Juliet Sargeant is an award-winning garden designer and regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. She teaches garden design and horticulture at her Sussex Garden School. Her New Blue Peter Garden: Discover Soil for 2022’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show is now on permanent display at RHS Garden Bridgewater.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous centre for botanical and mycological knowledge. Over the past 250 years Kew has made innumerable contributions to increasing the understanding of plants and fungi with many benefits for humankind.

• IntroductionPART ONE: WHAT IS SOIL AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR OUR GARDENS AND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?How soil worksSoil structure and biodiversitySoil and climate changeSoil in our gardensPART TWO: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SOILDifferent soil typesHow to test soilSoil through the yearPART THREE: GARDENING FOR BETTER SOILMulch and compost How to make leaf mulchDifferent types of compostHow to make compostNo-Dig GardeningContainer GardeningRaised-Bed GardeningWhat to Plant for Healthy Soil Companion plantingGround coverWater retaining plantsPlants for soil type (chalky, clay, loamy, peat, sandy and silty; poor soil and woodland environments)Plants for soil PH (acid-loving plants and alkaline-loving plants)Top Ten Soil Saving PlantsPART FOUR: SOIL TROUBLESHOOTERQuick reference guide to key soil problems

"...a great resource and an excellent introduction to properly caring for your garden’s soil...highlights contemporary concerns that we need to address today, including microplastics and issues you may be facing with your garden dirt. If you’re looking for a comprehensive book to help you improve your garden’s dirt, I highly recommend Start with Soil."

Juliet Sargeant is an award-winning garden designer and regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. She teaches garden design and horticulture at her Sussex Garden School. Her New Blue Peter Garden: Discover Soil for 2022’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show is now on permanent display at RHS Garden Bridgewater.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous centre for botanical and mycological knowledge. Over the past 250 years Kew has made innumerable contributions to increasing the understanding of plants and fungi with many benefits for humankind.

• IntroductionPART ONE: WHAT IS SOIL AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR OUR GARDENS AND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?How soil worksSoil structure and biodiversitySoil and climate changeSoil in our gardensPART TWO: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SOILDifferent soil typesHow to test soilSoil through the yearPART THREE: GARDENING FOR BETTER SOILMulch and compost How to make leaf mulchDifferent types of compostHow to make compostNo-Dig GardeningContainer GardeningRaised-Bed GardeningWhat to Plant for Healthy Soil Companion plantingGround coverWater retaining plantsPlants for soil type (chalky, clay, loamy, peat, sandy and silty; poor soil and woodland environments)Plants for soil PH (acid-loving plants and alkaline-loving plants)Top Ten Soil Saving PlantsPART FOUR: SOIL TROUBLESHOOTERQuick reference guide to key soil problems

"...a great resource and an excellent introduction to properly caring for your garden’s soil...highlights contemporary concerns that we need to address today, including microplastics and issues you may be facing with your garden dirt. If you’re looking for a comprehensive book to help you improve your garden’s dirt, I highly recommend Start with Soil."

Juliet Sargeant is an award-winning garden designer and regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. She teaches garden design and horticulture at her Sussex Garden School. Her New Blue Peter Garden: Discover Soil for 2022’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show is now on permanent display at RHS Garden Bridgewater.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous centre for botanical and mycological knowledge. Over the past 250 years Kew has made innumerable contributions to increasing the understanding of plants and fungi with many benefits for humankind.

• IntroductionPART ONE: WHAT IS SOIL AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR OUR GARDENS AND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?How soil worksSoil structure and biodiversitySoil and climate changeSoil in our gardensPART TWO: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SOILDifferent soil typesHow to test soilSoil through the yearPART THREE: GARDENING FOR BETTER SOILMulch and compost How to make leaf mulchDifferent types of compostHow to make compostNo-Dig GardeningContainer GardeningRaised-Bed GardeningWhat to Plant for Healthy Soil Companion plantingGround coverWater retaining plantsPlants for soil type (chalky, clay, loamy, peat, sandy and silty; poor soil and woodland environments)Plants for soil PH (acid-loving plants and alkaline-loving plants)Top Ten Soil Saving PlantsPART FOUR: SOIL TROUBLESHOOTERQuick reference guide to key soil problems

"...a great resource and an excellent introduction to properly caring for your garden’s soil...highlights contemporary concerns that we need to address today, including microplastics and issues you may be facing with your garden dirt. If you’re looking for a comprehensive book to help you improve your garden’s dirt, I highly recommend Start with Soil."