Organic Gardening... what's it all about?
As we all become increasingly concerned about where our food comes from and what it contains, more and more of us are moving from being organic consumers to being organic gardeners. We are discovering the pleasures and benefits of caring for the soil and nurturing plants to grow our own food.
You don’t need a large piece of land or lots of equipment to be an organic gardener. What you do need is a desire to grow plants as naturally as possible, without recourse to artificial fertilisers or pesticides. Organic gardening used to be disparagingly referred to as “all muck and mystery”, but thanks to the pioneering work of The Soil Association and Garden Organic, there is an increasing understanding of the science, common sense and sustainability behind organic methods.
The big difference between organic and conventional gardening is that the organic gardener’s focus is on the soil, while the conventional gardener’s focus is on the plant. It is an holistic system, which attends to the health of the entire eco-system and not just the plant's needs. By the addition of compost, organic gardening creates and sustains a healthy soil full of nutrients and minerals that will naturally grow healthy plants. This is central to all organic gardening. Healthy plants are more able to resist pests and diseases and are nutritionally superior because they contain higher levels of essential vitamins and trace elements.
“Soil is primeval, and a living organism – we must treasure it. At Highgrove, I have always practised the art of feeding the soil rather than the plant.” HRH The Prince of Wales 
First steps to Organic Gardening:
1. Know your soil – it is a living eco-system.
2. Choose the best possible location for a vegetable patch (ideally sunny and sheltered) and if there is nowhere suitable in your garden, consider getting an allotment.
3. Start with easy and rewarding vegetables – a single courgette plant can be very prolific as can a tepee of five runner beans.
4. Make compost – all kitchen and green waste can be recycled within the garden to add fertility and structure to the soil.
5. Collect rainwater – have as many water butts as you have down pipes. Rainwater is better for plants and is free.
6. Encourage wild life by feeding the birds, providing habitats and growing plants to attract beneficial insects – they will help control pests.
7. Join Garden Organic or The Soil Association for expert help and information, and to support their work.
Browse and buy our new range of Organic Vegetable and Herb Seeds and Gardening Gifts online
Reproduced from The Elements of Organic Gardening by HRH The Prince of Wales with Stephanie Donaldson, The Orion Publishing Group 2007. © A.G. Carrick Limited, Photograph by Andrew Lawson
Buy The Elements of Organic Gardening book at The Highgrove Shop
Buy The Garden at Highrove book at The Highgrove Shop