If this is the "Australian violet" with the small purplish leaves, I have it and it's not been problem at all here,(maybe because I'm pretty dry and there are so many other rampant growers) it's nothing like the full size traditional violets... I'm in the Los Gatos area (9b).
As far as ground covers over bulbs go I don't have any good suggestions for summer dry areas. In the areas I do water I like the summer growing oxalis, particularly a combination of purple and green foliage types (regnelli, triangularis, braziliensis etc.), as they come up after the winter bulbs are done. Add some other summer bulbs like Eucomis and some deciduous Hemerocalis or Dahlias and off we go...
Chad
-----Original Message-----
From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Kathleen Sayce
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 9:33 AM
To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [pbs] ground cover plants and question about Meeting in Berkeley
From Nan:
Small warning on that violet. While it isn't on the California invasive list, it is really aggressive in southern California and I would expect it to be more so in Northern California. I was in a garden recently where it had overtaken the entire lawn and the owner was trying to figure out how to get rid of both the grass and the violets - and wasn't having much luck?
I will double that warning. This gorgeous little violet got into my garden a few years ago. I was working too much at the time to weed carefully. It's now in the lawn and outgrowing everything, moss included, on the PNW coast. I'm considering a weeding torch to burn it out.
Kathleen
Kathleen Sayce
PNW Coast, WHZ 8, dryish cool summers & mild wet winters
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