Welcome to Nottingham Organic Gardeners.
We are a voluntary organisation, a friendly group in Nottingham, open to all.
We aim to promote organic and sustainable gardening, and a more localised food culture.
We have an Organic Demonstration Garden at Whitemoor Allotments in Nottingham and hold regular talks, workshops and events with an organic theme.
Please note we cannot endorse or recommend specific gardening suppliers, businesses or growers.
Building Show Gardens
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Join us to hear first hand what it's like producing a garden for a big event. Several of our members have been involved in projects for big show gardens including RHS Chelsea.
They’ll talk about the whole process, from planning to taking it all down.
New and experienced Gardeners are welcome to join our Sow and Grow sessions held by Nottingham Organic Gardeners on our well established organic allotment site at Whitemoor Allotments. The sessions are open to new volunteers on a monthly basis. If you want to come more often please let us know!
What do we do?
We meet on the plot for a start time of 11am prompt, tours of the garden are given to new visitors and hot and cold drinks available. Each month we will focus on the seasons and sow seeds, care for plants and make compost. The joy of our gardening sessions is that we share in the work, share in the harvests and share plants.
Each month we will sow a collection of seeds appropriate for the time of year. Some will be for the garden but some will be for you to take home. If you have your own pots please bring some along but we do have spare!
Once we have finished sowing seeds we will share Gardening tasks are given out and you can be paired with a NOGs member to learn what to do so don't worry if you are still learning - so are we!
After a morning of gardening activities we stop for light lunch at 1pm - this is normally a vegan soup plus extras.
We try to share as many things as we can in the garden from that day - pick your salad leaves, take spare plants or seedlings home, take a few pots for seedlings etc!
Winter Social
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
No speaker this month, but join us for a social evening.
Bring food and drink to share if you wish.
You can buy your 2025 membership at this meeting.
Potato Day Preview
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Whet your appetite for potato day with a chat about all things spuds. Rachel Palfreyman has ordered the varieties for Potato Day for about 15 years. Please join us to talk about your favourites, her favourites and what’s available this year.
We did some mini- not v scientific- trials of various varieties on the NOGs allotment & well have the results of those too.
Join us at the URC in Sherwood to browse 30+ varieties of seed potato as well as onions, shallots and garlic. Cakes stalls and refreshment available.
The place to buy your potatoes for growing in the midlands!
VARIETIES
We usually order about 30 varieties of seed potato including unusual and organic varieties.
Last years 2024 POTATO VARIETY LIST
Please note that there may be one or two changes, the final list will be available on the day.
Also you can read more information about the event here.
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS
We will be selling onion sets, shallots and possibly garlic too.
STALLS AND TALKS
We will have a range of pop up stalls and also some talks throughout the day.
CAKE!
There will also be tea and cake from our pop up cafe so you can sit down and chat more about spuds.
VENUE / TRANSPORT INFORMATION
Venue: United Reformed Church, 1 Edwards Lane, Sherwood NG5 3AA (Behind the Sherwood Manor Pub)
Buses 56, 57, 58, 59, 87, 88, 89 from Parliament Street to “Sherwood Shops”.
Blue Badge parking only at the venue – plus local free car parks.
TIME SLOT SUGGESTIONS
10am - 12pm: ideal for those who know what they want and for those who want particular varieties from the list. When finalised the list will be posted on our website and shared through Facebook
12pm - 3pm: ideal for those who would like more time and advice.
No Mow May
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Ellie Mitchell, professional wildlife gardener and podcast host tells us why No Mow May is so good for wildlife in our gardens. This idea has really taken off and many people now choose to leave their lawns un-mown for the month of May and beyond, to support wildlife.
Bring your spare seedlings, plants and seed packets and swap them for something new! If you've not got anything spare you can still join in, just give a donation instead.
New and experienced Gardeners are welcome to join our Sow and Grow sessions held by Nottingham Organic Gardeners on our well established organic allotment site at Whitemoor Allotments. The sessions are open to new volunteers on a monthly basis. If you want to come more often please let us know!
