Viola and Pansy Festival

An annual event

2010 Saturday 7 to Sunday 14 March

Each March, Meadow Croft Garden Centre holds a 'Viola and Pansy Festival', where up to 900 named varieties of these popular plants are displayed and offered for sale.

Violas and pansies are very important plants in our gardens. During the long frosty months of winter and early spring, they are among the hardiest, longest flowering and most colourful plants we have, and thanks to the plants breeders, available in an astonishing range of colours.

The festival is the public face of the largest independent variety trial of these plants held in Great Britain, with seed of new varieties supplied by plant breeders from around the world. Each year new and experimental varieties are displayed for the first time.

Visitors to the festival play an important part, by voting for their favourite varieties from amongst those displayed. The votes are counted and the annual 'Top Ten' of the 'Festival Favourites' published in the gardening press.

Admission to the Viola and Pansy Festival is not only FREE, but entitles visitors to vouchers that can be redeemed for free plants during April and May.