Vivacious violets
Who else absolutely adores these beautiful wee heralds of Spring? They always bring back wonderful childhood memories of gathering little bundles from my grandmother's back yard, and putting them in a little vase on her kitchen windowsill to enjoy the beautiful perfume.
I have them growing as a groundcover in a number of my gardens, and at this time of year, their enthusiasm often gets the better of them, and we get a little overrun. Is this a problem? No way! From Autumn through to Spring they bring much needed fragrance, colour and life to the garden.
Read on for uses, properties, and recipes…
Sweet violets (Viola odorata) are wonderful food and medicine, and a hugely underrated medicinal herb that's often forgotten, as more trendy herbs take over... but does anything come close to the evocative perfume of those little purple or white sweeties as you wander through the garden?
Here in New Zealand, flowers-as-food isn't really a thing in the way it is in European countries - we tend to think of things like calendula in an upmarket salad, or maybe nasturtium or cornflowers as garnish, but they aren't really the 'main course', so to speak.
Sweet violet flowers (Viola odorata)
However, violets, roses, lavender and other fragrant herbs can be used as the highlight of many treats, and are popular overseas for exactly this. Think 'parma violet' sweets from the UK, candied violets, or French violet syrup, or shortbread... to that end, I'm making some violet sugar with the flowers today, for use in fragrant shortbread and other treats later in the year. See note below!
And on a more medicinal level, did you know you can use the leaves and flowers as a wonderful herbal medicine, particularly good for many of the ailments common at this time of year?
Violets are:
Anti-inflammatory
Expectorant
Vulnerary
Diuretic
Depurative
Diaphoretic
Laxative
Emollient
Cooling and moistening
The leaves are rich in mucilage (think 'herbal slime' - a polysaccharide that softens, moistens, heals and protects, like a natural band aid that sticks to skin and mucous membranes and restores health). They contain vitamin C, rutin, flavanoids, salicylic acid (making them useful for mild pain, but no good for those with allergies to salicylates) and many trace minerals.
USES
Violet can be used as a poultice or infused oil or ointment topically for many skin conditions - anything itchy, irritated, inflamed, red, dry and annoying. It soothes, heals and protects. It's been used for cysts, boils and similar issues throughout history, too.
It has also traditionally been used topically for varicose veins.
The aerial parts are used for coughs and colds, feverish conditions, digestive complaints, sore throats, spasmodic coughs, and many other disorders. It may support good rest and sleep, and many find its relaxing perfume useful for times of stress.
You can eat it in salads or add it wherever you'd use leafy greens. It can be infused into oils, or dried for later use as a tea (use it fresh, too!).
Gather when in flower and as always, make sure you've got the correct plant - identification is so important, though in this case, the smell is usually a giveaway!
Recipes
Violet sugar
Pick spray-free violet flowers
Layer with caster sugar in a clean glass jar (ie a layer of violets, a layer of sugar, a layer of violets, a layer of sugar...) until the jar is full.
Leave to infuse for a month in a dark cupboard.
Use for beautifully fragrant baking later in the year.
Violet skin oil
Fill a clean glass jar with violets (aerial parts)
Top with oil (olive, jojoba, sweet almond all work well)
Leave to infuse for a month, shaking occasionally
Strain and use on its own, or use with beeswax to make an ointment.