What do we do?
We meet on the plot for a start time of 11am prompt, tours of the garden are given to new visitors and hot and cold drinks available. Each month we will focus on the seasons and sow seeds, care for plants and make compost. The joy of our gardening sessions is that we share in the work, share in the harvests and share plants.
Each month we will sow a collection of seeds appropriate for the time of year. Some will be for the garden but some will be for you to take home. If you have your own pots please bring some along but we do have spare!
Once we have finished sowing seeds we will share Gardening tasks are given out and you can be paired with a NOGs member to learn what to do so don't worry if you are still learning - so are we!
After a morning of gardening activities we stop for light lunch at 1pm - this is normally a vegan soup plus extras.
We try to share as many things as we can in the garden from that day - pick your salad leaves, take spare plants or seedlings home, take a few pots for seedlings etc!
Wonderful world of weeds
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
The wonderful world of weeds – why are they so successful? How are weeds useful to the gardener? How do we manage weed control organically without herbicides?
Sally Smith is a professional gardener & previously Head of Information in the Advisory Department at Garden Organic.
New and experienced Gardeners are welcome to join our Sow and Grow sessions held by Nottingham Organic Gardeners on our well established organic allotment site at Whitemoor Allotments. The sessions are open to new volunteers on a monthly basis. If you want to come more often please let us know!
What do we do?
We meet on the plot for a start time of 11am prompt, tours of the garden are given to new visitors and hot and cold drinks available. Each month we will focus on the seasons and sow seeds, care for plants and make compost. The joy of our gardening sessions is that we share in the work, share in the harvests and share plants.
Each month we will sow a collection of seeds appropriate for the time of year. Some will be for the garden but some will be for you to take home. If you have your own pots please bring some along but we do have spare!
Once we have finished sowing seeds we will share Gardening tasks are given out and you can be paired with a NOGs member to learn what to do so don't worry if you are still learning - so are we!
After a morning of gardening activities we stop for light lunch at 1pm - this is normally a vegan soup plus extras.
We try to share as many things as we can in the garden from that day - pick your salad leaves, take spare plants or seedlings home, take a few pots for seedlings etc!
Adam Alexander - The Seed Detective
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Come and hear Adam speak about his passion for collecting and growing unusual vegetables. Learn of his adventures in seeking out local growers of endangered heritage and heirloom varieties and his mission to take home seeds to grow and share – and save them from being lost forever.
Adam has a published book that you can buy here:
THE SEED DETECTIVE - UNCOVERING THE SECRET HISTORIES OF REMARKABLE VEGETABLES - The Seed Detective
We’ll start the meeting with a short AGM to elect the committee.
New and experienced Gardeners are welcome to join our Sow and Grow sessions held by Nottingham Organic Gardeners on our well established organic allotment site at Whitemoor Allotments. The sessions are open to new volunteers on a monthly basis. If you want to come more often please let us know!
What do we do?
We meet on the plot for a start time of 11am prompt, tours of the garden are given to new visitors and hot and cold drinks available. Each month we will focus on the seasons and sow seeds, care for plants and make compost. The joy of our gardening sessions is that we share in the work, share in the harvests and share plants.
Each month we will sow a collection of seeds appropriate for the time of year. Some will be for the garden but some will be for you to take home. If you have your own pots please bring some along but we do have spare!
Once we have finished sowing seeds we will share Gardening tasks are given out and you can be paired with a NOGs member to learn what to do so don't worry if you are still learning - so are we!
After a morning of gardening activities we stop for light lunch at 1pm - this is normally a vegan soup plus extras.
We try to share as many things as we can in the garden from that day - pick your salad leaves, take spare plants or seedlings home, take a few pots for seedlings etc!
New and experienced Gardeners are welcome to join our Sow and Grow sessions held by Nottingham Organic Gardeners on our well established organic allotment site at Whitemoor Allotments. The sessions are open to new volunteers on a monthly basis. If you want to come more often please let us know!
