The 11 Best Gardening Books of 2023
- The article provides a comprehensive overview of the best gardening books available, covering a wide range of topics and formats.
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These home gardening books can help you grow beautiful, bountiful crops
The Spruce / Amelia Manley
Whether you've been gardening for a short while or have been doing it for years, there are always new techniques, plants, and insights to learn. You can spend hours poring over everything from how-to guides to exquisite landscape photography.
Given the abundance of resources, it can be difficult to know where to start when learning about gardening. We researched the best gardening books, evaluating them on their depth of information, topics covered, and intended audience.
The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening
Best Overall
What We Like
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Practical tips for designing your garden
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Full of beautiful photography
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Beautifully written anecdotes
What We Don't Like
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A bit advanced for beginners
The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening was originally published in 2003 by beloved British gardener and TV personality Monty Don. In addition to practical guidance for laying out your garden and growing flowers and vegetables, the book also featured stunning photography and entertaining anecdotes from his own beautiful Longmeadow garden. The most recent edition of The Complete Gardener, published in 2021, places a greater emphasis on sustainable practices and methods of attracting wildlife to your garden. More than half of the photos in this edition are brand new as well, including some recent ones he took in his garden.
Unlike many gardening books, which are used more as reference materials than as enjoyable reads, this one is both useful and beautiful enough to be read from cover to cover. You can learn some helpful tips for planting shrubs, Mediterranean perennial herbs , bulbs, and more.
For more than 25 years, Monty Don has been gardening on TV for ITV, Channel 4, and the BBC. He served as president of the Soil Association from 2008 to 2017 and is an expert organic gardener.
Price at time of publish: $18
Cover:hardcover, paperback, eBook | Pages:440 | Last Published:2021
Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Sustain a Thriving Garden
Best for Beginners
What We Like
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Easy-to-follow guide
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Tips for growing and harvesting vegetables and herbs
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Helpful, attractive illustrations
What We Don't Like
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Very basic for advanced gardeners
If you want to grow your own food but aren't sure how the Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Sustain a Thriving Garden can help you get off to a great start. This book is perfect for novice gardeners because it provides clear instructions for constructing and maintaining a raised-bed garden in a small yard. It keeps things simple so that new gardeners won't be overwhelmed. There are 30 different types of easy-to-grow vegetables and herbs profiled in the book, along with harvesting and care instructions.
This book is easy to understand, visually appealing, and has just the right information for a beginner gardener. Although the title of the book is Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners , some readers have noted that the book is even more basic than they anticipated, so bear that in mind before deciding whether to read this book. We do not recommend this book if you have prior gardening experience.
Price at time of publish: $15
Cover:eBook, paperback ,audiobook | Pages:142 | Last Published: 2019
The Flower Gardener's Bible: A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long
Best for Flower Gardens
What We Like
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Comprehensive easy to use guide
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Packed with beautiful photography and illustrations
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Good for both beginning and advanced gardeners
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Easy to read and follow
What We Don't Like
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A bit outdated
Whether you want to grow a pot full of cheerful geraniums on your front stoop or create a lush floral backyard landscape, The Flower Gardener's Bible: A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long is a great resource.
With the help of this book, you will be able to create stunning gardens that bloom at all different times of the year. It is jam-packed with actionable advice from experts on a wide range of topics, such as how to choose the best plants for your climate and design, how to design your garden, how to improve soil quality, and how to protect your garden from pests. It also includes an illustrated guide to more than 400 flowering plants with tips on how to help them thrive in your garden.
All levels of gardeners will find useful information in The Flower Gardener's Bible, which is packed with gorgeous photos and illustrations. Reviewers say they find this book useful and beautiful, and it truly is their bible when it comes to flower gardening.
