Not all violets are fragrant, how small do you mean? I am also new to violets and have noticed that the species violets sold in the perennial section of the local nurseries are not fragrant, but found the fragrant ones at Canyon Creek Nursery. And better still, many of them are heirlooms!

Well, I'd only seen violets interrupting a lawn, say, or in a woodland setting, before, and I thought they would be a nice addition to my roof deck. This year I ordered two plants online for a container - a labrador violet and a violet Dutchess of Parma.

The Duchess has intensely fragrant, shy, tiny rose-like lavendar flowers and medium green leaves. It may not be hardy in NE Ohio -- you're what, zone 4-7?

The Labrador violet seems poised to take over the entire space and is a vigorous grower with handsome slightly fragrant upright blue flowers and dark green foliage. Neither is particularly showy and both are doing well in part-sun...

You may have a nursery nearby which sells the violet plants, or google "violet nursery" and order them online. I got my two from selectseeds.com and they arrived in good condition.