ITS that time of year again, with Bents Garden and Home officially unveiling its 'Christmas Experience' 2022.

Details were kept tightly under wraps until the official opening of the festive section by Matthew Bent, with the event taking place at 10am on Tuesday, October 12.

Visitors to the garden centre between now and the Christmas period will be treated to the full Christmas range of products.

St Helens Star: A number of different Christmas scenes await guests at Bents this yearA number of different Christmas scenes await guests at Bents this year (Image: Newsquest)

Upon entering the garden centre, guests will be inundated with Christmas trees, decorations, ornaments, and lights.

The team at Bents have painstakingly created various Christmas scenes, too, including a Christmas dinner table, an 'apres-ski party,' and a snowy winter lodge.

At the official opening event, Matthew Bent explained that the garden centre was celebrating more than eight decades in the business, which was celebrated with the surprise arrival of a full brass band - Love Actually-style.

St Helens Star: The Christmas tree forest features a variety of festive favourites, including LED-lit trees, and snowy ones, tooThe Christmas tree forest features a variety of festive favourites, including LED-lit trees, and snowy ones, too (Image: Newsquest)

From the entrance of the garden centre, guests will be invited down Candy Cane Lane, and the 'Christmas Experience' is packed full of festive favourites.

It would be easier to list Christmas items that aren't at the garden centre - the main missing items being real-life reindeer.

That aside, and although it has not yet been Halloween, Christmas has come to Bents Garden and Home.

St Helens Star: Giant nutcrackers stand guard over the 'Christmas Experience'Giant nutcrackers stand guard over the 'Christmas Experience' (Image: Newsquest)

Managing director of Bents, Matthew Bent, said: "Christmas has been a part of our family business for as long as I can remember and this year it is even more special for us as we are celebrating our 85th anniversary. 

"We’ve come a long way since my grandparents started to grow and sell their roses, creating a destination that is full of inspiration and never more so than at Christmas time.

“Once again the team has worked tirelessly to put together what we believe is another fantastic display so a big thank you to everyone involved."

You can watch our full live stream of the official event, with the speech from Matthew Bent and the performance of the full brass band, on our Facebook page via this link.

Bents Garden and Home is open every day from 8:30am, except for Sunday, when it opens at 10:30am.