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34-656: Garden Organic , formerly known as the Henry Doubleday Research Association ( HDRA ), is a UK organic growing charity dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening , farming and food . The charity maintains the Heritage Seed Library to preserve vegetable seeds from heritage cultivars and make them available to growers. The Henry Doubleday Research Association was founded in 1954 to research and promote organic gardening , farming , and food . The charity adopted

68-462: A no-till system for small-scale grain production that he called Natural Farming. French intensive gardening , biointensive methods, and SPIN Farming ( S mall P lot IN tensive) are all small scale gardening techniques. These techniques were brought to the United States by Alan Chadwick in the 1930s. A garden is more than just a means of providing food; it is a model of what is possible in

102-497: A community – everyone could have a garden of some kind (container, growing box, raised bed) and produce healthy, nutritious organic food, a farmers market, a place to pass on gardening experience, and a sharing of bounty, promoting a more sustainable way of living that would encourage their local economy. A simple 4' x 8' (32 square feet) raised bed garden based on the principles of bio-intensive planting and square foot gardening uses fewer nutrients and less water, and could keep

136-478: A family, or community, supplied with an abundance of healthy, nutritious organic greens, while promoting a more sustainable way of living. Organic gardening is designed to work with the ecological systems and minimally disturb the Earth's natural balance. Because of this organic farmers have been interested in reduced-tillage methods. Conventional agriculture uses mechanical tillage, which is ploughing or sowing, which

170-491: A number of formal organic gardening and farming systems that prescribe specific techniques. They tend to be more specific than, and fit within, general organic standards. Forest gardening , a fully organic food production system which dates from prehistoric times , is thought to be the world's oldest and most resilient agroecosystem . Biodynamic farming is an approach based on the esoteric teachings of Rudolf Steiner . The Japanese farmer and writer Masanobu Fukuoka invented

204-613: A particular interest in the properties of comfrey . The organisation was first based at Bocking near Braintree in Essex, hence the name of Bocking 14, a variety of comfrey bred by Hills for its useful properties. A sister organisation was also formed in Australia, the Henry Doubleday Research Association of Australia Inc. Jackie and Alan Gear took over management of the charity in 1976, and in 1985

238-499: A six-monthly magazine, members-only web pages and information sheets, as well as access to the charity's dedicated team of advisors who answer more than 5,000 organic gardening queries every year. In addition, members gain unlimited free admission to the two demonstration gardens together with the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Wisley, Harlow Carr, Rosemoor and Hyde Hall, plus over 20 other gardens across

272-530: A small shop with organic seeds and the charity's Heritage Seed Library , which conserves over 800 endangered varieties of rare vegetable seeds under threat from extinction. As well as Ryton Gardens, the charity has run the walled kitchen gardens at Audley End , Essex in association with English Heritage . Audley End is a Jacobean stately home owned by English Heritage and in 1999 Garden Organic restored its walled kitchen garden using organic methods. The Gardens continue to be managed by English Heritage under

306-637: A specific insecticide may be applied to quickly kill off a particular insect pest. Chemical controls can dramatically reduce pest populations in the short term, yet by unavoidably killing (or starving) natural control insects and animals, cause an increase in the pest population in the long term, thereby creating an ever-increasing problem. Repeated use of insecticides and herbicides also encourages rapid natural selection of resistant insects, plants and other organisms, necessitating increased use, or requiring new, more powerful controls. In contrast, organic horticulture tends to tolerate some pest populations while taking

340-573: Is also an excellent source of nutrients for an organic garden. Organic horticulture techniques are used to maintain lawns and turf fields organically as required by certain laws and management plans. Beginning in the late 20th century, some large properties and municipalities required organic lawn management and organic horticulture in the maintenance of both public and private parks and properties. Some locations require organic lawn management and organic horticulture . Differing approaches to pest control are equally notable. In chemical horticulture,

374-460: Is associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizer. However, the use, and especially the overuse, of nitrogen fertilizer has negative effects such as nitrogen runoff harming natural water supplies and increased global warming. Organic methods have other advantages, such as healthier soil, that may make organic farming more resilient, and therefore more reliable in producing food, in the face of challenges such as climate change. As well, world hunger

