Violas get ‘thumbs-up’ by the RHS
Five bedding violas scooped public recognition after an RHS assessment of 220 varieties. During the assessment at RHS Garden Hyde Hall, in Essex, two varieties tied for the top spot, with a threeway split for second place.
Eye-catching violet and yellow ‘Bel Viso Yellow Jump Up’ and dark ‘Rocky Black’ polled most votes to take joint first place, while mid-blue ‘Bel Viso YTT’, purple, blue and yellow ’Deltini Blue Purple Wing’ and bronze and yellow ’Deltini Honeybee’ came joint second.
While it was a demonstration, rather than an official RHS trial, a panel of experts assessed the varieties for the award of the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Plants were displayed in Floral Fantasia, a demo garden initiated by late gardening writer and broadcaster Peter Seabrook.