Charity's mission to get the nation growing reaches Buckingham Palace
Posted Friday 12th June 2009Garden Organic, which has been campaigning for back-garden food growing since 1958, has donated seeds to kick-start the new vegetable allotment in the Buckingham Palace garden.
For the first time since the Second World War, Buckingham Palace will grow beans, lettuce and tomatoes from seeds donated by Garden Organic on a new allotment plot in its gardens. Garden Organic's Chief Executive, Myles Bremner, said, “We are thrilled that the Palace not only has its own allotment, but that it is also brimming with vegetables grown from rare seeds donated by Garden Organic.”
“It is so important for our food security, for the environment and for our health, to get more of the population growing seasonal, local, organic produce, in their gardens. To see the Palace reflecting this message is so inspiring and great news for the grow your own movement.”
“The fact that this is the first time that food has been grown at the Palace since the Second World War will undoubtedly bring about the 'dig for victory' analogies, but those challenges for self sufficiency and a need to re-skill a generation in how to feed itself resonate even now. What is important is to put people back in touch with food and how to grow, and hopefully the Palace allotment will be a driver for getting more people to achieve this.”
The Palace has been donated seeds of six endangered, historic vegetables from Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library - a collection of over 800 rare vegetable varieties – including, tomato White Queen, Queen of Hearts and Golden Queen, lettuce Northern Queen, climbing French bean Blue Queen and dwarf French bean Royal Red, all of which will appear on the allotment.
Find out more:
Deputy Gardens Manager at the Palace, Claire Midgley said, “We're really pleased to be growing a range of Heritage Seed Library varieties on the new Buckingham Palace allotment. By growing them on this site we're not only helping to keep old varieties alive, but we're also preserving heritage and history.”
About the heritage varieties growing on the Palace allotment, Garden Organic's, Myles Bremner, said, “Many of the old varieties conserved in our collection have unusual tastes, colours and flavours and it would be sad to lose these from our gardens and ultimately from our dinner plates. It's good to know that in this corner of the Buckingham Palace grounds The Queen is not just growing her own, but also helping protect the diversity of our plant heritage.”
Garden Organic has been instrumental in getting more of the nation growing its own food. In 2008 the organisation celebrated 50 years at the forefront of organic growing, this year it welcomed its 5000th school onto its free education programme, trained it 600th Master Composter volunteer in the art of home composting, and enjoyed its biggest 'grow your own' event ever when over 2000 people flocked to its Potato Day. As well as helping Greenpeace set up an allotment on the proposed third runway site, the organisation has also led the call for Veg Doctors to support the increasing grow your own movement, as well as compiling the Top Ten Easiest to Grow Veg for this year's mass mobilisation 'Eat Seasonably' campaign, fronted by B&Q and the National Trust.
The stories behind the varieties donated to the Palace allotment:
Climbing French Bean Blue Queen
Climbing French Bean Blue Queen
Our donor was given this bean in 1950 by a gardener from Quenington House, who said he should look after them as you could no longer purchase them. They were identified in 1994 by Ron Bateman, a DJ on Radio Oxford, as 'Blue Queen'. The seed produces purple, stringless pods, 15-20cm in length, which turn green when, cooked. Have a lovely, sweet flavour when eaten young.
Lettuce Northern Queen
The donor found these seeds amongst her father's gardening clutter. Further investigation revealed the variety was originally sold by Finney's, a Northumberland firm with nurseries in Newcastle. Finney's closed in the 1950s, at which time Northern Queen was the main outdoor variety, popular with both amateur and commercial growers. A large butterhead variety with soft, mild flavoured leaves.
Tomato Golden Queen
Bred by the Livingston Seed Company, Columbus, Ohio, in 1882, this yellow tomato has a distinct pink blush at the blossom end.
Tomato Queen of Hearts
Our donor acquired these seeds from an elderly lady who had been given them many years ago at a seminar. The person delivering the talk was American, and it was assumed that the variety was of American origin.
Tomato White Queen
“Gives a good yield, and not bland like many other white varieties”
Royal Red Dwarf French Bean
This variety was bred at Prosser, Washington State USA for the USDA. It was developed for its multiple disease resistance. Its popularity was limited as it produced seeds too plump and too large for the canning industry. However it produces strong and prolific plants with a rich, beany flavour “very tasty eating”.
Visit our web pages for information on growing your own, organic techniques, beautiful gardens to visit and the charity's Heritage Seed Library.
Top of pageGarden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
We are not responsible for the content of external web sites.
Bookmark this page on: