Climate-Conscious Gardening
Join Master Gardeners in the Arlington/Alexandria unit of Virginia Cooperative Extension in a series of monthly articles in 2021 as we explore the topic of climate change and practical actions individuals can take in their home landscapes in response.
By Elaine Mills, Extension Master Gardener

Image by Joke vander Leij from Pixabay
In February, we discussed garden practices that could directly help to mitigate the effects of climate change. This month, we consider a set of adaptive strategies that gardeners can take to improve their soil.
According to Dr. Sara Via, Climate Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland, maintaining the health of our soil is the primary strategy for climate resilience. As the second largest ecosystem after the world’s oceans, soil not only provides physical support of our plants, but also is crucial in the cycling of water and nutrients. In addition, it provides habitat for a multitude of living things, including beneficial microbes that develop special relationships with plants. Continue reading