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408-761: Is expected that insect, fungal, or other problems that sometimes plague plants can be minimized. However, pheromone traps , insecticidal soap sprays, and other pest-control methods available to organic farmers are also utilized by organic horticulturists. Horticulture involves five areas of study: floriculture (includes production and marketing of floral crops), landscape horticulture (includes production, marketing and maintenance of landscape plants), olericulture (includes production and marketing of vegetables), pomology (includes production and marketing of fruits), and postharvest physiology (involves maintaining quality and preventing spoilage of horticultural crops). All of these can be, and sometimes are, pursued according to

442-415: Is harmful to the environment. The impact of tilling in organic farming is much less of an issue. Ploughing speeds up erosion because the soil remains uncovered for a long period of time and if it has a low content of organic matter, the structural stability of the soil decreases. Organic farmers use techniques such as mulching, planting cover crops, and intercropping, to maintain a soil cover throughout most of

476-521: Is located on the Ryton site, purchased it. Garden Organic will remain at Ryton Gardens as a tenant. The organisation has over 20,000 members. It has trained over 600 Master Composter volunteers from around the UK to spread the home composting message and runs research and international development programmes that help commercial growers across the UK and overseas adopt organic methods. In 2010 with funding from

510-473: Is not primarily an issue of agricultural yields, but distribution and waste. Seed library A seed library is an institution that lends or shares seed . It is distinguished from a seedbank in that the main purpose is not to store or hold germplasm or seeds against possible destruction, but to disseminate them to the public which preserves the shared plant varieties through propagation and further sharing of seed. The first contemporary seed library

544-554: Is to preserve agricultural biodiversity by focusing on rare, local, and heirloom seed varieties. Seed libraries use varied methods for sharing seeds, primarily by: Seed libraries may function as programs of public libraries , such as the programs of the Richmond Public Library in California (the "Richmond Grows" program is the "unofficial spiritual center of the [public library seed library] movement" ) and

578-651: The Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL) (the United States' oldest seed library, which developed from the Berkeley, California Ecology Center); and still others from the Slow Food movement, such as Grow Gainesville 's seed program. While "lending" is straightforward, "returning" or re-depositing seeds presents a challenge, since the new seeds are not necessarily well-described, and may be inadvertent hybrids . Some libraries, like

612-684: The New Port Richey Public Library (Florida). Seed library initiatives in public libraries garner patron participation as a novelty supplement to book check-outs. Seed packets are usually located next to everyday circulated items like books, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs. Seed libraries in public libraries have been successful because they catch patron hobby curiosities. Public libraries are an appropriate space for seed libraries because they make seeds and plants available to everyone. They are also located in college libraries, such as Hampshire College 's seed library; museums, such as

646-675: The Big Lottery Fund's Local Food Scheme, Sheepdrove Trust and local authorities in four areas—Warwickshire, North London, South London and Norfolk—the Charity set up a Master Gardener Programme. The Charity's Master Gardeners Programme trains and supports mentors and community growing initiatives around the Country working with Local Authorities, Housing Associations and NHS Health providers to support networks of Master Gardeners and volunteers. The Programme has expanded to other areas in

680-607: The Food for Life Partnership. The charity's headquarters are at the Ryton Organic Gardens site in Warwickshire . Here the organisation not only leads its charitable delivery activities, but also runs over 30 individual gardens in 10 acres (40,000 m) of landscaped grounds open to the public. The site is also home to The Organic Way, extensive conference and educational facilities, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant,

714-877: The Hull-House Heirloom Seed Library, a program of the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum . or as membership based online programs like the Hudson Valley Seed Library. Some have developed as programs of botanical gardens , such as that of the VanDusen Botanical Garden , or from gardening associations and research institutes, such as the Heritage Seed Library of Garden Organic . Other seed libraries have evolved from community sustainability or resilience efforts, such as

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748-800: The Live Oak Public Library in Savannah, Georgia , do not accept returns or unsolicited donations to ensure quality control. Other libraries, like the Live Oak Public Library in, Live Oak, Florida , ask that borrowers return seeds if possible but there is no penalty for not doing so, and they will not accept hybrid or GMO seeds. Seed libraries complement the preservationist activities of seedbanks , by collecting local and heirloom varieties that might otherwise be lost, and by collecting new local varieties. In theory, lending and returning seed libraries will also promote local agriculture over time, by growing collections of seeds locally adapted to

782-445: The UK and is currently working with G4S in supporting a Master Gardener Programme for offenders in prisons HMP Rye Hill and Onsley. It used to actively campaign on issues vital to both people and the environment including health, sustainability, and climate change, and helps children in over 15% of the UK's schools learn about food and organic growing through its free education programme, Garden Organic for Schools and through its work on

