RHS National Garden Week: spread the joy One venue doing its bit is Ryton Gardens, near Coventry. Ryton is the 10-acre home of Garden Organic, the charity devoted to promoting organic gardening. The day will feature several events to help greener gardeners, including a Q&A with an expert panel. Mark Wilkinson, the visitor manager at Ryton, thinks National Gardening Week is a great idea. Anything which can help get people into the garden has got to be a good thing, and it's nice to be part of something which is connecting gardeners up and down the country. Running all week we've got tours with our head gardener, which will be a chance to learn a bit more than you'd get from a normal tour. Then on Thursday we've got our compost day to tie in with the RHS's environmental theme. We even have a new compost and soil fertility garden opening on that day, so the head composter will be there to show people around. Composting is completely integral to what we do. We'll show people all about how to produce leaf mould, using nettles and comfrey and other green waste. This kind of recycling is particularly important in the drought, he adds, and crucial in a hosepipe ban. One of the other things we promote is efficient use of water: reducing run-off and using butts to store rain water and making leafmould mulch all reduce the need for watering. There will also be an RHS expert panel present, to help answer any queries about composting organically. "Whether you're growing flowers for pleasure or food to eat, it can only help to learn more," he says. One of the experts who will be doling out advice is Val Bourne. As well as being a Telegraph Gardening columnist, Val sits on the RHS dahlia and perennial committees, and is a font of knowledge on all things green. National Gardening Week is a great way of joining up the garden societies and helping them to help each other. It's also very good timing," she says. Everything is growing well in April. Also at the moment people are feeling pretty hard up, but they're also worried about the environment. On both counts, you can't do anything better than grow your own food. I started out by growing my own vegetables when I had two hungry children to feed and no money. The day will be informal, and people will be able to ask advice from someone who really knows their stuff. Green gardening can be quite misunderstood. Many pesticides have been banned, but there are others being marketed as green that are in fact nothing of the sort. What's more, she thinks that National Gardening Week might coincide with a change in our fortunes outdoors, too. It has rained practically every day since the hosepipe ban came in. Looking back to past weather systems, I can't see us having as dry a summer as we did last year. What's more, there's lots of sunspot activity at the moment, which usually means more rain. Of course, seeking advice is not the only reason to head down to Ryton this week. "The cherry blossom is out, and the other fruit blossoms are coming too," says Wilkinson. The pulmonaria and euphorbia are out in the bee garden. Everything is starting to look lovely. Highlights of the week Next week events are running at all four RHS gardens - Harlow Carr in Yorkshire, Hyde Hall in Essex, Wisley in Surrey and Rosemoor in Devon. Below is a selection of RHS events and some of the huge range of independently organised local events. For full details, visit nationalgardeningweek.org.uk. RHS themed days Monday 16 Garden SOS advisory service For one day only, any gardener can consult the RHS. Any time between 10am-4pm, call 01943 226540, email gardeningsos@rhs.org.uk, or visit an RHS garden to meet an expert in person. Tuesday 17 Gardens of the nation Gardeners are invited to submit photographs of their garden to the RHS, to make a living archive of the nation's gardening habits. The photographic archives at Hyde Hall will also be open. Wednesday 18 Horticulture: a career to be proud of All four RHS gardens, as well as the headquarters in London, will be hosting careers-themed events aimed at encouraging young people to pursue a career in horticulture. Thursday 19 Gardening for the environment Events to encourage greener gardening, including everything from beekeeping demonstrations to composting classes. Friday 20 Get kids growing The RHS Cardiff show runs 20-22, and will see the launch of new Young School Gardener of the Year, judged by Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins. Other events nationwide April 14 Strictly Come Gardening, 10am-3pm, Orchards Shopping Centre, Haywards Heath, W. Sussex. Expert advice, plant sales, live music (01444 453399). April 16 Stoke St Mary, in Somerset, will be celebrating the opening of the village's Diamond Jubilee Garden. Teas provided (01823 443816). April 16-22 RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden in Suffolk will be open all week. Every day the head gardener will be giving tours, showing how to make your garden wildlife-friendly. Free entry (01206 391153; rspb.org.uk/flatford). April 18 Open garden, 1pm-5pm, Stillingfleet Lodge Garden, York. Outstanding, eco-friendly cottage-style garden. Owner Vanessa Cook will be on hand to share her tips (01904 728506; stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk). April 19 Hanging basket and planted trough demonstrations at 11am and 2pm, St Bridget Nurseries, Exeter, in Devon. Guided tours behind the scenes at the nursery on April 20 at same times. Entry £5 (01392 873672; stbridgetnurseries.co.uk). April 21 Family learning drop-in, 11am-3pm, Hidcote Manor, Chipping Campden, Glos. Tips on home-grown veg and recycling domestic waste for garden use. Normal admissions apply (nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote). April 22 Growing Successfully in the City, 11am-4pm, Pump House Gallery, Battersea, London SW11. Make a planter, and learn about living sustainably (020 8871 7572). Spring open gardens, 2pm-5pm, Pennington, Lymington, Hants. 12 gardens open in the village, plant sales, teas. Entry £5, £4 in advance (01590 677422). Ryton Gardens, Woltson Lane, Ryton-on-Dunsmore is open 10am-5pm, seven days a week. Adults £5.50, children/concs £3.50 (02476 303517; rytongardens.co.uk or gardenorganic.co.uk)