What do we do?
We meet on the plot for a start time of 11am prompt, tours of the garden are given to new visitors and hot and cold drinks available. Each month we will focus on the seasons and sow seeds, care for plants and make compost. The joy of our gardening sessions is that we share in the work, share in the harvests and share plants.
Each month we will sow a collection of seeds appropriate for the time of year. Some will be for the garden but some will be for you to take home. If you have your own pots please bring some along but we do have spare!
Once we have finished sowing seeds we will share Gardening tasks are given out and you can be paired with a NOGs member to learn what to do so don't worry if you are still learning - so are we!
After a morning of gardening activities we stop for light lunch at 1pm - this is normally a vegan soup plus extras.
We try to share as many things as we can in the garden from that day - pick your salad leaves, take spare plants or seedlings home, take a few pots for seedlings etc!
Midsummer social (lunchtime) gates open from 11am food from crocus cafe but feel free to bring a dish to share and add
allotment FREE
Pond dipping and wildlife talk on the allotment 11 – 1pm
FREE
Bring your spare seedlings, plants and seed packets and swap them for something new! If you've not got anything spare you can still join in, just give a donation instead.
https://www.melbournehall.com
Tickets to this event are restricted to 25 numbers so please subscribe and sign up here! https://forms.gle/NFi2XjPTqViWi8BB6
Melbourne Hall is a Grade II* Georgian style country house. The Grade l listed garden with its broad sweeps of lawn, avenues and unexpected vistas is one of the most treasured historical gardens in the country and is the best surviving early 18th century English garden in the manner of le Notre. It was laid out by Rt. Hon Thomas Coke, Vice Chamberlain to Queen Anne, with help from the garden landscape designers George London and Henry Wise in the formal style. It is noted for its long tunnel of Yew, its wrought iron arbour created by Robert Bakewell and its statuary by Jan van Nost, notably the Four seasons monument, a gift from Queen Anne. On arrival at Melbourne Hall, we will be given an introductory talk by the Head Gardener.
The Dower House has a beautiful view of Melbourne Pool from the balustraded terrace. The garden drops steeply by paths and steps to lawn with herbaceous borders and banks of some 60 shrubs. Numerous paths lead to different areas of the garden, providing varied planting opportunities including a bog garden, glade, shrubbery, grasses, herb and vegetable garden, rose tunnel, orchard and small woodland. The garden is on two levels connected by steps and steep paths. The ticket price includes a tour of the gardens.
Pay £8 on the gate at the garden (or free to RHS members)
If you would like to visit the gardens before the tour then please go get your ticket when the gardens open and then join us for the tour at 2.30
Please contact us by email if you can offer a car share option for others from Notts city centre or organise between yourselves
Please let us know asap if you can't attend so we can ensure your place goes to someone who would like to go
Houseplant Rescue - How to Care and Look after your House Plants organically
Come join us for a fun and informative event at Nottingham Organic Gardeners garden plot on Whitemoor allotments.
Learn all about organic care for your beloved houseplants. Whether you're a seasoned plant parent or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone looking to improve their green thumb game. Our expert speakers will share tips and tricks to keep your plants thriving naturally.
Bring your torubled houseplants to be rescued and repotted. Bring small plants to swap and cuttings to share and trade with other gardeners.
Bethan will show you how to take cuttings and how to propagate houseplants to expand your collections and share with friends.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with fellow plant enthusiasts and rescue your houseplants in style!
Tickets here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/houseplant-rescue-how-to-care-and-look-after-house-plants-organically-tickets-881810889107
Greener Gardening – how we can garden and grow greener in our changing climate to ensure sustainability and maximum biodiversity.