Price at time of publish: $30
Cover:eBook, hardcover, paperback | Pages:384 | Last Published:2003
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions
Best for Vegetable Gardens
What We Like
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Available in Paperback and eBook
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Comprehensive easy to use guide
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Good for both beginning and advanced gardeners
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Easy to read and follow
What We Don't Like
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No audible version available
Whether you're an experienced veggie gardener or just getting started, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition is the inspiring roadmap you need to grow a healthy, high-yield garden from seed to harvest.
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is based on Ed Smith's W-O-R-D gardening system, which is designed for all North American regions. The book provides detailed instructions for implementing tried-and-true gardening practices like those referred to by the acronym "W-O-R-D," which stands for "wide rows," "organic methods," "raised beds," and "deep soil." It includes detailed descriptions of hundreds of commonly grown vegetables, as well as helpful advice for cultivating them in your own backyard.
Many gardeners, from novices to veterans, have praised this book online, saying it was an essential resource for their successful vegetable plots.
Price at time of publish: $25
Cover:eBook, paperback, hardcover | Pages:352 | Last Published:2009
Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden
Best for Organic Gardening
What We Like
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Available in Paperback and eBook
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Comprehensive guide for beginners
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Easy to read
What We Don't Like
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Some printing errors
Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden provides all the information a novice organic gardener could possibly need. This is a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide packed with charts and step-by-step instructions.
The book includes projects, plant guides, monthly calendars, sample garden layouts, basic organic gardening terms, and more. It has a skills section that answers fundamental questions like, "How do I plant a seed?" and "What is the best way to dig?" and covers a wide range of gardening topics such as soil, compost, seeds, pest control, and weeds.
Online reviews of Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening are positive overall, describing the book as comprehensive, informative, and very helpful to their organic gardening journey. However, a few readers noted printing errors in their copies, with some pages missing text, so be sure to check your copy.
Price at time of publish: $20
Cover:eBook, paperback, spiral-bound | Pages:338 | Last Published:2014
All New Square Foot Gardening, 3rd Edition, Fully Updated
Best for Small Spaces
What We Like
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Full of practical tips and advice
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Easy to read and follow step-by-step directions
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Includes tips on gardening with kids
What We Don't Like
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The recommended soil mix can be expensive
Interested in gardening but don't have much space to work with? The best-selling gardening guide, A ll New Square Foot Gardening, 3rd Edition, can help you make the most of your small space. First published in 1981, the updated 3rd edition of A ll New Square Foot Gardening explains how to cultivate a vertical garden in a small space to produce a bounty of organic, fresh produce.
To make the most of your growing area, this guide will walk you through the process of constructing raised beds with trellises and arches, preparing the soil, and eliminating pests with organic means. It also includes 42 veggie-specific planting, growing, and harvesting guides so you can be sure you're giving each plant the TLC it needs.
Many have praised this book for being easy to follow and yielding excellent results. While the recommended soil mixture may be expensive, some gardeners say it's possible to make your own good garden mix by amending your garden soil or adding compost.
Price at time of publish: $25
Cover:eBook, paperback, spiral-bound | Pages:272 | Last Published:2018
The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual: Essential Gardening Know-how for Keeping (Not Killing!) More Than 160 Indoor Plants
Best for Indoor Plants
What We Like
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Available in Paperback and eBook
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Detailed information on 160 plants
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Well illustrated
What We Don't Like
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The eBook can be difficult to read
Houseplants add a lot to the beauty and air quality of your home. However, unlike their outdoor counterparts, houseplants are completely dependent on their plant parents for survival and development rather than natural factors like rain and pollinators. Since indoor plants can be tricky to keep alive and thriving, we recommend The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual : Essential Know-How for Keeping (Not Killing) More Than 160 Indoor Plants.
From ivy to bonsai trees, and everything in between, this massive book of nearly 400 pages is packed with basic indoor gardening techniques , as well as a detailed guide with photo illustrations to growing needs. Also included are solutions to common problems encountered by over 160 common houseplant types. Everything you need to know, from acclimatization to watering to fertilizing and beyond, is covered in detail.
