by Melanie and Jim
Violets were abundant along the path where we hiked in the wooded wetlands along a local river. We stopped, surrounded by hundreds of them. The only way to be close enough for a photo was to get down on hands and knees among them.
It is surprising how many different species of violet there are in the world. Wikipedia says there are as many as 600 in the viola genus of the family Violaceae.
We were blessed with these three fine examples. Each is 1″ across.
Enjoy.
How I See It 
These are great shots! Thanks for getting down on your hands and knees, I’m thinking it was worth it!
It was worth it. Thanks.
The violets are lovely. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a yellow violet.
You’re better at taking close-ups of plants than I am. I tried to take a photo of my chive plants to illustrate yesterday’s post–and somehow the photos seemed to emphasize the leaves from last fall that were on the ground by the plants rather than the plants themselves.
Thanks. Does your camera have a macro or closeup setting?
Even though I grew up in your part of the country, I don’t remember ever seeing a yellow or white violet. It’s possible I just didn’t notice.
What your lovely photos did call to mind is Dorothy Parker’s little meditation on the sweet flower.
Sweet Violets
You are brief and frail and blue-
Little sisters, I am, too.
You are Heaven’s masterpieces-
Little loves, the likeness ceases.
Nice poem.
The whites and yellows are much fewer in number. They seem to prefer a little different habitat than the blues.
I don’t know if I’d call the little ditty “nice”, but it certainly is vintage Parker. 😉
I’m used to seeing white variants of purple flowers, but do you know if the yellow is a different species of violet?
I believe so.
http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/downy-yellow-violet
Yep, that seems to be it. Too bad it grows in only a few scattered counties in Texas, none of them near me.
Delightful photos ~ there sure are a lot of different ones, aren’t there? I drew a couple of different species but in black and white the differences disappear…
Yes there are. I am always glad to see them in the spring. There is one plant in my rhubarb that always blooms among the big leaves of the plant. It is a very sunny spot. The leaves give it just the right amount of protection.
So beautiful.
Hooray for Spring!
Emma 🙂
It has been a long time coming. Glad to see them.