My Book List

As a horticulture student, I like to get my hands on every sort of garden book I can, whether it be fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Here is a list of my favorites.

General Garden Information and Projects:
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation - Alan Toogood
My first plant propagation textbook from my freshman year of college. I ended up reading the whole thing even though we only needed small sections for class. Easy to read, great illustrations and step-by-step instructions.

The Way We Garden Now - Katherine Whiteside
41 pick-and-choose ideas for any size garden, from an acre of land, to a tiny corner in the city. Projects are also arranged by things like type, skill level, space limitations and how much time you have to complete the project. It also has gorgeous watercolor illustrations, expert tips and is super accessible.

Gardening in Small Spaces:
The Edible Container Garden - Michael Guerra
Gives you a wide variety of edible plants to grow in small spaces and how to build the structures to grow them in.

Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces - Gayla Trail
A guide to growing food pretty much anywhere. What to grow things in, how to build them, which varieties are good to plant and how to treat pests and diseases that might be bugging your plants.

Linnea's Windowsill Garden - Cristina Bjork
When I think about it, Cristina Bjork's books featuring her character Linnea might just have been one of the things that shaped my love of plants. This book is obviously aimed towards kids, but is an adorable read for gardeners of any age. You're taken on a tour of Linnea's garden where she's got things growing in pots, crates and glass jars, telling you how to properly care for plants, fertilize them and keep those hungry bugs away. There's even a small section on how she writes in her very own plant newspaper. Hm, this sorta sounds like a lot of garden bloggers I know, myself included!

Sugar Snaps and Strawberries - Andrea Bellamy
Simple solutions for creating your own small-space edible garden. Ways to grow organic food in a very small amount of space. Great if you don't have a big backyard to spread out in.

Fiction:
Green Angel - Alice Hoffman
After a terrible disaster, 15-year old Green is emotionally traumatized and retreats into the ruined remains of her garden. Taming her wildly growing garden and collecting stories of survivors helps her begin to heal. I also recommend the sequel, Green Witch. Find my review of the book for the Earth Day Reading Project here.

Linnea in Monet's Garden - Cristina Bjork
My favorite character Linnea again, and this time, Cristina Bjork has put her in Monet's Garden, my top dream travel destination since I could admire artwork. The combination of the two makes it one of my favorite garden books.

Have a good gardening book for me to read? Drop me an email or a tweet and tell me your favorite!