Sent to Coventry ! Ryton Gardens

Pin It

The sunny weather tempted the little gardener and me to visit Ryton Gardens, the home of Garden Organic, on Sunday.

This garden had been on my "to visit" list for some time; having been brought up by parents who adopted organic principles back in the stone age and continue to follow in their footsteps. Note that I am NOT an organic gardener because on rare accasions I will use a herbicide or pesticide that is not approved for organic gardening.

For those of you not familiar with Ryton but interested in how organic gardening differs, it is a great place to find out more.


Ryton is relatively compact but still manages to showcase cultivation practices, have sample gardens to demonstrate how to grow fruit and veg as well as shrubs, herbaceous plants, hedges. There are ponds, greenhouses, children's gardens, play and picnic areas. Staff are on hand to answer queries and were incredibly approachable. Indoors, apart from a garden centre and organic restaurant/cafe, we found a lovely exhition area, currently focusing on vegetables. It will appeal to all ages and I was pleased that the little gardener recognised so many types of vegetables and enjoyed the interactive displays.

Melons growing on an ornamental arch

Rosa 'The Generous Gardener'

Some of the outdoor exhibits vary, currently there is information of agriculture in Cuba, hence the unusual first photo in this blog. I have to consult the handsome d*vil what the mural is saying, he is taking A-level Spanish, so will hopefully fill me in.

This weekend was dedicated to apples and apart from apples featuring on the menu, one could buy apples from Ryton, ask apple experts about cultivation and have unknown varieties identified. A boon if you move to a new garden and find yourself with apple trees but little knowledge of varieties. The little gardener and I also spent time making our own bird feeders from cored apples and sunflower seeds.


If you think this is a all a bit in the "knit your own yurt" league, then think again.

This is a garden that definitively appeals to mainstream gardeners. Whilst there is a strong focus on recycling, composting, plant husbandry, etc the displays are far beyond what you would see on a traditional allotment. The patio area made from pebbles is just an example as are the growing supports made from metal.

I also loved the shady pergola walk complete with boat/seat as a useful and quirky focal point.

Apart from enjoying a day out in perfect October weather, I plugged some gaps in my knowledge of growing on straw bales and had my understanding re raised beds confirmed (yes, you can have them on slabs as long as you use topsoil not compost, yes they will dry out faster and yes the re is less worm activity compared to when placed directly on soil). And I found that flax can be a beautiful hardy annual.

PS: to the lovely couple (husband from Hereforshire) that shared our table at lunchtime, hope you found the perfect apple variety for storing and good luck checking out the autumn flowering perennials. There were rudbeckias, dahlias and japanese anemones in the gardens, I wonder whether you saw them.