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The Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast, produced and presented by Emma Cooper, is all about growing edible and useful plants in an environmentally-friendly way. It is completely free to download and listen to.


Ryton's Biodynamic Garden
The Biodynamic Garden at Garden Organic Ryton

I have been on a short course at Garden Organic Ryton – an Introduction to Biodynamics, with head gardener Andy Strachan. I learned about the similarities and differences between organic and biodynamic gardening, about the biodynamic planting calendar, the importance of water, the preparations biodynamic gardeners use and the symbolism and spirituality that’s also involved.

For those of you who won’t have the chance to visit Ryton, I have some photos of the biodynamic garden: The Moon Phase Mosaic, The Flow Form, The Pebble Vortex Mosaic and the Lotus Frame that holds up the stained glass panels that represent the solar system.

If you’d like to know more about Ryton gardens, then we visited there in episode 24, just as the biodynamic garden was about to open to the public.

Don’t forget that I have three copies of Wisewoman’s Cookery to give away! To be in with a chance of winning, listen to the show and then let us know which plant you would most want to have with you if you were marooned on a deserted island with your lover. Email me your answer, together with your name and address, before the end of June. Shannon, Mary & I will pick our favourite answers to be the winner, and we may read some of the responses out on the show. We will never pass your details onto anyone else! Shannon & Mary are happy to send the books anywhere in the world, so get your thinking caps on :)

Leave me a comment, send me an email or join our Facebook group. You can get real time updates from the AKG on Twitter.


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