Welcome to the Fourth Annual Fairegarden Viola Beauty Pageant! Before we begin showing this year’s contestants, let us bring everyone up to date on the rules of the contest and the change in the time of the presentation. Begun in the early pre-blogging years of this incarnation of the Fairegarden, the qualities of the self-sown viola volunteers that spring to life in the gravel paths of the knot garden each May were compared and judged by my daughter Semi and me. When the blogging began and the gravel begat yet more gorgeousness, images were captured and readers were invited to vote for their favorites. Names and bios were added for fun and amusement. In 2011, an executive decision was made to snap the photos in May, as always when blooming occurs, but to save the pageantry for January. Seeing the cheerful faces would perhaps help bring joy to gardeners as winter blahs begin to set in, was the thinking behind the change. And now, let us bring on the lovely chosen ones. Ann Marie, the crowned winner of 2010, will anoint the new Fairest of the Faire after a week of voting.
Fiona appears to be a direct result of the addition of new genetic material into the knot garden paths over the last couple of years, the highly variable V. ‘Antique Shades’. The yellow background of the lower petal is unique, there is distinct whiskering that adds to her charms. When not participating in pageants, which she only does to help pay for her further education with the scholarship money, Fiona enjoys kayaking at the nearby Ocoee whitewater rapids that were built for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. She is studying to be a freshwater marine biologist.
Greta is a sweetheart, showing the seperate yellow and blue coloration of the original flats of violas that were planted in the four quadrants of the knot garden in 2000. What sets her apart from the others is the pouty lips of an upside-down heart in glorious purple. Greta is a creative being, and plans to use the prize money to open a pottery studio that specializes in teaching young children the joy of molding useful and beautiful items from the clay of the Earth.
Fawn is a real beauty with her shades of blue and perky whiskers. Her yellow throat reveals a love of music, for she has a classically trained singing voice, hoping to one day sing at The Met in New York City. She has been compared to the inimitable Leontyne Price in her prime.
Gilda displays interesting pale ears that are ever so lightly brushed with blue at the edges. No wicked witch, this sassy lass does love to be on stage and dreams of joining a traveling troupe of actors who will entertain folks by putting on shows for the price of room and board.
Fleur is a classic beauty with the genetic yellow throat, whiskers and gentle blushing of color on the three lower petals that is shared by many of the offspring in the gravel. Named for the delightful creature who charmed one and all in the wizarding world, Fleur is very down to Earth. Her talents are of the culinary type and she likes to develop recipes to perfection before recording the recipe to be shared online, for free.
Ginger, who bears a close familial resemblance to Fiona, is, what else but a lithe-limbed dancer extraordinaire. Birds do love this little missy, and gladly provide feathers for some of her more elaborate costumes.
Fay in shades of purple and lilac was a favorite of the judges who were choosing the finalists for this post. She is calm and soft spoken, able to ease the cares and pains of life to those who need a gentle guiding to help them find their way. That is a very special gift.
Gayia pronounced Ga-ee-ya, is the spiritual leader of the girls. She is wise and all-knowing and keeps her door unlocked, unafraid of the evil squirrels and voles who would dig up the roots and leave the poor plant out of the ground to dry up and die. I wish she would share her secret power with the humans around here.
Desiree has royalty in her veins, for she is a direct descendant of the 2008 winner of the first blogged about beauty contest, Gypsy. Always a handful, Desiree is a wild one, but with the same sweet disposition, and knockout curves, as her mother.
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There you have them, gentle readers. I understand completely the difficulty in picking only one winner, having had to narrow it down to these nine from more than three dozen. Please make your choice and leave a comment with your vote, if you wish to participate. The tally will be made and announced in a week or so. Thank you for joining in this little bit of whimsical fun on a winter’s day.
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Added: The winner, Fairest of the Faire for 2012 was Fiona.
Previously:
Viola Beauty Pageant-2010
Simone, Delilah, Elana, Penny, Ann Marie, Chloe, Jill, Kayleen, Beatrix, Geraldine-Miss Congeniality. Winner-Ann Marie.
Viola Beauty Pageant-2009
Marlene, Blanche, Nadine, Opal, Calypso, Monique, Olivia, Delores, Chrystyne, Loueez, Savannah-Miss Congeniality. Winner-Loueez.
