The weeds in Garden65 (and goodness it's approximately 40% weeds) are so young they still have an air of innocence about them. They have arranged themselves into attractive little assemblages, and I can't help viewing them with affectionate indulgence.
Of course, this is a mistake. It won't be long before they grow into big bastards with a stubborn attitude.
But until they do let's take a closer look at the pretty Dog Voilet. Ha! I'm calling it pretty now, but in a couple of months time I'll be cursing it when I'm on my hands and knees prising it from the crazy paving with a butter knife.
The Common Dog Voilet, Viola riviniana, has 5 purple petals, with a central white area helpfully lined with directional stripes that guide pollinating insects down to the nectar. This is contained in a spur formed by the lower petals at the back of the flower.
There are a handful of other violets, apart from the common Common Dog, such as the Early Dog and the Sweet Violet. These have purple or blue spurs, whereas our common violet has a white spur.
And after fiddling with all the little flowers in the garden I can confirm there are no rare violets here.
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