Sarah Mead, owner and head gardener at Yeo Valley Organic Garden gives her top tips on putting nature first when gardening. <\/p>

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Top Tips From Yeo Valley<\/h2>
Give your soil a break<\/h3>
Every time you stick a fork<\/a>, spade<\/a> or trowel<\/a> into the earth you are disturbing the fine balance of microorganisms that it supports. It\u2019s this life support system that holds carbon in huge quantities and helps mitigate climate change. Minimise soil<\/a> disturbance by mulching<\/a> regularly to supress weeds, and save your digging for planting.<\/p>
Read Charles Dowding’s advice on no-dig gardening<\/a>.<\/p>
Yeo Valley Organic Garden – \u00a9 Britt Willoughby Dyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Cut your lawn less<\/h3>
If you only do one thing this year to improve your garden\u2019s value for nature, cut your grass<\/a> less, or not at all. The UK\u2019s climate is perfectly suited to allow grass and the many species of beneficial plants that share our lawns to thrive, but regular cutting deprives essential pollinators of an important food source. According to PlantLife, the British conservation charity behind No Mow May<\/a>, allowing your lawn to grow naturally for just a single month can provide enough nectar for ten times the amount of bees<\/a> and other pollinators than a regularly cut lawn. Save your mower for pathways and picnic areas.<\/p>
Here’s more tips on easy lawn care<\/a><\/p>
$\"Echinacea$
Echinacea at Yeo Valley Organic Garden – \u00a9 Britt Willoughby Dyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Let nature do its thing<\/h3>
We have learnt to take a more relaxed approach and turn the other cheek where pests are concerned. A pest is a delicious snack for someone higher up the food chain, so don\u2019t be too hasty to wipe them out. By tolerating your pests, you are providing a valuable food source for your predators, and they will do the work for you.<\/p>
$\"Yeo$
Yeo Valley Organic Garden – \u00a9 Britt Willoughby Dyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Give your plants tough love<\/h3>
It\u2019s possible to live without manufactured pesticides but it can be tempting when planting out your precious seedlings. Don\u2019t over cosset your youngsters but certainly don\u2019t put them out into the veg patch until they are big and strong enough to survive slugageddon. A baby lettuce is nectar to a slug<\/a> and an attack by cabbage whites will completely destroy a brassica. We try to grow everything in pots (old yogurt pots of course) until they are big enough to thrive.<\/p>
$\"Bird$
Bird on water trough at Yeo Valley Organic Garden – \u00a9 Britt Willoughby Dyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Feed birds wisely<\/h3>
We feed<\/a> the birds generously throughout the winter, when they most need it, and then remove the feeders<\/a> in spring to encourage them to focus on eating our pests.<\/p>
Visit<\/a> Yeo Valley Organic Garden on one of their open days until the end of October, and check out their programme of events running until the end of September.<\/p>
For more tips on attracting wildlife into the garden, take a look at our guide<\/a>.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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Top Tips From Yeo Valley<\/h2>