Hi,
Sounds like you have a lovely spot. If you are after some companions to the Violets you could try Helleborus. Do you know them? The will flower in winter along with some of your violets. The colours are soft and subtle and they will stand tallet than the violets so contrast well. You might also try corydalis or heuchera. The deeper tones of the heuchera foliage would be lovely. Good luck!
Liz Gardiner

Sounds like a good spot, so long as it is not too shaded nor too acid (from the soil or cedar needles), though some species of Viola do not mind the acidity.

Further to Liz's suggestions:
Dog tooth violet, trillium, herb paris, anemone, aconite, (I'd like to say celandine but that can be too invasive), snowdrop, fritillary (if not too shady), jeffersonia.

Good luck from me too.

Mike,
I think you should say celandine. If too invasive it can be pulled out and it does improve the soil!
LIz

Roses are good companions for violets as they supply shade during summer and "give" light in winter when the leaves are gone...Spring bulbs are also very interesting.

These sound like such lovely suggestions! I'm on my way to the library to check out the Taylor's guids (again). I got the violet clumps in and they're doing great. The cedar grouping is a kind of triangle, and the violets are nestled in large clumps throughout the massive outside roots. In the center is some ivy just beginning to cover the ground - still lots of work to do pulling out non-ivy stuff, but it's coming along. Then on the far side as you look through the grouping are a couple tiny forsythia plants pulled from my mom's yard. They've got strong root systems, and I think they'll help stabilize the slope on the far side of the triangle. They're set far enough away they'll give great spring color without being too aggressive with the smaller plants. Wow! Who knew this could be so much fun.

So I have another question - how long do violets last, and should I consider planting other things to cover them as they die down?