ROYAL approval has been given to a Warwickshire sustainable gardening charity.
The King has announced his continued patronage of Ryton-based Garden Organic.
As a keen organic gardener and well-known environmentalist, The King has always championed practices closely aligned with those of the charity.
He became a valued patron of Garden Organic 35 years ago, when he was Prince of Wales, and has visited the organic demonstration gardens at Ryton Organic Gardens a number of times.
He also supports the charity by planting and nurturing rare heritage varieties of seed from its renowned Heritage Seed Library in the garden of his private residence at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire.
Garden Organic CEO Fiona Taylor said: “His Majesty The King is well known as a lifelong champion of gardening with nature and protecting the environment, and we are deeply honoured that he will retain the patronage of Garden Organic.
“His Majesty’s own garden at Highgrove is a beacon of organic growing and we look forward to continuing to promote best practice so gardeners everywhere can join together to support biodiversity.”
To celebrate The King’s vision for treasuring nature and growing food, he launched a three-year programme called ‘Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature’ – led by The Wildlife Trusts in partnership with Garden Organic, the Women’s Institute and Incredible Edible.
Garden Organic runs workshops online and in person, and tours of its organic garden at Ryton to give people the skills and knowledge to protect biodiversity, as well as grow their own fruit, veg and flowers in harmony with nature.
The Heritage Seed Library holds the National Collection of Heritage Vegetables, and through active conservation protects up to 800 heritage, heirloom and landrace vegetable varieties that would otherwise have been lost forever.
Visit www.gardenorganic.org.uk for more information.