Hundreds of online reviewers have praised The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual, claiming it is the only book they will ever need to make sure their houseplants thrive. However, many reviewers say the paperback is preferable to the eBook because the charts and illustrations in the digital version are so small and difficult to make out.
Price at time of publish: $25
Cover:eBook, paperback, flexibound | Pages:384 | Last Published:2005
Text Link: The 10 Best Gardening Gloves of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
Best for Kids
What We Like
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10-minute plan for garden maintenance
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12 fun gardening ideas
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Beautifully illustrated
What We Don't Like
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Not written for children
Taking the kids out into the garden can be a great way to get them involved in some non-screen time fun. Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots: Gardening with Children is a great resource if you and your kids are interested in learning more about gardening. This book has 12 projects for adults and kids to do together that are easy to do and beautifully illustrated. A pizza patch is one of the projects in which you create a wheel-shaped garden with each "slice" used to grow a pizza ingredient, such as tomatoes or basil. Other projects include a "Moon Garden" with flowers that only bloom at night and a "Flower Maze" with lots of beautiful flowers. The book also includes care instructions and a list of kid-friendly plants that are easy to care for.
Note that this isn't a children's book but is intended for adults and children who want to have fun in the garden together.
Price at time of publish: $16
Cover:eBook, hardcover, paperback | Pages:176 | Last Published:1999
Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties
Best for Tomatoes
What We Like
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Available in Hardcover, Paperback, and E-book
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Good price
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Beautiful photography
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Beautiful photography
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Easy to read
What We Don't Like
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More tailored for beginners
Tomatoes are the most popular backyard crop, grown by 86 percent of American vegetable gardeners. From the simple pleasure of popping a sun-warmed cherry tomato straight from the vine to your mouth, to canning your favorite salsa or sauce, to slicing up one perfect tomato for a BLT, there's nothing much more satisfying for a gardener than growing a great tomato crop.
If you're ready to savor your best tomato harvest yet , check out Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time , bursting with practical information on planting and cultivating tomatoes while avoiding common pests and diseases. Featuring stunning photography throughout, this easy-to-read book profiles over 200 unique tomato species. Most of the tips in this book will be familiar to advanced tomato growers. Still, almost any gardener will appreciate the stunning color photography and will likely discover at least a few new-to-them varieties.
"Tomatoes are something almost everyone grows, even if it's not their favorite vegetable," says Iowa gardener Vanessa Vizcarra. "And this book makes growing them even more fun and rewarding." She adds, "It tells the history of the tomato and is excellent for learning about new varieties outside of your standard red tomato."
Price at time of publish: $20
Cover:eBook, paperback, hardcover | Pages:256 | Last Published:2014
Text Link: The Best Tomato Cages for Your Garden
Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard
Best for Wildlife Conservation
What We Like
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Informative on turning yards into conservation corridors
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Full of practical tips
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Great reviews by many conservation experts
What We Don't Like
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Small print may be difficult for some readers
Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Own Yard calls attention to the crisis affecting many wildlife populations, such as pollinators like bees and butterflies. It also outlines practical steps homeowners can take to turn their yards into conservation corridors to provide wildlife habitat. You can do many things to help the environment, from reducing the frequency with which you mow your lawn to planting native plants that provide sustenance to beneficial wildlife.
"When I noticed my vegetable garden wasn't getting pollinated and producing crops, I wondered, 'what happened to the bees?'" says Iowa gardener Laura Peters. "As a landscape architect, I've always turned to native plants for their durability, hardiness, and low-maintenance qualities, but after reading this book, I learned more about the plight of monarchs and bees and now understand how critical native plants are to biodiversity. We need to rethink our relationships with native plants and adopt new ideas of what is beautiful and sustainable."
There is overwhelmingly positive feedback for this book on the internet, with the one complaint being that some readers may find the text too small. If that's a concern for you, consider the eBook or the audiobook.
