Our gardens are home to one of the most biodiverse and mysterious ecosystems on the planet. Soil is the foundation of life on Earth, yet most of us consider it to be just sand, silt, clay and organic matter. We know that when our soil is healthy, our gardens thrive. But our attempts to create good soil can prove frustrating - often because few of us understand what healthy soil actually is. However, scientific knowledge has come on in leaps and bounds, so it's time for us gardeners to catch up. And in doing so, we'll unearth a world more fascinating and valuable than we could ever imagine.
Almost all life on Earth relies on the top 20cm of soil - what we know as topsoil. Far from an inert substance that helpfully holds up our plants, it's the most biodiverse ecosystem in the world. In fact, more than 50 per cent of species on the planet spend at least some of their life in soil. Many are so small that we just don't realise they're there.
Soil ecosytems
The word ecosystem evokes images of lush forests, coral reefs and wild grasslands. We think of colourful and exotic places and turn a blind eye to those that don't fit our expectations. But the term ecosystem is very broad it's defined as a community of organisms interacting with one another in their environment. So they can be as varied as the creatures that live in them.
Denne historien er fra December 2023-utgaven av BBC Gardeners World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 2023-utgaven av BBC Gardeners World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there