Join our gardening family to receive the latest tips. JOIN ON SUBSTACK
Healthy soil is alive with microscopic partners that help plants thrive. Among the most important of these are mycorrhizal fungi—beneficial soil organisms that form a partnership with plant roots. This living network helps plants take up nutrients and water more efficiently, improving both growth and yield. In regenerative gardening, fostering mycorrhizal fungi is key to…
A Living Systems Approach to Growing Healthy Soil, Plants, and Communities Introduction: Gardening and Farming for Regeneration Regenerative gardening and farming go beyond sustainability. While sustainable systems aim to maintain what exists, regenerative systems restore, rebuild, and revitalize. The goal is not simply to avoid harm but to create abundance—to leave the land, water, and…
Reawakening the life beneath your feet for thriving, resilient gardens Introduction: Why Living Soil Matters Healthy plants begin with healthy soil — and healthy soil is alive. Beneath every garden lies a hidden ecosystem of microbes, fungi, insects, and organic matter working together to feed plants, store carbon, and filter water. Building living soil means…
How living soil communities sustain plants, store carbon, and regenerate the Earth Introduction: The Living World Beneath the Surface Every time you dig into the garden, you touch a living universe. Beneath your feet lies a complex web of life — bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, insects, and worms — all working together to feed plants…
Mulch protects soil and helps it stay alive. A good mulch conserves moisture, keeps soil temperatures even, and adds organic matter that feeds earthworms and microbes. Healthy soil is living soil—and mulch is its best protection. Why Mulch Bare soil dries quickly, erodes, and loses fertility. A layer of mulch shades the soil, reduces evaporation,…
In my Sonoma Valley garden, I’ve practiced minimal tillage for over a decade. Beds that haven’t been turned in years are loose, rich, and full of earthworms. Mulching with straw and compost keeps soil life thriving, and plants develop strong roots that don’t need deep digging to flourish. Minimal tillage is both practical and regenerative—it…
Subscribe today to get our weekly recipe newsletter! You don’t want to miss out!