Having spent 25 years working in the dynamic industries of retail fashion and creative events, Arit found that the visual nature of fashion and the healing properties of her therapies could beautifully meld in the garden. This became a passion and drove her to explore the unique relationships between plants, people, and place. Working as a presenter for BBC’s Gardeners’ World, many satellite shows such as Chelsea Flower Show, and writing for national publications has enabled Arit to publicise issues about the future of gardening in an ever-changing climate, and to promote solutions to the wider public.
https://www.melbournehall.com
Tickets to this event are restricted to 25 numbers so please subscribe and sign up here - https://forms.gle/M4TSEaTQjHLgcenC9 (if this is closed then we have restricted numbers to 25 so sorry if you miss out)
Melbourne Hall is a Grade II* Georgian style country house. The Grade l listed garden with its broad sweeps of lawn, avenues and unexpected vistas is one of the most treasured historical gardens in the country and is the best surviving early 18th century English garden in the manner of le Notre. It was laid out by Rt. Hon Thomas Coke, Vice Chamberlain to Queen Anne, with help from the garden landscape designers George London and Henry Wise in the formal style. It is noted for its long tunnel of Yew, its wrought iron arbour created by Robert Bakewell and its statuary by Jan van Nost, notably the Four seasons monument, a gift from Queen Anne. On arrival at Melbourne Hall, we will be given an introductory talk by the Head Gardener.
The Dower House has a beautiful view of Melbourne Pool from the balustraded terrace. The garden drops steeply by paths and steps to lawn with herbaceous borders and banks of some 60 shrubs. Numerous paths lead to different areas of the garden, providing varied planting opportunities including a bog garden, glade, shrubbery, grasses, herb and vegetable garden, rose tunnel, orchard and small woodland. The garden is on two levels connected by steps and steep paths. The ticket price includes a tour of the gardens.
Pay £8 on the gate at the garden (or free to RHS members) which is a fab discount offered by the garden
If you would like to visit the gardens before the tour then please go get your ticket when the gardens open and then join us for the tour at 2.30
Please contact us by email if you can offer a car share option for others from Notts city centre
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Memberships for 2024 will be available to purchase on the door for this event by card or cash.
Wild NG, will inspire us with their mission to renew nature, in our City, street by street: projects include pavement botany, poison free pavements, hedgehogs and more.
“We are local residents living in the Carrington, Sherwood, Basford and Mapperley areas of Nottingham City who are passionate about the importance and brilliance of nature where we live. We strongly believe that our community is impoverished without an abundance of wildlife, and that nature is vital for our spirit, our health, our learning and our imagination.
Together with our communities and neighbours we want to create new connections and opportunities for nature and for each other, which will have long lasting impacts. We want our area to gain status as a nature reserve, rich in diversity and enriching for our community.
We have hooked up with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to help us progress our vision and we are excited to invite you to join us in making a difference.”
See more on their website here
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Memberships for 2024 will be available to purchase on the door for this event by card or cash.
Join us for a wonderful talk about creating habitats and saving species- find out what ARC Trust does and what you can do in your own garden
“Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) is a UK-based wildlife charity dedicated to the conservation of two important groups of animals. We do this through our staff and our volunteers, by working with partners and by influencing others through advocacy, education and increasing awareness.
Reptiles and amphibians are an important part of our natural history and are deeply rooted in our culture, yet they are under threat both nationally and globally. Frogs, toads, newts, lizards, snakes and turtles all continue to decline. The habitats they use are degrading or disappearing altogether, putting these species at risk. In the coming years, many of these threats are set to increase. However, we are also seeing a rise in environmental awareness across society and a greater focus on the many benefits of nature to communities”
See more on their website here
Join us at the URC in Sherwood to browse 30+ varieties of seed potato as well as onions, shallots and garlic. Cakes stalls and refreshment available.
The place to buy your potatoes for growing in the midlands!
VARIETIES
We have ordered about 30 varieties of seed potato including unusual and organic varieties.
THE 2024 POTATO VARIETY LIST
Please note that there may be one or two changes, the final list will be available on the day.
Also you can read more information about the event here.
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS
We will be selling onion sets, shallots and garlic.
STALLS AND TALKS
We will have a range of pop up stalls from Thomas Etty seeds, Rigsby's Seasonal Foods and Mater Mushrooms and possibly more! Come along and see.
