What Are The Best Gardening Books?

If you've been tinkering around with gardening lately and are looking to get more serious, choosing a gardening book can be a great place to start. And, if you've already read many gardening books, there is always something new waiting to be learned.

We have compiled a list of five of the best gardening books that will help you transform your garden and learn to take better care of your plants. Read through our reviews to help you decide which book you'd like to purchase next, or which will be your first gardening book purchase.

Top 5: Gardening Book Reviews

Recommendation #4

The Garden Primer

9.3

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

Gaia's Garden will walk you through creating your own home-scale ecological garden. It shares tips and tricks to planting and growing plants that are edible or usable in other ways to help you sustain yourself and your family.

Some of the topics covered in the book include creating and maintain fertile soil, conserving water to use for your garden, and creating a habitat to encourage insects that are beneficial to your plants to live in your garden. The book also includes information dedicated to helping you grow many edible fruits, nuts, and other food items that you can use to nourish your family.

This is the revised version of the book which has been updated to include a section on urban permaculture, which can be very useful if you do not have a lot of land to dedicate to your garden.

Pros

  • You can learn how to grow foods and plants in your garden that your family can use for nourishment and other needs.
  • The book includes information about creating a habitat to encourage beneficial insects to stay in your garden and help your plants grow.
  • If you live in an urban area or do not have a large space for a garden, you will find the section on urban permaculture useful.

Cons

  • If you are new to gardening, this book may not be what you're looking for.
The Flower Gardener's Bible: A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long

If you are looking to create a vibrant and colorful flower garden, The Flower Gardener's Bible may be the best book for you. This text includes all the information you'll need to take an empty space in your yard or garden and transform it into a beautiful flower garden.

It includes information about how to increase the lifespan of the flowers you choose, improving the quality of your soil, and ensuring your flowers are as vibrant and colorful as possible. There is also information on how to safely protect your garden from harmful pests.

The book includes numerous photographs and illustrations that will help you visualize and understand the concepts shared in the text. This will become your trusted resource that you will keep referring back to over the years.

Pros

  • You can use this book to help you transform any space in your yard into a beautiful garden to grow flowers.
  • It includes information about creating fertile soil for your flowers to grow in.
  • The illustrations and pictures included in the text will help you understand and implement the different suggestions.

Cons

  • This text is specifically about creating a flower garden and may not be helpful if you are looking to create other types of gardens.
The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual

All gardens don't have to grow outside. Many people enjoy creating an indoor garden with beautiful houseplants. The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual was created as a resource for caring for indoor plants.

This text includes information about 160 different blooming and foliage plants. It will share specific tips and growing needs of these plants to help you provide them with the love and care they need to flourish inside your house.

Barbara Pleasant, the author of this book, users her personal experience to help houseplant gardeners feel comfortable and confident creating a beautiful and thriving indoor garden.

Pros

  • If you've been having trouble getting your houseplants to grow properly, you'll find helpful tips and suggestions here.
  • Personality profiles for common houseplants are included in this book.
  • The author includes information specific to 160 different plants.

Cons

  • Depending on your current skill and knowledge level, you may feel like this book does not go into enough depth about houseplant care.
The Garden Primer

The Garden Primer was recently revised by its authors, Barbara Damrosch, to be completely organic. This book is designed to be your trusted resource for all-things gardening related.

It shares information on the best soils to use for growing different plants, the tools you'll want to have, and current research on gardening. You'll also find that the gardening techniques shared in the book will help you make the most of your garden and see a noticeable change in the growth of your plants.

This book also includes section on various ecological issues such as creating gardens that welcome wildlife and avoiding invasive pests.

Pros

  • This book has been revised to include information on organic gardening.
  • A variety of techniques are shared to help you create a functional and beautiful garden.
  • The author includes information on ecological gardening as well.

Cons

  • Depending on your knowledge level, you may find some of the information included in this book to be too basic.
Beginner's Illustrated Guide to Gardening

If you're looking to create a garden for the first time, you should consider the Beginner's Illustrated Guide to Gardening. This book includes step-by-step instructions that will help you understand a variety of gardening techniques.

You'll find information about how to take proper care of different plants including shrubs, vegetables, and perennials. This text can also be a great resource if you are looking to transform a grassy or weedy section of your lawn into a gorgeous and functional garden.

Pros

  • This is a great resource for kids and beginners.
  • The book includes photographs to help walk you through each technique.
  • Information is included on taking care of different types of plants.

Cons

  • This book may be too basic and nay not have the information you're looking for to create your garden.

Buying Guide

A gardening book can be an invaluable tool in helping you create, maintain, or grow your garden. Before you make a purchase, there are a few different things you'll want to think about.

First, decide what type of garden you are looking to create or improve. There are some books dedicated to specific types of garden, such as vegetable gardens or fruit garden, while other books are more general and include information on different types.

You should also think about your current skill level and needs. Some books are designed for beginners and will be too basic and unhelpful if you already have some experience gardening. Likewise, some books may be too advanced and over your head if you are just getting started with gardening.

Finally, consider the type of information included in the book and make sure it matches your needs. Does the book include information about turning a space in your yard into a garden? Does it share information on creating fertile soil, which plants grow best in which seasons/environments, attracting helpful insects/keeping pests away, or anything other specific information you're looking for?

Top Pick

While we think all five of the books we reviewed above would be an excellent addition (or start) to your gardening library, Gaia's Garden is our top pick. This book includes a wealth of knowledge that you can use to create an ecological garden using the space you have available at your home.

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

You'll learn invaluable information about growing plants that you can use to sustain your family. Information is included about growing edible foods as well as other items that a household can benefit from.

The book will help you get the most out of your garden by teaching you how to maintain fertile soil, capture water for your garden, and encourage beneficial insects to make their home in your garden.

There is also an updated section that shares information on urban permaculture. This section can be especially beneficial if you live in a city or have a very small area to dedicate to creating a garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Buy a Gardening Book?

If you are looking to refine your skills, learn more about how plants grow and thrive, or help your plants grow to their full potential, a gardening book can be a great investment. There is much more to gardening than just selecting plants and planting them in your garden. Choosing the right book can really make a drastic and positive change in your garden.

What Should You Look for in a Gardening Book?

Your criteria for selecting a gardening book may be different from someone else's. You'll want to think about your experience level and the type of gardening you are looking to do. For example, if you are looking to start a vegetable garden, the book you select will likely be very different from someone who is looking to set up a small garden next to their front steps.

Final Consideration

You'll learn so much from Gaia's Garden. Purchase your copy today so you can start creating your own ecological garden!

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