Prince Charles charity aims to sell gardens for development

ORGANIC gardens backed by the Prince of Wales are at risk of being torn up and developed, after visitor numbers plummeted.

Campaigners wanting to save Ryton Organic Gardens, near Wolston, Warks, are angry at the possible sale of the site, where many loved ones’ ashes have been scattered and memorial trees planted.

Garden Organic, the charity of which the Prince is patron, has earmarked the 22-acre site it has occupied since 1985 for sale. Visitor numbers have fallen from 30,000 eight years ago to 8,000 annually and the charity says it is now simply too expensive to run.

Bruton Knowles, the property consultants marketing the site for the charity, told Horticulture Week that it has “residential development potential” even though it is in the green belt.

Developers are said to be already interested, with offers of up to £4 million expected by formal tender later this month. But some of Garden Organic’s 20,000 members are angry at the potential sale of its site and have formed the Save Ryton Gardens campaign.

Colin Shaw said: “Ryton Gardens is a site of enormous importance to organic gardeners in this country. The sale came as a complete shock. Members were not involved in the decision at all.

“I don’t know how Garden Organic can exist without a garden. I don’t know how half a dozen people in an office somewhere can promote organic gardening when there is nothing to show, nothing to demonstrate.”

James Campbell, Garden Organic chief executive, said: “We are still exploring all possible options.”