Viola Beauty Pageant
Elspeth, Pearl, Roxey, Isis, Gypsy, Stream, Agnyss, Janet, Chessie, Renata, Inez, Jessica. Winner-Gypsy.
2007 winner-Felicty, pre-blogging
Frances
Fairegarden 
I’m at a tie, Fairegarden, between Fawn and Greta. But in reality, I love them all. H.
Frances,
I’ve missed this for 3 years, I’m fairly slack. Enjoyed the show shame you do not have a Orange Duets in your collection, they are my personal favorites. Anyway what a delight on a chilly morning.
You are so right about it being difficult to choose which pansy I think should be queen. This year they all seem to have their whiskers mentioned. Since I too have said whiskers and come from the ‘Antique Shades’ I must vote for Fiona because of her fine whiskering and her seeming familia representation.
This post is just what this gardener needed on a snowy, blowy cold winter’s day. Winter has finally arrived here in SW IN. Have a great weekend.
It’s Fiona by a whisker. It was a clear choice until I scrolled back up to make sure of her name. Seeing all the contestants again led to multiple ups and downs, but I went with my heart. They are all lovely, lovely talented young ladies!
For me, it was a tie between Fiona and Ginger… but I think I’ll mix things up a bit and toss a vote for Ginger, she seems to have all the similar beauty marks… but Ginger seems a bit more exotic in her coloring.. So my vote goes to Miss Ginger!! 🙂
Gosh, this is really tough…do I go with subtle charm or obvious flamboyance? Do I let myself be influenced by their extra curricular activities or the sheer merit of their outward appearance? Each one is lovely in her own way but, for this voter, Fiona sings the most clearly delivered “look at me” song. I love her coloring and shape and how she is put together. She is quite fetching in every way.
1 Fawn (I love the blues)
2 Desiree
Lovelies, all of them!
I go for “Ginger” – her lower petal looks like a sunset during a heavy storm.
Gilda stole my heart. The combination of those two colors is so soothing. Let her wear the crown for the next year!
Fiona is the winner. My grand daughters name too. (From facebook)
I wish my violas here would self-hybridize like that! Yours sport the most interesting variations! I vote for Fiona, the most exotic beauty amongst the contenders!
I have to say that Fawn caught my eye , what a beauty. In the language of flowers, Viola’s stand for loving thoughts and you occupy my mind. Fawn is a beautiful representative of those sentiments.
I cannot choose. I am a waffler.~~Dee
Oh, Fiona without a doubt! So lovely!
Such Fun! My vote is for Fiona; however, any of the lovelies would be welcome in my gargen. Rachel
Love the splotching on Gayia! While Fiona is the eye grabber (and my close second choice) , I’m going to cast my vote for the her in acknowledgement of her higher – and more subtle – beauty!
This is my second year of following the pageant! I have a few (too few) viola volunteers here at home in Asheville – do you do anything in particular to get these beauties? Thanks for brightening this chill day!
They all have such sweet faces, though Ginger stands out to me.
I’m not a fan of beauty pageants as a rule, especially the ones featuring little tykes made up to look like adults, but I always look forward to your annual viola pageant, Frances. I have to admit I’m influenced as much by their bios as I am by appearance. With that in mind, I’m going to have to cast my vote for Fay–what a sweet soul! Thanks for the day-brightener and the chuckles this morning, Frances. An Arctic blast of cold air has hit us, and there’s nothing but white outside my window today.
I will vote for Fiona…but I think you are so very fortunate to have so many really lovely contestants!
I always look forward to this post, but I never have voted before… so here goes!
Fiona! ♥
Although the other ladies are just as gorgeous; she takes my vote for the reason that I love the burned orange on the lower petals, the light lilac edging on the upper ones, and how the whiskers change color as it goes up the darker violet parts… Stunning!
My favorite is Desiree because of her exotic beauty! Even though all contestants are pretty she stands out of the crowd and needs to be appreciated for that. Thanks for a fun post in the middle of winter :-)!