CAKE!
There will also be tea and cake from our pop up cafe so you can sit down and chat more about spuds.
VENUE / TRANSPORT INFORMATION
Venue: United Reformed Church, 1 Edwards Lane, Sherwood NG5 3AA (Behind the Sherwood Manor Pub)
Buses 56, 57, 58, 59, 87, 88, 89 from Parliament Street to “Sherwood Shops”.
Blue Badge parking only at the venue – plus local free car parks.
TIME SLOT SUGGESTIONS
10am - 12pm: ideal for those who know what they want and for those who want particular varieties from the list. When finalised the list will be posted on our website and shared through Facebook
12pm - 3pm: ideal for those who would like more time and advice.
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Memberships for 2024 will be available to purchase on the door for this event by card or cash.
Join us for the first NOGS monthly meeting and talk of 2024. We will be joined by Camilla Anderson who will discuss the History of Gardens in Britain. Here is what she has to say about her love for gardens:
“I’ve often wondered why I enjoy visiting gardens so much. I love the smell of a garden on a warm summer’s day and the surprise juxtaposition of plants or elements. I enjoy unravelling the history of the place and seeing if I can capture its spirit. But gardens give me so much more. Wandering around a garden gives me a calm which I rarely find elsewhere. Over the last few years, there’s been lots in the press about mindfulness – on how focusing our minds on what’s in front of us can help us to engage with the world around us. And gardens are where I find this peace. Eastern cultures can also teach us a lot. In Japan for example, gardens are created to reflect the essence of nature and to provide space to explore the meaning of life while the Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates life’s transience.”
See more on her website here
Tracey Akehurst – ‘Once upon a time at Christmas’
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Deck the halls with boughs of holly!
Kiss your neighbours under the mistletoe and share the wassail!
Keep the yule log burning and decorate the Christmas tree.
Of all the seasonal celebrations, Christmas has more traditional plants, with their accompanying legends and symbolism, than any other.
Drawing on Pagan and Christmas traditions, we explore why we still continue to use such an abundance of greenery today in our Christmas festivities.
Adam Alexander - The Seed Detective
FREE for members / £2 non-members on the door
Come and hear Adam speak about his passion for collecting and growing unusual vegetables. Learn of his adventures in seeking out local growers of endangered heritage and heirloom varieties and his mission to take home seeds to grow and share – and save them from being lost forever.
Adam has a published book that you can buy here:
THE SEED DETECTIVE - UNCOVERING THE SECRET HISTORIES OF REMARKABLE VEGETABLES - The Seed Detective
Nottingham Bat Society
Lyn Victor will be guiding us around the world of Bats!
The society’s aims are:
● Record bat distribution
● Survey roost sites
● Give talks on bat conservation
● Organise batwalks
● Care for injured bats
● Arrange training for members working towards their roost visitors licence
Visit their website here: https://nottsbatgroup.org.uk/
Ryan Sandford-Blackburn – ‘Edible and useful plants - think differently about your garden’
Ryan is a founding member of Earthed Up! a not-for-profit workers co-operative in Belper. Ryan will be guiding us into the world of perennial edibles.
Earthed Ups mission is:
To broaden the horizons of people, by sharing the benefits and possibilities of edible and useful plants.
Develop a flourishing agroecological plant nursery.
To make healthy plants accessible locally.
They grow and sell our own plants including perennial herbs, vegetables, and fruit.
One for the diaries! The great Annual NOGs Plant Swap.
More details to follow but please add this to your diary and we'll see you there with your swapsies
FREE for members / Non members £2 on the door
Visit her website here: https://www.thenottinghamforager.com/
Learn about foraging for food across our beautiful parks/wild spaces in Nottingham from local forager Lucy Buckle.
FREE for members / Non members £2 on the door
Visit her website here: https://www.thenottinghamforager.com/
’Saving our Insects and turning our gardens and urban green spaces into oases for life’
Speaker - Dave Goulson
Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at University of Sussex, specializing in bee ecology. He has published scientific articles on the ecology and conservation of bumblebees and other insects and the Sunday Times bestsellers A Sting in the Tale (2013), the Garden Jungle (2019), and Silent Earth (2021). Dave founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and is an ambassador for the UK Wildlife Trust.
