One of the buzz words of the modern age is organic gardening. It sounds impressive but it just means cultivating plants without using of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilisers. In other words, a return to the gardening habits of earlier centuries. The challenge for organic gardeners is to defend their plants from pests and create a nourishing soil using only natural methods and materials.

Everyone knows about the dangers of DDT and other pollutants but pesticides are used or a reason - to keep away the pests that would otherwise destroy the crop. So what do you do without synthetic pesticides?

One approach is to try to keep your plants as healthy as possible. In this way, your plants will be best able to resist the insects. Another approach is to cultivate many different species together.

Another organic approach to pest control is to cultivate organisms that feed on the pests. These include ladybugs, frogs, lizards and birds which are predators for certain pests.

As for fertilisers, organic gardeners prefer organic matter to nourish their crops. Compost is the most popular choice. It's made from organic leftovers including dead leaves and flowers, peels, and grasses. In addition, rock phosphates and bone meal can be added to the soil after checking its acidity level.