When Violets (Viola odorata and Viola spp.) begin popping their sweet little heads up above their green covers in late winter to early spring, we know warmer days are well on their way. Violets are one of the first plants I start working with in spring because they are one of the first to wake up and send their colorful light out into the world. After a gray and dreary winter, those pretty purple shades are welcome, both calming and energizing as my focus starts to shift back toward the tending of the garden.

One of my favorite things to do with the first batch of Violets is to infuse the flowers in vinegar, then use the vinegar to make a shrub. Around here, we like to use vinegar shrubs in homemade salad dressings, Ginger ale recipes and all kinds of popsicles when the days start to warm up. This shrub recipe is like a sweet tonic for the winter-chilled soul. I love it.