Celia Hart's blog about what's going on in and around her studio.
Art, printmaking, inspirations, gardening, vegetables, hens, landscapes, wild flowers, East Anglia, adventure, travel.

Friday 24 August 2007

Organic gardens in the sunshine!

Yesterday my husband had to attend a seminar in Coventry, it didn't take me long to realise that he would be driving past the Garden Organic head quarters at Ryton, the home of the Heritage Seed Library. It also occurred to me that the Midlands were enjoying some glorious sunny weather - it was a no brainer, I got a lift to Coventry.


The Heritage Seed Library has it's own show garden, including this beautiful greenhouse, the gardens are planted with some of the heritage vegetables. The Yellow Beefsteak tomatoes looked particularly spectacular as did the okra and a wigwam of eastern european climbing bean varieties.


Outside the Vegetable Kingdom exhibition there were beautiful displays of companion planting including yellow chard with tagetes.



The most recent display garden is the The Elysia Biodynamic Garden. The vegetables looked particularly large and healthy and the modern sculptural design looked fantastic in the sunshine.



My favourite area was the Naturalistic Planting around the award winning restaurant. Fresh vegetables and salad leaves are picked from the gardens early in the morning for the restaurant - the food was excellent.

9 comments:

  1. Hello - what a wonderful site. I'm pleased to be reminded about Ryton - I'm always saying I will go. I can see a trip being arranged very soon.

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  2. I'm always vaguely thinking I'll go to Ryton ... now I'm going to make a space in the diary before the end of the growing season. WONDErFUL ... thank you for sharing / inspiring

    Joanna
    joannasfood.blogspot.com

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  3. That sounds like a great trip!

    It's awards day at Cottage Smallholder and you got one!
    http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=420

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  4. Celia,
    I hadnt heard of this place. I must take the children there so that they can see rare vegetables in action.
    Thanks
    Charlotte

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  5. Margaret and Joanna - I'm sure you'd enjoy a trip to Ryton, I'm amazed I hadn't been before (especially as I've had a free pass for years! I think RHS memebers can also get in free)

    CS - thanks for the Creative Blogger Award - I'm honoured!

    Charlotte - The "Vegetable Kingdom" exhibition has interactive displays about vegetables, and the gardens are full of all sorts of vegetables, fruit and flowers, all grown without pesticides or un-natural chemical fertilisers. When I visited, the hexagonal Bee Garden which had a hive with a viewing panel, was also popular with children.
    I'm sure Garden Organic would love to hear about The Great Big Vegetable Challenge.

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  6. Hi - thanks for the inspiration - we are now going to Ryton this coming weekend! I live in the West Midlands and so not too far to go.

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  7. Ryton looks wonderful! I might just make my way there some time with my RHS membership card. What a lovely blog you have, I am going to put a link on mine if you don't mind. Thank you for the comment about your Vermont cranberry beans, I look forward to hearing about your progress. I wonder if it is just cross pollination?

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  8. Enjoy your visit to Ryton Margaret!

    Hi Matron - for anyone who grows veg and fruit there's lots to inspire at Ryton.

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  9. The field of coneflowers is stunning. What a wonderful day and a free lift to boot!

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