We are grateful to Five Leaves Bookshop’s support in selling Dave’s books and other gardening literature on the day. Dave will be available to sign his books after the talk
Tickets cost £5 (fees may apply) and are available NOW direct from The Squire Performing Arts Centre website:
https://squirepac.co.uk/whats-on/nottingham-organic-gardener/
Join us for a talk by Catrina Fenton of the Heritage Seed Library, based in Ryton Organic Gardens in Coventry.
FREE for members / Non members £2 on the door
Catrina will be giving us a candid insight into what goes on behind the scenes as well as the background to the collection and their stories.
Andy Callow – ‘Wildlife Ponds - build it and they will come!’
Andy Callow is a garden designer and garden maker who specialises in wildlife friendly gardens. He has a real passion for wildlife ponds.
Andy will take us through the process of building a wildlife pond, what wildlife it can bring and how to look after it.
Andy will share recent projects including a couple of more challenging and unusual ponds.
POTATO DAY - 28th January 2023 10am-4pm at Sherwood United Reformed Church.
The potatoes have started arriving and we are getting excited about Potato Day! We are planning to run it in the original way, no booking. We’ll have a café and stalls – Coosh Bakery, honey, Extinction Rebellion, Thomas Etty Seeds, plus secondhand wildlife & gardening books – so bring some change!.
There's plenty of advice from experienced growers when you choose your potatoes, but if you'd like some more information we have the following talks:
11:30 - Growing Potatoes for Beginners
12:30 - What Have Potatoes Ever Done For Us? Three videos and discussion of the wonderful spud.
1:30 - Spuds in the City - growing potatoes in Containers
To make sure we are all still safe we will probably have the queue outside – so come well wrapped up. Mask-wearing is welcome, and the hall will be quieter later in the morning and the afternoon.
We have ordered 34 varieties. Sadly some of our favourites are no longer available, but in most cases there are good substitutes. We have potatoes to suit all growing situations and cooking requirements! The list may change slightly as we receive the potatoes and find out whether all we have ordered are available. An up to date list will be available at Potato Day.
As well as 34 varieties of seed potatoes, we will be selling red and white onion sets, and shallot sets.
No booking required - just turn up! Free to members – guests £2.
‘Potatoes – how to choose, how to grow’
Our first meeting at St. John’s, Carrington. Come and have a catch-up and tell us how your potato growing went last year (tricky season, wasn’t it?), get advice, and find out about the varieties we’ll be selling. Of course you’ll be very welcome even if you don’t grow potatoes – come and see the new place and say hello!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR ZOOM TALK
Dr Hayley Jones, Senior Entomologist in the RHS Plant Health team, researches slug and snail diversity in UK gardens, and will be telling us about sustainable control of slugs and snails.
The talk will be about 45 mins with 15 mins for questions.
More information about Hayley here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/meet-the-team/plant-health-team/hayley-jones
Online talk via zoom : 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start
Learn how to choose the most environmental peat-free composts.
BOOK YOUR PLACE FOR THIS TALK AT THE SHOP FOR JUST £2 (FREE FOR MEMBERS)
No keen gardener can be unaware of the call to stop using peat. It is an issue that has been raging within professional horticulture for more than three decades. But although companies such as Melcourt have been blazing a trail with very effective peat-free products since the 1990s, it is only in recent years that peat and its problems have come to the attention of the wider gardening public.
The Responsible Sourcing Scheme looks at seven different aspects of ingredients from an environmental and social impacts standpoint:
How much energy is used to both make it and transport it?
How much water is required to prepare it?
What impact does it have on habitat and biodiversity?
Is it renewable?
Resource use efficiency – how much waste is created by its manufacture?
Does its manufacture cause pollution?
What are the social compliance issues associated with it?
