Soil is the key to a healthy garden – but have you ever thought about soil creation and how it takes place?

I was just going through my pictures from the Appalachian Trail and found this:

Soil creation in slow motion.

Lichens are patiently eating into that big hunk of rock. Slowly but surely, it’s being turned into soil that will feed the surrounding forest for generations and generations to come.

Some people might just see a mushroom… some mold… flies devouring a carcass or ants carrying away crumbs from a picnic.

But there’s a lot more going on in nature. There’s a huge cycle set in place long ago, where every piece interacts with every other piece, sometimes in immeasurable or incomprehensible ways.

The fungi in the soil can transfer nutrients across the forest floor… the bacteria in the soil can take nitrogen from the air and convert it into plant fertilizer… the insects break down organic debris… and the lichens on a rock can release minerals that feed the pines.

When you spray poisons or flood the soil with synthetic chemicals, you run the risk of damaging the trillions of processes happening in your garden’s ecosystem.

Slow down… observe… think about how much is going on. Plant an abundance of species, drag home piles of sticks and logs to feed the fungi, sprinkle seeds around, mulch and let nature repair and balance itself.

When it comes to gardening knowledge, we’ve barely scratched the surface, just like those lichens. But every little bit of knowledge or thoughtful action makes a difference.

There’s a plan here, set in place by Someone far above us.

Seek it out and enjoy the good things that come your way.