To care for a garden the natural way means to obey the laws of nature.
The soil as such is dead matter but the top layers are populated with a multitude of tiny living things such as worms, bacteria, mushrooms, insects, micro-organisms among others.
These living things see to it, by their interaction, that the soil remains loose and water and air can freely penetrate and circulate in it.
Besides they decompose the plant and animal matter and thereby produce a rich humus.
It is the humus from which the plants draw the necessary nourishment and which creates the proper soil condition. The small living organisms are being destroyed in the soil to which synthetic fertilizer has been added and with it also the humus so that the plants have to be nourished artificially. But that also means that one does not take into consideration their natural rhythm and needs.

The organic gardener, though, who respects these natural laws provides through careful working of the soil and by adding organic substances in form of plant residue and compost a healthy life of the soil.  This way the plants can take their nourishment directly from the soil as they need it.

This way the ecological balance of the garden is being restored and maintained and healthy soil conditions are achieved.  This also means that the plants can fend off garden pests and diseases.

To achieve a constantly improved soil structure and optimal supply of nourishment the organic gardener uses mixed plantings, fruit sequences and green composting.
The best example for this method are the wonderful gardens of the old europeen farms.

To mulch instead of digging up soil

We start at the end of Oct. to prepare the beds for winter.
Since we do not turn over the soil (see Organic garden) we cover it with a layer of mulch. We cut up all discarded plants with the spade into small pieces and distribute them evenly over the beds after having loosened the soil with a rake or hoe. If we don´t have enough plant material we use straw, leaves or moved grass.

For early sowing one can also cover the mulch with a fleece. This way the soil stays warm longer so that life in it can remain active.
This encourages a faster development of the root system in the spring. One can also spread half-rotten compost onto the beds which must be covered with a thin layer of mulch.