On soil and soul

As we’ve begun preparing our balconies and gardens for the first seedlings of the year, our excitement for the growing season this spring has been accompanied by a few beautiful books on the joy and meaning of working with plants.

In ‘Why Women Grow’, author Alice Vincent explores the deep connection between women and gardening, viewing the garden as a space for healing, refuge, empowerment and self-nurture. Through interviews with female gardeners – always out in nature – she draws connections between the practices of historic herbalists and modern women who find solace in green spaces, particularly during times of grief. In ‘The Well-Gardened Mind’, psychiatrist and gardener Sue Stuart-Smith delves into the therapeutic and philosophical dimensions of tending plants. The garden is not just a metaphor for growth, but a space that reconnects us with natural cycles and reawakens our appreciation for living things – tranquil, creative, and quietly enchanted.

We also recently came across some fascinating and unexpectedly inspiring facts about nature and gardening – things we had definitely experienced ourselves, without knowing quite why. The science behind it is surprisingly poetic: thanks to a microorganism in the soil – a bacterium called mycobacterium vaccae – simply being outside, touching the ground, and inhaling the scent of earth can spark a sense of peace and well-being. These beneficial microbes, which also help break down fallen leaves and make nutrients available to plants, trigger the release of serotonin in the brain, helping us feel more calm and content.

Apart from being great news for anyone who enjoys being with plants – and a gentle nudge for others to get outside and connect with the living world – it also invites us to think differently about soil. Not just as the surface beneath our feet, but as a companion – a living system of microorganisms, fungi and organic matter working together to sustain both plant life and our own well-being.