Viola & Pansy Festival
2026 dates coming soon...
Viola and pansies are very important plants in our gardens. During the frosty months of winter and early spring, they are among the hardiest, longest flowering and most colourful plants we have. Violas are also uniquely able to fill that colour gap between our spring flowering plants and the summer bedding plants.
Meadow Croft has held Viola and Pansy Festivals 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.
Each year new and experimental varieties are displayed for the first time. All the plants for the festival are grown by W.D Smith & Son, owners of Meadow Croft Garden Centre in their own glasshouses nearby, and then moved to the Garden Centre for the festival.
The past twenty years have seen surprising changes in the cultivars on display, not just new colours, or larger flowers, but very significant developments in the shape and habit of some new varieties. We now have plants that really do trail and spread, making them much more suitable for containers and hanging baskets.
Each year visitors to the festival play an important part, by voting for their favourite varieties from amongst those displayed. Each voter receives a free hot drink in our restaurant, Meadow Croft Kitchen. The votes are later counted and the ‘Top Ten’ Festival Favourites published in the gardening and trade press.
As a horticultural garden centre, we are keen to get the younger generations interested in gardening and inspire them to grow their own. Over the two weekends, we will be giving out a free Meadow Croft Goody Bag for all the children that come to the festival and vote for their festival favourites.
Come along to the Viola and Pansy Festival next March to vote for your favourites.
Previous Pansy & Viola Winners
2025 Winner - Viola Penny Pro Pink Face
2025
| Number | Type | Series | Variety |
| 1st | Viola | Penny Pro | Pink Face |
| 2nd | Viola | Deltini | Honeybee |
| 3rd | Viola | Floral Power | Orange Red Wing |
| 4th | Viola | Sorbet XP | Pink Wing |
| 5th | Viola | Admire | Pink Surprise |
| 6th | Viola | Sorbet | Tiger Eye |
| 7th | Viola | Floral Power | Yellow Blue Wing |
| 8th = | Viola | Penny Pro | Orange |
| 8th = | Viola | Rocky | Purple Picotee |
| 9th | Viola | Perfecto | Deep Orange |
| 10th | Viola | Bunny Ears | Pink Ears with Yellow Face |
2024
| Number | Type | Series | Variety |
| 1st | Viola | Sorbet XP | Morpho |
| 2nd | Viola | Floral Power | Purple Pearls |
| 3rd | Viola | Bel Viso | Orange Jump Up |
| 4th | Viola | Floral Power | Orange Red Wing |
| 5th | Viola | Floral Power | Yellow Beacon |
| 6th | Viola | Deltini | Rose Pink |
| 7th | Viola | Sorbet XP | Lemon Jump Up |
| 8th | Viola | Penny Pro | Blue Marina |
| 9th | Viola | Deltini | Honeybee |
| 10th | Viola | Bel Viso | Pineapple Crush |
2023
| Number | Type | Series | Variety |
| 1st | Viola | Tiger Eye | Yellow |
| 2nd | Pansy | Mystique | Moonlight |
| 3rd | Viola | Sorbet XP | Pink Halo |
| 4th | Viola | Corina | White Purple Wing |
| 5th | Pansy | Panola XP | Beaconsfield |
| 6th | Viola | Sorbet XP | Morpho |
| 7th | Pansy | Cats | Purple and White |
| 8th | Viola | Bel Viso | Blue Beacon |
| 9th | Pansy | Carrera | Azure |
| 10th= | Viola | Bel Viso | Pineapple |
| 10th= | Viola | Bel Viso | Victoriana |
2022
| Number | Type | Series | Variety |
| 1st | Viola | Bel Viso | Orange Jump Up |
| 2nd | Viola | Rocky | Violet Blue |
| 3rd | Viola | Rocky | Orange with Purple Wing |
| 4th | Viola | Corina | White Purple Wing |
| 5th | Viola | Bel Viso | Blueberry Swirl |
| 6th | Viola | Bel Viso | Pineapple Crush |
| 7th | Viola | Deltini | Honeybee |
| 8th | Pansy | Cello | Deep Orange w/ Blotch |
| 9th | Pansy | Delta | Blue with Blotch |
| 10th= | Viola | Rocky | Orange with Purple Wing Improved |
| 10th= | Pansy | Power | Patricia |
2021
| Number | Type | Series | Variety |
| 1st | Viola | Bel Viso | Pineapple Crush |
| 2nd | Viola | Bel Viso | Yellow Jump Up |
| 3rd | Viola | Sorbet | Tiger Eye |
| 4th | Viola | Deltini | Copperfield |
| 5th | Viola | Quicktime | Mickey |
| 6th | Viola | Rocky | Orange with Purple Wing |
| 7th | Viola | Tiger Eye | Red |
| 8th | Viola | Bel Viso | Lemon Rose Wing |
| 9th | Viola | Grandissimo | Berry Pie |
| 10th | Viola | Corina | White Rose Wing |
Image of Tiger Eye Yellow