ellen 
Every gardener, hobbyist or professional, gets excited about plants. Be it talking about plants, planting plants, getting new plants, looking at plants, but the success of a garden all starts with the soil. 
Be kind to your soil!
- Use compost over fertilizers to build healthy organic humus rich soil.
- Try to work the soil as little as possible to create less compaction.
- Add plants whose roots help aerate the soil and bring up nutrients from below, like yarrow, crimson clover, sunflower, and legumes.
- Practice crop rotation each year. By alternating plants, especially vegetables, in different parts of your garden you give the soil a break from a certain plant taking the same nutrients from the soil year after year. It also helps prevent the possibility of disease.
- Don’t kill off the mushrooms! Mushrooms are a part of decomposition.
- Watch for worms. Earthworms make paths for roots to expand in, as well as bringing up nutrients from below.
- Mulch. Be aware that if you mulch in a damp spot in your yard, that this may bring slugs, an unwelcome guest.
Gardeners are patient and watchful people by nature. Just make sure you keep an eye on your soil too.