816-686: The UK. HRH King Charles III became Garden Organic's patron in 1989. The organisation's President is Professor Tim Lang and Vice Presidents are Raymond Blanc , Thelma Barlow and Susan Hampshire . The charity reaches more than three million beneficiaries across the world. HDRA has its information leaflets published and translated in Swahili for East African audience. 52°01′21″N 0°12′58″E  /  52.0226°N 0.2162°E  / 52.0226; 0.2162 Organic gardening The Latin words hortus (garden plant) and cultura (culture) together form horticulture , classically defined as

850-542: The culture or growing of garden plants. Horticulture is also sometimes defined simply as "agriculture minus the plough". Instead of the plough , horticulture makes use of human labour and gardener's hand tools, although some small machine tools like rotary tillers are commonly employed now. Mulches , cover crops , compost , manures , vermicompost , and mineral supplements are soil-building mainstays that distinguish this type of farming from its conventional counterpart. Through attention to good healthy soil condition, it

884-507: The guidance of Garden Organic. A demonstration garden in Yalding , Kent , showing organic growing techniques in fourteen individual gardens was closed in 2007 after 12 years' development because of financial unviability. The site then came under a sequence of several owners and since 2016 has become a venue for weddings and other events. The charity relies on funds from its supporters and members to carry out its work and, in return, offers

918-565: The long view. Organic pest control requires a thorough understanding of pest life cycles and interactions, and involves the cumulative effect of many techniques, including: Each of these techniques also provides other benefits, such as soil protection and improvement, fertilization, pollination, water conservation and season extension . These benefits are both complementary and cumulative in overall effect on site health. Organic pest control and biological pest control can be used as part of integrated pest management (IPM). However, IPM can include

952-531: The organisation relocated to its present 22-acre (89,000 m) headquarters site, Ryton Organic Gardens , at Ryton-on-Dunsmore near Coventry in the West Midlands . The Gears retired in 2004, when Dr. Susan Kay-Williams became the chief executive and the charity changed its working name to Garden Organic. Kay-Williams left in the summer of 2007 and the charity appointed Myles Bremner, former director of fundraising at children's charity NCH. Bremner left in

986-425: The principles of organic cultivation. Organic horticulture (or organic gardening) is based on knowledge and techniques gathered over thousands of years. In general terms, organic horticulture involves natural processes, often taking place over extended periods of time, and a sustainable, holistic approach – while chemical-based horticulture focuses on immediate, isolated effects and reductionist strategies. There are

1020-534: The summer of 2013 and was replaced by James Campbell, former acting chief development officer of the Earthwatch Institute. In the autumn of 2017 Garden Organic announced that it was considering options for the future of its Ryton site, with full or partial sale among the possibilities. Some members expressed concern over the way the charity was handling the issue. In September 2019, Coventry University , whose Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience

1054-425: The use of chemical pesticides that are not part of organic or biological techniques. One controversy associated with organic food production is the matter of the amount of food produced per acre. Even with good organic practices, organic agriculture may be five to twenty-five percent less productive than conventional agriculture, depending on the crop. Much of the productivity advantage of conventional agriculture

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1088-418: The working name "Garden Organic" in 2005 and is now the UK's leading organic growing charity. "Henry Doubleday Research Association" remains the legal name under which it is registered as a charity . Its ground demonstrate organic lawn management . It was founded by horticulturist and freelance journalist Lawrence D. Hills and named after Henry Doubleday , an Essex -based Quaker smallholder who had

1122-463: The year. The use of compost, manure mulch and other organic fertilizers yields a higher organic content of soils on organic farms and helps limit soil degradation and erosion. Other methods such as composting or vermicomposting (composting using worms) can also be used to supplement an existing garden. These practices are ways of recycling organic matter into some of the best organic fertilizers and soil conditioner. The byproduct of vermicomposting

1156-919: Was created in 1999 at the Berkeley Ecology Center. It was called the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL). The first seed library to be established in a public library was at the Gardiner Public Library in Gardiner, New York and was developed by Ken Greene in 2004. Since then, the number of seed libraries has grown to over 450 across the globe, with most being established in the United States. Seed libraries usually maintain their collections through donations from members. but may also operate as pure charity operations intent on serving gardeners and farmers. A common attribute of many seed libraries

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