I’m a book-stacker.  When I am interesting in a subject, I’ll pull books on that topic and make a stack on my studio counter.  If I feel like there are holes in my collection or some tempting new books are available, I’ll buy a few more to add to the stack.  I’ll then grab books from that stack to read when I have some free time or when I’m headed to an appointment or another place where I might be waiting.  The current stack on my studio counter follows a clear theme – gardening.  It’s full of some of my favorite gardening books that I’ve had for years along with some that I just opened a few days ago.

If you know me, you know I like big books.  Helping me move isn’t fun because not only do I have lots of boxes of books, but I have lots of boxes of heavy, hardback books that are 200+ pages each.  I mean, if you’re going to have a book that is about a visual topic, like design, interiors, art, cooking, or gardening, it should be big and beautiful in my humble opinion.  I also like books that are equally gorgeous and informative.  So, I am not easy to please!

Here are the gardening books in my current stack…

Martha Stewart’s Gardening Month-by-Month

I have had Gardening Month-by-Month for a very long time and, in fact, I got rid of it in one of my book purges because I wasn’t that into gardening (or gardening books) and I was sure I would be getting all of my information in digital format in the future.  (Little did I know!)  I looked for it on my shelves a few years ago and remembered I had passed it along to a thrift store, so I bought a used copy to replace the one I donated.  I have enjoyed this book so much more now that I have found more enjoyment in gardening and have a bit more real-world experience in my own yards.

This book celebrates all of the season of gardening, even when plants are dormant and the ground is covered in snow.  It is a beautiful book but more than that, it has practical information that will make you a more knowledgeable gardener.  I have taken lots of notes on border suggestions, how to prune certain bushes, and what to add to each month’s to-do list.

Also, the sketch of the farm on the inside of the book cover makes me wish I had little paper dolls so I could live in it and bring it to life.  It’s the kind of thing I would’ve loved when I was little.

Kitchen Garden Revival

I purchased Kitchen Garden Revival when it was first released and now that we’re planning a kitchen/potager garden outside our kitchen door, I have returned to it to get ideas and to learn more about the best way to plant and grow herbs, vegetables, and fruits.  The thing I like about Nicole’s approach is that it’s relatable and not fussy.  She takes the intimidation out of creating a kitchen garden.  It is packed, and I mean packed, with great information on growing all sorts of things in a typical suburban yard.  Unlike Martha’s sprawling estate in the book above, this book is for those of us who have a small section of the yard to devote to growing a kitchen garden.  I have learned a lot reading this book and it will be a go-to resource once we’re ready to break ground.

Bunny Williams Life in the Garden

I just bought this book a few weeks ago and I cannot recommend it enough  The word that comes to mind when I think about this book is time.  Life in the Garden shows the results of over 30 years of creating, curating, and cultivating garden spaces and, even though the property is extensive and certainly not relatable to someone living on less than an acre, there are lots of takeaways that can be applied to gardens of any size.  Even though the size of the property (and the money put into it) is not very approachable, the words of encouragement about gardening are.  Bunny shares the trials and errors along with the triumphant results and confesses, even though she’s been gardening for decades, that the earth and plants are always teaching her new lessons.

One of my favorite things about this book, aside from the fact that it is a feast for the eyes and a hefty coffee table book (that I’ve been toting to dentist appointments and such), is that it generously shares the plants and bushes featured in the photos.  I find it frustrating when I’m looking through a beautiful gardening book and there is no practical information if you want to replicate a look.  I also find it frustrating when practical, information-packed books pay little attention to aesthetics.  This book is the absolute best of both worlds.  Gorgeous and informative.  It’s one of my current favorite gardening books.

As a note, one interesting feature of this book is that it alternates between matte and glossy pages.  There are some photos that don’t work as well for me on the matte paper, but it further defines sections of the book and adds a lot of variety and interest to the reading experience.

The Gardens of Bunny Mellon

One of my favorite books in recent years is Bunny Mellon Style.  I guess I don’t travel in the right circles because I had never heard of Bunny Mellon.  The publisher sent me the book to review and share and I pretty much always say yes when I’m offered a free book that’s in my wheelhouse.  I loved this book.  I poured over the photos and the words and was charmed.  So, as I was looking for gardening books I might want to peruse for inspiration and add to my library, I was delighted to find The Gardens of Bunny Mellon.  I literally just unwrapped this book from the plastic so I haven’t had a chance to read it, yet, but it’s coming with me on my creative retreat.  I can say, though, that after a flip-through and based on my enjoyment of Bunny Mellon Style, I’m pretty sure I’m going to love this book as well.

English Gardens

First and foremost, English Gardens is one of the most gorgeous gardening books I’ve ever looked through.  It features a variety of gardens around England from formal gardens of historic homes to cottage gardens, kitchen gardens, and even the gardens in churches and cathedrals.  In this book, I was hoping for more of the typical “allotment” gardens and those tended by average Englishmen and women, but it is still a feast for the eyes and includes information about the plants included in the photos, which I appreciate.  I think of this book as an English garden tour in book form.  If you’re looking for a more practical, how-to garden book, I suggest one of the other books in my stack.  If you want inspiration, though, as well as a great coffee table book, this one is for you.

The Cottage Garden

The Cottage Garden came highly recommended to me by one of my Instagram followers and it is the book I was hoping for in English Gardens although it’s not produced quite as well.  The photos are lovely, but the page quality and layout aren’t quite as yummy as some of the other books in my stack.  I’m willing to forgive those shortcomings, though, because this book is down-to-earth, accessible, informative, and inspirational.  It ticks a lot of the boxes I want when I’m shopping for gardening books.  I have done a flip-through and some cursory reading in key chapters, but I’m looking forward to reading the whole thing.

What Makes a Garden

One of my dear friends and avid gardener shared What Makes a Garden on her Instagram Stories and I immediately ordered it.  This book does have some good gardening information in it, but my favorite part about this book is it looks at gardening from an artist’s perspective.  In addition to pictures of flowers and plants, there are pictures of color wheels, sketches of architectural elements, paint swatches, and other images you don’t expect to find in a gardening book.  While practical information is covered, this book emphasizes the aesthetic and artistic side of gardening.  It’s a bit unconventional, but I’ve enjoyed reading through it and will definitely return to it for inspiration.

A Year at Clove Brook Farm

A Year at Clove Brook Farm is an utterly charming book.  It’s an invitation to hang out with Christopher Spitzmiller as he tends to his gardens, flocks, bees, and home throughout the year.  Again, we’re getting a peek into a property that includes orchards, coops, a pool garden, a dovecote garden, and more of the things you’re not going to have in a typical American yard, but as with the other books in this vein, there are still lots of takeaways that can be applied to the average lot.  There are recipes, detailed plant information, and some really beautiful images to inspire.

Cut Flower Garden

I never had a great interest in having a flower garden, but I love the idea of being able to cut flowers from my own garden to use in the home, to style for photos, and to paint in a still life.  I’ve clipped from my hydrangea bushes and peonies before, but I’m looking forward to adding some flowers to my kitchen garden and sprinkling them around the yard where they will work and make sense.  Cut Flower Garden is filled to the brim with information on selecting varieties, preparing, planting, growing, and arranging flowers and ornamental vegetables.  The book is divided into seasons but also into plant families, so it’s an easy book to use as a resource and to revisit when you need specific information.  As you would expect from Floret Farms if you’re familiar with that outfit, it’s also a pretty book that is fun to flip through when you want some garden eye candy.

I hope you find some new favorite gardening books in my stack to enjoy!  You can find more posts on novice gardening journey HERE.