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Many Mediterranean-type herbs and plants (fennel, lavender, lemon verbena, olive, rosemary, scented-leaved pelargoniums, thyme) thrive on this kind of soil because it is as close as possible to that of their native environment, to which they are perfectly adapted. Being wonderfully free-draining, this type of soil does not suffer from waterlogging and is extremely well aerated.

While many plants love this soil, there is a major down side to its open, friable texture: water and nutrients tend to drain straight through it. This means that it can often hold too little of these essential elements to support the healthy growth of many species that aren’t specifically adapted to cope in these harsh conditions.

There is, however, a very simple way to greatly improve the water- and nutrient holding capacity of sandy soil: every year, apply a good layer of organic matter (compost, leaf litter, well-rotted manure or even just leftover vegetable peelings which have been rotted down in a compost bin). This organic matter acts like a sponge to retain water and the nutrients dissolved in it, and make it available to the roots of plants. If you want to, feel free to dig the matter in, but this is not strictly necessary. (If you’re wondering why, see ‘To dig or not to dig’ below for a full explanation.)