Viola & Pansy Top 10 Festival Favourites 2023

This year, we celebrated our 20th Year of the Viola & Pansy Festival.

We have held the Viola and Pansy Festival every March since 2004. It is the largest independent variety trial of these plants held in the world, with seed of new varieties supplied by plant breeders from around the world. We have had seeds from USA, UK, Holland, German, Japan and more!

As a celebration of its history, this year we contacted plant breeders over the world to see if we could pull some historic seeds out of the vaults! As well as new and experimental varieties, we showcased the following:

• Pansy Padparadja – In 1991, Padparaja (Pa pa ra’ja) was released, and won prizes as a breeding breakthrough! We have never shown it at our festival before.
• Viola Velour Yellow Blotch – Last shown in 2005.
• Viola Velour Blue Blotch – Last shown in 2008. 
• Viola Teardrops - A brand new series of trailing violas that are due to be released commercially this autumn. 
• Viola Johnny Jump Up -  Never shown at our trial before, originating from Spain and the Pyrenes mountains, known as ‘Tricolour’ these were seen in American Gardens before 1700 and the name Johnny Jump Up is mentioned in literature in 1908.

Many more historic varieties were shown also.

We are pleased to say that this years festival has been the best yet, we’re so pleased with the feedback from our visitors and it proves our Viola & Pansy Festival is an event that cannot be missed!

Each year visitors to the festival play an important part by voting for their festival favourites. These votes can potentially decide which varieties get sold commercially!

The Top 10 plant varieties were interesting this year, with a tie at 10th place for a second year running.

Pictured Left to right: Viola Bel Viso Blue Beacon, Viola Sorbet XP Morpho, Viola Tiger Eye Yellow, Pansy Panola Beaconsfield.

These results will be published in the gardening and trade press!

Come along to our Viola & Pansy Festival in 2024 – 9 March to 17 March