Gardening is life for me. I live in Philadelphia, which has a robust urban gardening scene. I have a teeny, tiny yard that I have managed to pack full of plants, shrubs, and trees. To do so, I had to learn a lot about small-space and container gardening. I used to grow vegetables until a wayward Norway Maple tree sprung up behind my house, shading my vegetable patch. As the best gardeners know, your garden is a living entity, that you must help adapt to changes as they happen. There are so many books on this list of best gardening books that I refer to regularly. Just a quick reminder that if you click on one of the links, I may make a commission at no additional charge to you. The links below will take you to Amazon. If you prefer to support independent bookstores, check out my curated lists on Bookshop.com.
Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein, Julie Chai, & Michele M. Waite
Erin Benzakein made me fall head over heels in love with growing flowers. She is a flower farmer in Washington State and has a robust social media following. Benzakein harnesses her vast amount of knowledge and pairs it with stunning color photos of her beautiful flowers. I bought A Year in Flowers first and loved it so much that I bought Cut Flower Garden. There are practical tips for growing flowers for cutting even if you are not planning to become a flower farmer. These books are just gorgeous to look at, but I bet they will inspire you to start growing more flowers.
The Vegetable Gardener's Handbook by Old Farmer's Almanac
Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte
Companion Planting for Beginners: Pair Your Plants for a Bountiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden by Brian Lowell
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail Gehring
Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
Backyard Winter Gardening: Vegetables Fresh and Simple, in Any Climate Without Artificial Heat or Electricity the Way It's Been Done for 2,000 Years by Caleb Warnock
The Ultimate Raised Bed & Container Gardening Guide for Beginners by Olivia Phillips
If you live in a city like I do, chances are you may want to do your gardening in raised beds or containers. One of the biggest considerations for me when I first started growing was the safety of the soil. Soil can harbor nasty things like heavy metals and contaminants, which can then leach into plants. I had my soil tested and discovered there wasn’t anything horrible in it, but I learned quickly that it is difficult to grow in compacted, clay-heavy soil. Hence the need for raised bed and container gardening. I love container gardening because it allows me to try my plants in different spots until I find the sweet spot where the plant thrives. This book, The Ultimate Raised Bed & Container Gardening Guide for Beginners will walk you through what will work best for your growing situation.
Think Like an Ecosystem: An Introduction to Permaculture, Water Systems, Soil Science, and Landscape Design by Amélie des Plantes
Rebel Gardening: A Beginner's Handbook to Organic Urban Gardening by Alessandro Vitale
Practical Botany for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Botanical Terms Explained and Explored by Geoff Hodge
All of the above links will take you to Amazon. If you prefer to browse or shop at Barnes & Noble, click on one of the book cover images below. Reminder, if you click on a link and purchase an item within 24 hours, I will earn a small commission at no cost to you.
