Join a conference to debate opportunities for creating a Nation of green gardeners

Research shows that 82 per cent of UK households have a garden or outside space, that an almost 10% rise in people want to participate in gardening compared to a decade ago, and that the average time spent gardening in the main season has risen, since 2005, to 3.9 hours per week. Couple this with predictions that the grow you own boom is likely to migrate to wider Green It Yourself activities and Garden Organic believes the time is right for making organic gardening everyday gardening.

This aspiration will be the main topic for debate at the first Garden Organic Gardening Conference on Saturday 14 May 2011 and now the charity is urging green-fingered gardeners to book their place to help debate and shape the future of sustainable gardening.

Garden Organic’s Chief Horticultural Officer, Bob Sherman, said, “With last year’s surge of grow your own enthusiasts spending £54 million on self sufficiency activities, research that highlights an increasing concern by consumers for waste or excess of any kind, combined with a new demand for ‘green’ pest and disease products, we are beginning to see there are real opportunities for making organic gardening part of the mainstream.”

The conference - a day to promote lively discussion about what it would take to turn the nation’s gardeners organic will be led by a panel of expert gardeners, including, GMG Environmental Journalist of the Year 2010, John Walker, Author, Pauline Pears, best selling author, Caroline Foley and BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time panellist, Matthew Biggs.

Price (including lunch): Garden Organic Members £12.50, non-members £25. Venue, Ryton Gardens, Warwickshire. Call 02476 308210 to book your place now.