Price at time of publish: $30
Cover:eBook, paperback, hardcover | Pages:256 | Last Published:2014
Text Link: The 10 Best Gardening Gloves of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space
Best for Vertical Gardening
What We Like
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Great for those with limited space
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Easy to follow
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Perfect for beginners
What We Don't Like
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Not great for advanced gardeners
If you're short on gardening space or just don't want to maintain a large plot of land, V ertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space is a must-read. This gardening book will teach you how to save space without sacrificing plant happiness by employing vertical growing strategies with string supports, trellises, pergolas, raised beds, skyscraper gardens, and more.
This guide makes vertical gardening simple enough for inexperienced gardeners to understand. Climbing plant varieties are prioritized in vertical gardening because they are less susceptible to pests such as insects, diseases, and animals. Homemade and commercial supports are used in the various growing methods, and there are many suggestions for streamlining the process, increasing productivity, and simplifying harvesting.
Overall, reviewers have praised this book, saying that its great ideas are easily implementable. Most people who have tried vertical gardening have been very pleased with the results they've gotten in comparison to more conventional planting techniques.
Price at time of publish: $24
Cover:eBook, paperback, hardcover | Pages:336 | Last Published:2011
Overall, we recommend The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening by British gardener and TV personality Monty Don — a practical, beautiful, insightful, and highly readable book with insights on providing habitats for pollinators and other wildlife. If you're a beginning vegetable gardener who wants step-by-step tips that won't overwhelm, we recommend Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Sustain a Thriving Garden .
What to Look For In a Gardening Book
Plant Types
When choosing the best books about gardening, you should first determine what types of plants it covers. Some books cover broad categories such as flowers or vegetables — we recommend The Flower Gardener's Bible: A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long and The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition . Other gardening books are focused on specific types of plants, such as lilies, roses, or hostas. We love this book on the most popular U.S. garden crop, Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time.
Gardening Topics and Formats
The best books on gardening can span a range of topics and formats, from reference guides to how-to manuals to pure inspiration — and from gardening with kids to gardening for beginners to organic gardening or wildlife conservation. We're particularly inspired by Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Own Yard .
Illustrations
Most good gardening books will include illustrations that are both functional and beautiful. A plant reference manual should include photos of each referenced plant, as well as photos to help you identify pests and diseases. How-to guides should include informative illustrations such as climate charts. And most home gardening books can benefit from beautiful color-inspiration photos to inspire your garden dreams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to have an eBook or a print copy?
Like with any book, it's a matter of personal preference whether you go with an eBook or print copy, but a printed gardening book is often the more practical option. Visually, print books have the edge over their digital counterparts because of their superior photography and illustrative material. You can take a book out in the garden with you for reference, mark the pages you want to return to later with sticky tabs, and if the book is of good quality and not too fragile, it can even benefit from a little dirt to make it look more aged and well-loved.
Do gardening books give you step-by-step instructions?
Many gardening books include step-by-step instructions. One of our favorite how-to manuals with plenty of practical instructions is Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden .
What are the easiest plants to grow?
This will depend somewhat on your USDA hardiness zone. Plants that grow outdoors in Florida might need to be grown as houseplants in Maine. Generally speaking, low-maintenance, easy-care plants will include annual flowers such as marigolds and perennials like daisies and asters. Plants native to your area are often easy to cultivate. Although all plants need some attention, root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and potatoes and annual herbs like basil, parsley, and dill are relatively low maintenance.
Are gardening books worth it?
We think so! Many of the gardening books in this article are packed with hundreds of pages of instruction and inspiration, which we think is more than worth $10 to $20 for a beautifully illustrated paperback, with eBooks usually running considerably less.
Why Trust the Spruce
This article was written by Missy Keenan , a freelance writer with more than two decades of experience as a journalist and communications professional with a special interest in all things home and garden. She has written hundreds of articles for publications, including Do It Yourself, Secrets of Getting Organized, DSM, and Glamour magazines; USA Today; The Des Moines Register; and Iowa Gardening. For this article, Keenan spent hours researching products online.
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