February Birth Flowers: Violet and Iris (gouache style)

February's birth flowers are the violet and the iris. The sweet violet, Viola odorata, is a native wildflower with heart-shaped leaves and small purple or white flowers, spreading by runners along hedge banks and woodland edges. Its scent famously seems to come and go. The irises of February are dwarf bulbous kinds such as Iris reticulata, named for the net-like coat around the bulb, with blue or purple flowers marked in yellow.

Plant sweet violets in autumn or spring in moist soil with some shade, under a hedge or deciduous shrub, and they'll spread gently and self-seed. They flower low under hedges from late winter into spring. Iris reticulata bulbs go in during autumn, in a sunny spot with sharp drainage, which is why they're often grown in pots or gravel. They flower in February and March. The bulbs sometimes split into small offsets that won't bloom, and planting a little deeper can help.

Purple violets and deep blue irises sit together with their green leaves on a pale blush ground. The two flowers share the same cool range of colour, which is why they hold together so well. The soft blush background lets those violet and blue tones stay rich without competing, much as these small flowers stand out against bare winter soil.