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A pure white Parma Violet with rather lax growth. The flowers are generally well shaped, but they trail along the ground. Roy Coombs wrote in 'The Plantsman' in 1979: "Mr Henry Cannell of the Swanley Nurseries, in Kent had already obtained one cultivar from Italy which he introduced as 'Venice' in 1877. It was similar to 'Marie Louise', but perhaps slightly neared blue in colour. He now purchased a stock of a white flowered Parma from Comte Brazza di Savorgnin of Sorreschian near Udine in north east Italy, and named it 'Swanley White'. Soon Mr Cannell was exporting it to the U.S.A. where its colour ensured that it would be widely grown, but never on the scale of the deeper coloured cultivars. It was much sought after here because the hardy double whites such as 'Belle de Chatenay' (Paillet 1877), had proved less reliable for flowering nder glass than the Parmas and a white Parma was thought likely to greatly excel them. 'Swanley White' lived up to these expectations and other nurseries tried to obtain stocks of this money making violet. Comte Brazza had, according to Mr Cannell, agreed not to supply plants of this cultivar to other British nurseries, however an allegedly improved form was offered by other growers here such as Mr T.S. Ware of Feltham and Tottenham, Middlesex as 'Comte Brazza' or 'Comte Brazza's White Neapolitan'. It was in fact under the former of these names that it was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's First Class Certificate when exhibited by Lord Suffield of Gunton Park, Norwich on 13 November, 1883. Mr Cannell was very perturbed by this and published notices to the effect that the later introductions were identical to his and should thus be called 'Swanley White'. Almost all growers over the years have agreed that there is only one white Parma, sometimes listed as Viola odorata pallida alba plena, although a white sport of 'Marie louise' was recorded in 1896. 'Swanley White' is still grown in the U.S.A. as well as here, but in numbers minute compared with the years that followed its introduction. Nevertheless its pure white flowers, sometimes with a pale blue tint, of good form and strongly scented, always attract attention." |
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| 25th February 2007 | ||
