Plant of the Month March 2026 - Dog Violets

I have been spending a lot of time in the garden this month, which has felt like a treat and has been a delight.  My usual habit it to wander around the garden looking at what is going on before settling down to to the tasks of the day.  A key part of these wanderings in the last week has been wondering what the plant of the month will be for March.  I half-decided on two or three candidates but then the answer came to me.  The Dog Violet.

When I saw this violet flowering in the Wild Garden it made me stop and smile.  It was the immediately right that this would be the March Plant of the Month for several reasons: it is very pretty, it is a native wildflower and it is a memory.  Regular readers will know that I particularly prize plants that are also memories and this plant took my right back to the first Spring I spent in this house.  I moved here the September before and had decided when first thinking about what the garden would be, that the top third would be left to become a wild garden.  The following Spring I saw the dog violets flowering in the top part of the garden that I had left to do its thing.  I was beyond delighted: it was proof of concept.  A less gardened garden creates its own beauty.  Every Spring I look out for this little beauty and every Spring it makes me smile.

The Viola riviniana is a low growing, very hardy, perennial.  It spreads itself around carefully and is easy to spot with its heart-shaped leaves.  They grow in heaths, woods and hedgerows and are very beneficial for a variety of wildlife including some rare butterflies.  I cannot claim that I have seen any of the rare butterflies, but adding to the food source has to be a good thing.

Violets are associated with modesty and timidity due to their nodding flowers that bow their heads.  In the 'language of flowers' they have meanings of remembrance and faithfulness.  

There is something about how small they are, how easy they can be to overlook that makes them all the more special.  I can understand why they have the folklore and meanings attributed to them.  The common name 'dog' violet is apparently related to them being seen as the 'false' violet, they are not the Violet odorata which has a sweet scent.  Nevertheless, they were seen as protection against evil so I shall happily have them in my garden.

More Plants of the month can be found here.

Take care and be kind.

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