Christina
This is a tough one! They are all outstanding (in the gravel bed) but, like Dee, I can’t choose. Let me mull this over and stop back for a third look! xoxogail
For me, it was between Fiona and Ginger, and I had to make my decision based on the talent portion of the pageant. Though I enjoyed Fiona’s performance of Amami Alfredo (from La Traviata), I thought Ginger’s interpretation of L’apparition de Giselle (Giselle) was outstanding. (The dancing, that is. I thought the costuming would have benefited from fewer feathers. Do they even have birds in the afterlife?)
Gayia’s rendition of “On My Way” was also noteworthy, though I question whether a beauty contest is an appropriate place to be performing show tunes about disfigurement.
(Yes. Ginger. I may have gotten a little tangled up in trying to find high art pieces that refer to violets.[1])
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[1] The main character of La Traviata is named Violetta; “On My Way” is from the 1997 musical Violet, and performed by its main character, named Violet. Ballets about protagonists named Violet are a lot harder to find.)
Desiree is my first choice, perfect proportions, smashing colours, contrasting the delicate with strength and beauty.
Brought to us by a very smart little elemental.
Ginger…classic beauty and charm…
I like Fawn but they are all beautiful.
Since they are all beautiful and have the added advantage of volunteering their colors, I will have to vote for ‘Ginger’ as she is my alter ego.
What fun to pore over the lovely ladies this cold and snowy morning in NW Ohio. Violas are one of my favorites and I have a sentimental choice – Fay was my grandmother’s name and she was indeed a peaceful and soft spoken lady. So I vote for gorgeous Fay with Fawn as a close runner up – hard to resist those beautiful blues.
Gayia appeals to my soul! I guess that that was your point. haha I was referred to your site by Joseph, of Green Sparrow Gardens, and happy I am about it. How much fun to sit here in very snowy Michigan and think about Violas. Thank you.
A very tough choice but Fleur eventually won my heart. I love the dark violet colour and she’s just the right combination of sparkle and class.
After scrolling up and down dozens of times – they are all so uniquely delightful! – I vote for Fiona. I love the pink/purple colour in her chin. My next favourites would probably be Fawn and Desiree.
Ah, they are all very pretty, Frances. I can’t pick just one! They would be lovely in a bouquet all together. You are right–their smiling, colorful faces are a welcome sight this time of year!
Desiree seems like fun but I might end up spending the night in the slammer if we hung out too much. Fiona is my pick – brains over beauty any day!!
I am glad you moved the event to January, I am sure it will become the highlight of the winter season. At first I thought I would have to vote for Greta, as that is the name of my mother-in-law, but ended up preferring Fiona because we have so much in common.
Okay, third time to view the contestants and my vote goes with Gilda. I appreciate her understated girl next door good looks; not flashy, and, never too many accessories. She’s the kind of viola that gets a second look and a wow! xogailxo
Gayia gets my vote. She’s not your typical beauty but has some lovely markings.
Love them all, but I vote for Fay. My new love this year at home is Penny Red Blotch. But I’d love to have them all!
It is like trying to choose between children! My favorite child is Fiona! Great pictures.
From the second that I saw Fiona, I knew! She’s incredibly beautiful, but it’s her spirit that got me by the heart. There’s an embracing brightness that I feel, in her. Absolutely my favorite!
Oh they are all so beautiful and it was hard just to pick one but my favorite is Fiona,
I vote Desiree and here’s why: color A+ form & symmetry A+ boldness A+ extra verve: yes, she has a tiny glowing edge! David
What a delight in the deep of winter to see these cheery faces. I thought I was the only one who got viola volunteers. Mine are all escapees from planters over the years. I can’t wait to see if any have mutated as yours have. But to choose………After wearing out the up and down bar, I choose Fleur for her deep purple loveliness.
And her willingness to share her talents.
My first pick would be Fiona, followed by Fawn, but they are all very lovely.
Oh Beauties All!
Makes me want to create a gravel garden for my very own Viola Queens!!! Who could not love a garden filled with Violas!!! Fortunately for me they Love the Califonia Coast!
Vote for one? Nay!
I Vote for More!!!
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All the girls are beauties!
It is a difficult decision………… my vote goes to Fleur.
Best wishes to all the contestants!
Oops! i didn’t read all the comments – I didn’t realize this contest was already over.
They are all winners to me!
Lea
Thanks Lea! Fleur was an overwhelming winner in this contest. I appreciate your vote, even late!
Frances
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