Dirt vs. Soil

As a former farm girl and a present-day gardener, I wince when I hear people talk about planting their gardens or houseplants in dirt. Dirt is the stuff you wash off your car and sweep off your porch. Soil is the stuff in which you plant seeds, trees and plants. To me soil represents fertility: the substance that will support life. Dirt calls to mind soil stripped of all its nutrients: a worthless substance. To be fair, some farms are just dirt because they've been over-farmed and they must rely on chemical fertilizers to be of any good, but that's a whole other topic. Whew, I'm glad I got that off my chest! =)