Tickets to this year's BOP Garden and Art Festival have just been released with a special price for Mother's Day.

The Mother's Day special of $50 for a multi-day pass (valid for all four days) will be available until May 8.

Tickets can be bought at Palmers Bethlehem (the festival's returning garden and art trail sponsor) and eventfinda.

The biennial festival will be held on November 17-20 and is set to once again thrill and includes some exciting new offerings, says festival director Marc Anderson.

About 25 per cent of the gardens are new to the festival, and there are twice as many art studio stops compared to the previous festival.

Plus, there will be a specific art studio trail marked out on the map to make it easier for art lovers to enjoy this aspect of the festival, Marc says. The 2022 festival, again sponsored by Bayleys as the principal festival partner, offers 72 garden and art stops – of these, 16 are art studio stops.

'I think it is really exciting that, after 20 years, the festival is still serving up so many new offerings. The interest in being involved as a gardener has certainly not waned. There is a lot of wow in store.”

As usual the gardens feature a mix of planting themes and range from rural and rambling to urban and compact.

The garden surrounding Tauranga's Brain Watkins house will add an historic site to the festival, with work on the gardens being overseen by Tauranga landscape architect Nichola Vague.

Following the Mother's Day offering, ticket sales will re-open on June 1 with early bird prices available for one month.

These prices are $60 for a multi-day pass, and $35 for a one-day pass (one day passes are not part of the Mother's Day sale). General sales, starting from July 1, will see prices set at $65 for a multi-day ticket, and $40 for a single day.

The festival hub, and home to Bloom in the Bay, will again be Tauranga Racecourse, where the layout will be developed to ensure an enhanced offering, Marc says.

The number of stalls will be boosted, the BOP Floral Art Society will again be represented, and the festival gallery (showcasing one piece from all the festival artists) will be on site.

An exhibition (sponsored by Sun Media) featuring the work of emerging artists will also be part of Bloom in the Bay.

'Bloom in the Bay will be held over the festival dates, and anyone can come and soak up the creative atmosphere.

'The site will be a place where everyone – including families with young children – can enjoy keynote speakers, great entertainment (including live music), tasty food and beverages, exhibitions, workshops, displays and concept gardens (now called Legacy gardens). All this will add to the colour, excitement, and wide-spread appeal.”

Festival tickets include free entry to Bloom in the Bay.

Marc says the festival packs will be available in August – those buying the early, discounted tickets will receive a voucher to redeem then.

The packs include a festival pass, a directory of gardens and artists, a map, and other relevant information.