Charlie Ryrie

Charlie Ryrie
Charlie Ryrie trained as a journalist and worked as a feature writer and editor for many years. Brought up on a farm, and always happiest outside, in 2002 she founded the first business in the UK to provide bouquets of entirely home grown flowers from her own smallholding. During two decades of organically growing a huge variety of flowering plants, she gradually transformed her flower field into relaxed and gently wild gardens, species-rich and beautiful. In 2023 she moved to a smaller garden which she has designed with diversity and minimal maintenance the priorities. She divides her time between helping others to develop sustainable gardens, and writing and lecturing.
Growing Older and Wilder addresses questions all gardeners face in our changing climate, and specifically tackles ways to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the demands of a garden as we grow older. Emphasising the fundamentally important relationship between garden and gardener, Charlie refuses to allow age to curtail our gardening futures, and explains practical ways to encourage diverse, beautiful and sustainable gardens. She also firmly banishes any notion that growing wilder means heading for an unkempt wilderness .
Downsizing offers one positive solution for some gardeners, and the book suggests ways to assess the pros and cons sensibly and dispassionately, while fully recognising the emotional heft of a garden. Charlie also suggests many practical solutions for adapting larger gardens rather than feeling forced to move.