We see only a small proportion of them, but beneath the soil the humble Earthworm is one of the most important allies we have in the garden. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that a garden without worms is a dead garden.

More often than not they burrow through the soil, aerating as they go, and breaking up clods of earth. Some varieties actaully eat their way through the soil, drawing out organic matter and excreting the rest. There are varieties that leave their ‘casts’ on the surface and if you break it up with your fingers you will see what a lovely fine soil it is after the worm has done his job. Worms are essential to a healthy garden as they improve the soil immensley, aeration and drainage beign their specialities. They continue this work at quite some depth into the soil with the larger species being able to burrow several metres down.

You will also find an abundance of worms in a good compost heap though these generally do not ‘transfer’ to the garden. Wormeries are becoming increasingly popular as a means of composting garden and domestic waste and can be bought relatively cheaply now. A friend of mine distributes vast quantities of ‘worms wee’ as she calls it, to anyone who wants a good organic fertiliser for the garden – mine certainly blooms well after an application!

The only downside to worms is that they can attract Moles which play havoc with your lawn, but personally I’ll live with a molehill or two in return for the benefits the worms bring.

Organic Gardening is the method of growing plants, fruit and vegetables  without  the use of chemicals or artifical additives.  It can be a very cost effective form of gardening as you don’t have to buy vast quantities of chemicals.  Many poeple worry about how to ensure the health of their garden if they don’t use these much advertised products.

For example, feeding your soil and keeping it productive.  You can easily make compost from kitchen scraps and garden waste. It takes very little time to put your green waste into a compost bin and puts your garbage to good use and also it is more ecologically sound.  Organic gardening is much kinder to the environment. Chemicals used in the garden can be washed into our waterways, causing damage and death to the animals, insects and fish often polluting their habitat.

Organic gardening uses methods that help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion by planting more effectively and using nature itself to protect and preserve the fertilitiy of the soil such as raised beds and simple companion planting techniques.  It is estimated that over 30  billion tons of soil is eroded from farms in the USA alone each year.  Multiply that to global proportions and you can soon see that every little helps.

Pest Control is often cited as a problem for organic gardeners but there are many simple recipes for safe natural compounds that work effectively. A simple spray can be made by mixing  a tablespoon of liquid detergent and a cup of cooking oil which helps remove a lot of the bugs such as greenfly.  Three  tablespoons of this mixture in two pints of water and simply spray onto your plants, there is no need to worry about the effect on the fishin yourpond or the birds that visit the garden.  Companion planting alongside the main crop is an excellent deterrent to pests, for example   marigolds help to protect vegetables from aphids.  Or what about putting pistachio nuts shells round plants that are vulnerable to slugs and snails.   The sharp shells and the salty residue gets rid of them very effectively.

Rather than buying expensive peat which damages the enivronment dreadfully what about a simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.  You can shred or chip a lot of your heavy garden waste into mulches like this.  Out local Council offers a service where they will come and shred any trees or big garden waste and bag it up for you to use later.

Organic gardening is a simple and safe method of gardening, especially where food crops are concerned and helps to keep our planet safe for our children and grandchildren.