Blooming Machine: Viola "Sweet Etain"
Written: May 20 '09 (Updated May 20 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Yellow/purple flowers, blooms constantly, healthy, easy to care for
Cons: Wish it was a larger plant
The Bottom Line: The best, colorful, healthy, care free border plant in my yard.
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| cmaw63's Full Review: Etain Viola Bulbs |
Every spring when my mother and I take a vacation we stop at a plant nursery. We each pick out one plant to drag all the way home to Central Illinois.
My Wyoming Plant
At a garden shop in Sheridan, Wyoming one plant caught my eye. It was Viola "Sweet Etain". One to two inch flowers covered the small mounding plant. The colorful lemon yellow, edged in lavender/purple, blooms demanded attention. I was hooked. My plant trekked across the country to its new home.
Planting my Sweet Etain did not seem to cause it stress. The blooms kept coming. It is a lot tougher than its dainty appearance suggests. The leaves and stems are a healthy, medium green and contrast nicely with the flowers. I'm not sure what happens to the spent blooms, but I do not snip them off. My plant just continues to flower, maintaining a healthy appearance.
Viola "Sweet Etain" is reported to get approximately 10" to 14" wide X 6" to 8" tall with a bloom time of spring to late summer. The garden zone range is 4 to 8. Here in my zone 5 yard this plant exceeded the high end of both the width and height ranges. It, also, surpassed the late summer prediction. My plant flowered until the first frost. I do have it in a protected area though. It is planted near my deck, out of the wind and the severe winter elements. Sweet Etain did die back over winter, but is already putting on a show. As of right now it is the only plant in my yard that is blooming. Several of my roses have buds, but the nights have turned cooler slowing the flowering process. The chilly night air has not stopped Sweet Etain.
The experts state that this Viola likes normal, loamy soil. I live in sand country. I suggest that it loves sand with a little peat moss added in. I do follow the recommended part shade cover though. With it planted near my deck it gets the morning and very early afternoon sun, shade the rest of the time.
One Sweet Plant
With the yellow/purple flowers covering a healthy plant, Viola "Sweet Etain" is a conversation starter whenever someone visits my home. It has consistent, repeating blooms that create a small mound of color. While it is busy working it doesn't ask for much from me. I give it a drink of water now and then and make sure the weeds stay away. It has made me a Viola fan. This year I've added three more varieties.
An easy to care for, beautiful plant? Viola "Sweet Etain" is...well...sweet!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cmaw63
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 in Pets, Home and Garden, Books |
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Member: Julie
Location: Illinois, USA
Reviews written: 307
Trusted by: 72 members
About Me:
Looking forward to my first grandbaby. She's due November 24!
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