SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The key to a great garden? Look under your feet and start valuing your soil. “We treat soil like dirt, and they are not the same thing,” said noted soil scientist Steve Andrews, ...

Soils come in many different colors, described by hue, value, and chroma (Munsell color system). Using the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) online Web Soil Survey (WSS) to discover the ...

David R. Montgomery does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations ...

I live in a Burlington neighborhood where uniform, lush lawns and manicured flower beds are standard. From a distance, my yard might pass muster. But up close, it’s a mishmash of grass, violets, ...