The Henry Doubleday Research Association is adopting a new working name to help encourage a new generation of organic growers. 

The charity, founded by Lawrence Hills in 1958, will be known as Garden Organic for all of its work with the public. This name has been chosen because it will be instantly recognisable to new gardeners who are interested in learning how to use organic methods.

However, the charity will still use its formal name the “Henry Doubleday Research Association” for its horticultural and agricultural research. The Research & Development Division is renowned for its work on a wide range of organic issues, from weed control to international development.

Chief Executive Dr Susan Kay-Williams said: “We are proud of the rich history of the Henry Doubleday Research Association and will continue to build upon this. However, we feel the time has now come to change our working name to help the public understand what we do and how we can support them to garden organically.”

The charity recently commissioned a nationwide survey (conducted by MORI), which showed that there is huge potential for promoting organic gardening. Just 12 per cent of British garden owners claim to use only organic methods, but 61 per cent say they would like to use more if they had the information or advice they needed to do so.