucy]

"weretable and the undead chairs" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

I never heard of one like that. Maybe you have something special. I would like one in my collection. All of a sudden this spring on a narrow side of the house three varieties have sprung up, a purple, a white, and a speckled one. I marked the speckled ones and won't let anybody mow or spray them. I am hoping the speckled one will propagate and was wondering about the best thing to do.

At some point, I'm going to have to have the yard sprayed for dandelions as they are out of control. That will probably kill the violets for awhile, too. But I am worried about getting mist on new plants I've set out so was thinking of enduring it for this year until the plants are better established. I won't let them spray at the side of the house, I didn't want it touched, will weed it myself, but my son mowed down the center. He said he watched the staked violets. I would like a huge colony of them there eventually because little would grow there and it it too narrow an area to put much else. If I put raspberries there like I would like it might be too shady for them or they could get so thick you couldn't get through there which would not be a good thing, plus they might ruin the violets.

There is a spot by the meter I would like to plant something because it gets a lot of sun. It has been bare for years now, so I wonder if there has been a chemical spill there.

I've got the speckled ones marked by stakes, maybe just leave them alone and see if they propagate themselves.