Build the Soil First You wouldn't build a house without a proper foundation now would you? No matter how good the design or how well you choose the building materials and construct the house it is doomed to failure from the start. Think of your lawn and garden in the same manner. No matter how good the design is or how wonderful the plants are that you install; they will fail without a proper soil foundation. You could say building soil is the defining act of green gardening. By regularly replenishing the nutrients your plants use, you keep the soil productive. By mixing organic matter (preferably compost) into the soil whenever possible, you mimic Nature's cycles of birth, decay, and rebirth. Ideal garden soil is dark-colored, smells kind of sweet, compresses into a loose lump in your hand when moist, and is full of earthworms. Periodic compost tea applications are important to jump-starting the rebuilding cycle. Compost tea kick starts the soil regeneration process and promotes ready establishment of new plantings.Certain soils may need even more of a boost than a regular, liberal dose of compost and compost tea can provide, but before you add anything else to your soil we urge you to get a soil test. Find a lab in your area where you can get a low cost test. The results of your test will tell you the soil's pH and what nutrients are out of balance. With that information, you can choose amendments to bolster the soil. There are many organic soil amendments, like bonemeal, greensand or rock phosphates, all derived from natural sources and each suited to particular need.