The Emperor’s New Clothes? In Nature?

Hello dear Enchanted Gardeners, Today I wanted to give a somewhat personal opinion on the subject of Fertilizers and the advancement of science to help gardeners grow and nurture plants without using harmful chemicals. There is increasingly a vast range of products (with beautiful pictures) sold by garden centres in their thousands, that are marketed towards gardeners believing that buying them will mean guaranteed growing success. This is not true. The science of mycorrhizal fungi is now fully explored, documented and published – it is True and Sound – We now know that absolutely everything that grows is connected via Fungi which threads itself everywhere underground supporting growth of healthy root systems and improving the health of the soil which would be barren without it. My objection is that this naturally occurring phenomenon, that has existed from the beginning of time, is now “For SALE” – for those gardeners who can afford to do so. So, on top of the overpriced plant that you would love to have added to your garden is a product that is very expensive and, in my humble opinion un-necessary. These products can help a plant establish, of course, but a healthy plant, with healthy roots planted into healthy soil…………Really? Please don’t feel pressured from any of these ranges of products. The cost of living crisis we are all experiencing suggests to me that we can live and enjoy a truly beautiful garden, something a very old gentleman gardener/biologist said to me 30 years ago was “Donna, Gardening should NOT cost us the Earth” ????

For more information:

Posted in