Start with Soil

Transform your garden from the ground up with this practical guide to soil. Any thriving garden starts with good soil: whether you're growing vibrant herbaceous borders or bountiful vegetable beds . And while gardeners all appreciate the soil beneath their feet, many are still perplexed by how it works. In Start with Soil, award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant challenges you to take your soil seriously , reveals its hidden wonders, and gives you the tools to improve your soil health and harness its power. The science of soil is explained without the jargon: learn how soil works and how climate change is impacting its health. Get to know your own soil with easy at-home testing, explanations about how soil changes throughout the year, and quick-guides to the types of growing mediums we use in gardening – from composts to house plants, hydroponics to sand gardens . Follow Juliet’s advice for gardening for better soil , with tried-and-tested methods for making simple compost, feeding your soil, protecting your soil, and introductions to No Dig gardening, Hugelkultur and rain gardens . Understand how plants help the soil and choose the perfect plants for your soil type. With s tep-by-step projects, plant profiles and trouble-shooting pages – by starting with soil you will not only be gardening in a way that is kind to the planet, but you will also be ensuring that your garden flourishes. Created in collaboration with the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and written by leading garden designer and soil expert Juliet Sargeant, this is the must-have guide for a thriving garden .