So when exploring how to get more from your veg bed, I discovered the importance of soil health. According to BBC Gardner’s Question Time panellist, Juliet Sargeant, it has to start with the earth. At the recent Sussex Green Living Plant to Plate Festival, Juliet helped us understand soil is not just dirt; it's a living, breathing ecosystem filled with microbes and earthworms that work together to break down organic material and release nutrients.
I learnt that human exposure to weedkiller, synthetic fertiliser and pesticides is linked to cancer, heart, respiratory and neurological diseases. Many studies show they are toxic, ultimately having a negative affect on us, and growing conditions, contaminating our water, the air, loss of species, and pest resistance.
That’s where regenerative gardening comes in—a natural way to grow plants while protecting the planet. It's about nurturing gardens without the use of synthetic short-cuts. It’s not a new thing, generations of traditional farmers and gardeners will have ‘let nature take it course’ aligning with the seasons, working in harmony with earth’s natural rhythms.
Now, the lawn at our place is not manicured but it is tidy. However, last year I let it grow for ‘No Mow May’, and left a wild-patch at the back for it to ‘just be’. This resulted in all sorts of creepy-crawlies, not necessarily beautiful, but all essential for a healthy veg patch, a flower garden or as food for our Sussex song-birds. I also left all the winter detritus piled up at the back of my borders and under the hedges. Knowing that pollinators and insects lay eggs under fallen leaves, and don’t hatch until the end of May, I wanted to give nature a chance to thrive. Instead of disposing of the dead plants , I cut them back but let them naturally decompose, adding nutrients back into the soil, improving precious water retention and keeping the ground shaded from harsh drying heatwaves. Our stunning Sussex countryside remains under threat with so many plans to develop and nowhere for nature’s residents to take refuge as they try to support our food supply systems.
Did you know insect populations provide a substantial contribution to many agricultural crops and seed set of wild flowers? The Sussex Study research (which has been running since the 1970’s) shows UK cereal crops have experienced a 37% decline of essential pollinators. Sussex Green Living is committed to regenerating nature by creating a networked trail of Pollination Education Stations (PES) across the county. This project supports the Weald to Waves network, forming a 100 mile nature recovery corridor in Sussex. Will you help us ? Please get in touch with our charity, if you would like to buy a Pollination Education Station for your school, church, office, housing community. If you don’t have space, perhaps sponsor one. Find out more https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/renature/