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 step-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. 

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"...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."

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"Juliet has a way of making science feel like storytelling. You don’t need to be an expert to follow along—she walks you through the basics of soil health, composting, no-dig gardening, and even creating rain gardens, all with a calm, encouraging tone. It feels like chatting with a wise friend who happens to know a lot about growing good things."

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"Juliet makes soil science approachable and practical, with at-home tests, compost tips, and simple projects like No Dig gardening and Hugelkultur (if you’ve never tried it, it’s worth a look!)."