After what seems like a very long winter, the Open Skies glass house at Bents Garden & Home is once again alive with colour as the award winning Centre hosts its annual Pansy and Viola festival. Bents has once again been chosen as a regional host for the festival; the only centre in the North West and just one of three to host the festival in the UK.
Entrance to the event is free and all visitors will once again have the chance to participate in a voting ballot for their favourite variety. All voters will be entered into a prize draw for £50 worth of Bents vouchers. Children’s entertainment, including face painting and treasure hunt has been planned for both Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th March.
This year Bents will be featuring over 100 varieties of pansy, viola and panola; including the top ten choices of each as voted for last year. The show will include varieties from breeders who have travelled from as far a field as America, Japan, Holland, Italy and Germany.
Says Matthew Bent, Managing Director at Bents Garden & Home: “We are delighted to be hosting the festival again. It is always a great event and we are all looking forward to seeing the many varieties that will be on display. It is nearly two hundred years since the pansy started its journey from the fields to our gardens and in that time they have become a firm favourite with the British gardener.”
Gardeners from throughout the North West can visit Bents to experience one of the largest selections in the region, displaying an increasing array of forms and colours as well as new and improved varieties. This year’s festival coincides with Mothering Sunday on Sunday 14th March, adding a special reason for a visit, as well as enhancing the enjoyment of the day.