Purple and white haze

Finally they've arrived - my favourite spring flowers, violets. Driving around Chilterns lanes this afternoon I was suddenly aware of a purple haze with occasional white patches along the base of the hedges. It was mostly clumps of Sweet Violets, Viola odorata, and sometimes, where the hedge was a remnant of an ancient wood, the Early or Wood Violet, Viola reichenbachiana. The former is wonderfully scented and the latter, whilst having no scent, is a lovely delicate plant. There's nothing like violets for shaking off the winter blues!