Wild Cornwall Magazine @ Cornwall Connect England UK

This is very true when it comes to growing plants. Getting the soil to give up its secrets is the difficult part. The more you study the subject, the more interesting it becomes. When you think of soil you imagine hard work, but it's worth it and you can always tell yourself that all that digging is good for you!

We have been hard at work at Bosilliac growing the wild flowers and trees that will be available during the coming year. Right from the beginning we have avoided the use of peat, as we are keen to explore other growing media - there is more to compost than just peat. The accepted practice is to use peat, which, although very versatile, is not the best growing medium. It appears that a loam-based compost is the best, particularly if you aim to grow organically. It has the ability to retain plant food and contains the biological activity useful to most wild plants. Insects will live in it or on it, and will feed on the more troublesome creatures that attack your most prized plants.

Striking a balance between pests and beneficial insects is the hard part. We have been trying to find this balance at our nursery at Bosilliac. We still have some way to go, but the use of soil-based compost has certainly helped. We mix the loam with coir 50/50, but I have come to the conclusion that I need to adjust the ratios and follow the John Innis formula. The coir helps to make the compost less dense for container-grown plants, but the loam has the advantage of giving structure and it retains plant food, which coir doesn't. John Innis compost is the loam-based growing medium available at garden centres, but quality is variable. It is important to investigate the quality thoroughly, but mixing it with coir may help.

The Trust has produced a list of plants and trees it can supply for anyone interested in encouraging wildlife onto their patch. You can select the plants that suit your situation best, or you may have some favourites you would like to see growing in your garden. I will send a list to anyone interested - just let me have your name and address. You would be very welcome to visit the Bosilliac Nursery; it is important to telephone beforehand on (01326) 250922.

I look forward to meeting you.

Lorna Crewes

Growing for the Countryside, an informative guide to what species to use - and what to do with them - has been added to the Trust's range of free literature on "growing wilder".