Purple Rain – or Maybe It’s Blue
I fell asleep last night to the sound of rain, always a pleasant lullaby–until the weather got intense, and the rain began to pound against the roof. I started to picture our gutters overflowing and all my good garden topsoil floating away down the hill.
Still, after years of drought, rain is always welcome here. Besides, it reminded me of that Prince song, ‘Purple Rain,’ which in turn made me think of one more blue flower I want to tell you about. It’s Viola ‘Rain Blue and Purple,’ an AAS cool season award winner in the bedding plant division.
Viola
This sweet little Viola earns its name for its unique coloring. The blossoms appear in very early spring, slowly transforming from purple and white to purple and blue as they age. Only a few other varieties, the developer says, have this rare color-change characteristic. Best of all, ‘Rain Blue and Purple’ is said to be both cold and heat tolerant, so it should last well into spring in our area. It’s new for 2009, so look it for it soon.
cheers,
Lynn
Tags: 'Rain Blue and Purple', violas