DOWN TO EARTH

It's usually at planting time that I find myself chatting to my plants. Just a few quiet words of encouragement as I pat them into the ground. And it occurs to me that my plants and I are in the presence of others deserving an affectionate word - the millions of microorganisms who live in our soil. There’s a whole city of them down there, busily working around our plants’ roots, converting nutrients into the right forms for growth and transporting them to where they need to be.

We know now that a soil devoid of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and other invisible benefactors is a dead soil unable to perform vital ecosystem services. To garden well is to love the soil and all who dwell in it. Add to that our dire need to cut down on household waste sent to landfills, and the importance of composting is obvious. This issue we discuss the practicalities of composting at home (page 20).

It appears that soil microbes are also connected to human happiness; recent studies have pointed to their positive effect on brain health. Jo Gilmore, our Real Gardener this issue, doesn’t need convincing of the amazing health benefits that come with getting her hands dirty. It’s impossible not to be inspired by her energy and if ever there was a time to take a leaf out of Jo’s book and get planting, it’s now.