Juliet Sargeant: The Hidden Foundations of Life

What sustains a landscape? What allows a garden, a community or an ecosystem to flourish? And what might we learn from looking beneath the surface? Award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant joins Fergus Garrett, the celebrated Head Gardener and Chief Executive of Great Dixter, for a fascinating conversation about the hidden world beneath our feet and the future of our gardens. In her new book, Soil, Sargeant reveals why healthy soil is fundamental not only to the future of our gardens, but to biodiversity, food production, climate resilience and human wellbeing. The first Black woman to win a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, she has spent her career championing thoughtful, sustainable approaches to gardening and design. This event will be chaired by Fergus Garrett. Fergus is one of Britain's most respected and influential horticulturists. For more than three decades, he has helped shape the internationally renowned gardens at Great Dixter in East Sussex, working closely with the legendary gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd. Celebrated for his adventurous planting, ecological vision and commitment to nurturing wildlife, Garrett has transformed Great Dixter into a remarkable example of how beautiful, intensively cultivated gardens can also become thriving havens for biodiversity. In 2019, he received the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour, the society's highest accolade. Together, Sargeant and Garrett will explore the extraordinary living systems beneath our feet, the relationship between soil and biodiversity, and how gardeners of all abilities can help create healthier, more resilient landscapes. From clifftop gardens and allotments to the wild beauty of the Kent coast, this promises to be an inspiring conversation about the gardens we cherish, the food we grow and the natural world we depend upon. Folkestone Book Festival is our annual celebration of stories, ideas and conversation by the sea. Curated by novelist Sophie Haydock (The Flames, Madame Matisse), this year’s festival brings together more than 60 events across two weeks, welcoming world-class writers, thinkers and storytellers to Folkestone. We believe great conversations should be for everyone, which is why every event includes a £5 Cost of Living Ticket, available with no questions asked. Please help us spread the word. Together, we’re building a thriving community of readers, writers and curious minds. Folkestone Book Festival is proudly supported by Eurotunnel, Canterbury Christ Church University, Holiday Extras, and the Friends of Folkestone Book Festival. Creative Folkestone is supported by Arts Council England, Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Saga. Founding Funder The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust.