Win a copy of "The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City" in the June 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest

UPDATE: Congratulations to our winner -- Dawn Ellis of Washington, DC!

For our June 2026 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, we are giving away a copy of The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City by Kathy Jentz and Teresa Speight (prize value: $27, https://amzn.to/4xyef2Y*). 

   In The Urban Garden, you’ll find dozens of inspiring and creative ways to grow flowers, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, and other plants in small spaces and with a limited budget. Whether you want to grow on a balcony, rooftop, front stoop, or tiny urban patio, turn your growing dreams into reality and build a gorgeous and unique garden that showcases your personal style while still being functional and productive. With the ingenious ideas and resourceful tactics found here, you’ll be maximizing yields and beauty from every square inch of your space, while also making a lush outdoor living area you’ll crave spending time in.

   To enter to win the book, send an email by 5:00pm on Tuesday, June 30, to: 

WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Urban Garden” in the Subject line and in the body of the email tell us what your favorite article was in the June 2026 issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on July 1. Entry comments might be published. 

*Amazon affiliate link to our account. We may earn a few pennies if you click on the link.

Happy National Gardening Day! Win a copy of The Urban Garden

Almost exactly to the day four years ago, our book, The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City, came out. (This Amazon link is an affiliate link and Washington Gardener Magazine may earn a few pennies, if you click through on it.) You can also order it though BookShop to support independent book sellers.

Co-author Teri Speight and I are always hearing from readers of our book “The Urban Garden,” how much it inspires and teaches them about small-space gardening. Teri and I are hoping to inspire even more folks to get out and garden no matter how small their gardening space. Leave a comment to enter for your chance to win a copy of “The Urban Garden.” You have additional chances to win by commenting under our @WDCgardener social media posts as well

Happy Gardening Day, everyone! 

UPDATE:
Our winner is  Annette Bethel - who commented on the Facebook post.

Congratulations, Annette, a copy of "The Urban Garden" is on its way to you.

Top 10 Garden Books of 2025

Here is a list of the best gardening books that were reviewed in 2025 in the Washington Gardener Magazine. These 10 selections are listed below in no particular order.

Buy a few of these for yourself and for the plant geeks, garden lovers, and horticultural nerds in your life! 
(Note that if you click on the links, it takes you to the book's Amazon page and we get a few pennies if you order it from there through our affiliate link. We have also included the Bookshop.org link from our account for those who do not use Amazon.)

1.Your Natural Garden: A Practical Guide to Caring for an Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden

Author: Kelly D. Norris 

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $30.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/4anqx3a and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760388228

Reviewer Marsha Douma wrote, "Your Natural Garden: A Practical Guide to Caring for an Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden is the companion book to the author’s previous book from 2021, New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden. The author, Kelly Norris, is an increasingly prominent landscape designer and plantsman. With this new book, through his eloquent text and beautiful photographs, he continues his advocacy for naturalizing our gardens. Your Natural Garden emphasizes how gardening might be different, although no less rewarding."

2. The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation: Step-by-Step Techniques for Making More Houseplants . . . for Free!

Author: Lindsay Sisti

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $24.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3D8u9cZ and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760390405

Reviewer Madison Korman wrote, "With its abundance of information and easy-to-follow format, The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation is a must-have resource for plant lovers. Sisti’s clear instructions, paired with extensive visuals, make the book an excellent guide for anyone looking to grow indoor plants for free."

3. Mythic Plants: Potions and Poisons from the Gardens of the Gods

Author: Ellen Zachos

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company

List Price: $22.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/4cAWC8A and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781523524396

Reviewer Jim Dronenburg wrote, "This is not a gardening book. There are generic garden tidbits applicable to this region, but not many. This is, instead, a look at the Greek and Roman myths, and the plants that figure in them. How they were used (misused?) and what, if any, (any in this case meaning, usually, do-not-try-this-at-home) uses there are for the plants today. I grew up on these myths, even more than most people in my admittedly elderly generation, and I learned quite a lot, here...This book is very interesting and I recommend it...Zachos’ tongue is often firmly in her cheek. Lots of pithy comments, but the one that had me howling was the second complete sentence on page 164. Buy this book and read it for yourself."

4. A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season

Author: Barbara Damrosch

Publisher: Timber Press

List Price: $40.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/447aFAR and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781643261812

Reviewer: Beth Py-Lieberman wrote, "Barbara Damrosch holds hero status for me and a host of others. She’s been described as the 'Julia Child of gardening' and a 'human search engine' when it comes to cooking and gardening. She’s also an exquisite essayist and her column 'A Cook’s Garden' had a faithful following for the 15 years it ran in the Washington Post before concluding in 2017...Part photo archive and illustration manual, the volume’s nearly 400 pages are chock-full of memories and anecdotes, combined with tool recommendations, planting and harvesting tips, lessons in soil science, and smart advice for controlling pests. "

5. Life with Flowers: Inspiration and Lessons from the Garden

Author: Frances Palmer

Publisher: Artisan Publishers

List Price: $30.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3H4tpr5 and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781648291395

Reviewer Teri Speight wrote, "A well-written, simply gorgeous book is an understatement. This book is an appetizer for floral enthusiasts and avid gardeners of all levels. Frances Palmer takes the reader on a seasonal stroll that provides quite the inspiration to beautify their spaces, inside and out...This book has filled my mind with thoughts of lilies in tulipieres, growing more plants with spires, and growing for the late summer garden. The recipe for the rose geranium cake, indoor growing, preferred suppliers, and especially gardens to visit all make this a book that should be a part of every gardener’s collection."

6. Horti Curious: A Gardener’s Miscellany of Fascination Facts and Remarkable Plants 

Author: Ann Treneman

Publisher: Mitchell Beazley

List Price: $24.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/4mjQ6b3 and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781784729639

Reviewer Beth Py-Lieberman wrote, "The author uses her experience as a garden designer in North America, Europe, and Asia to create an intriguing mix of personal stories, pictures, and how-to guides...I recommend this book to anyone growing bulbs, no matter how much experience you have because it can inspire a new project. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys flipping through colorful flower photos. "

7. Essential Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening: Techniques and Know-How for Planning, Planting, and Tending a Home Vegetable Garden Organically

Author: American Horticultural Society

Publisher: Cool Springs Press/The Quarto Group

List Price: $28,99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/45ujANs and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760392812

Reviewer Colin Davan wrote, "I found this guide from the American Horticultural Society to be extremely helpful. The visual elements blend nicely into the information, allowing for a comfortable read. I felt that it was engaging for experienced and new gardeners. I recommend it to those interested in growing vegetables in their backyards. The structure flows almost in a step-by-step manner, allowing for a fun cycle of growing crops and reaping the benefits. If you are looking to start or improve your vegetable garden during any time of the year, this might be the book for you."

8. Essential Guide to Perennial Gardening, Techniques and Know-How for Planning: Planting, and Tending Low-Maintenance Perennial Plantings

Authors: American Horticultural Society

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $28.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/42exEYR and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760392836

Reviewer Andrea Siegel wrote: "The book is unusually helpful because it explains the why behind the what, with information from earlier chapters continually woven into later chapters, reinforcing the relevancy of the information so the parts are always coming together...The illustrated profiles of some 150 perennials is a welcome end to a book that is a useful resource. I recommend this book for beginners and experienced gardeners alike."

9. The Essential Guide to Bulbs: Grow a Bounty of Beautiful Bulbs in Gardens and Containers

Author: Jenny Rose Carey

Publisher: Timber Press

List Price: $29.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/4hJS6Yg and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781643263243 

Reviewer Teresa J. Speight wrote, "This book is an outstanding manual, loaded with information to empower gardeners to feel confident about growing bulbs in the ground or in containers. The mystery of growing bulbs is effectively explained by author Jenny Rose Carey. In her previous books, Carey deconstructs the necessary steps for successful gardening adventures with Glorious Shade and The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide. This time, the focus is on bulbs. The author shares the botanical name, as well as the common name, growth requirements, and ways to use them in the garden...Carey has written another useful book that should a part of every gardener’s library."

10. Plants for the Winter Garden: Perennials, Grasses, Shrubs, and Trees to Add Interest in the Cold and Snow

Author: Warren Leach 

Publisher: Timber Press

List Price: $40.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3QogFgs and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781604699265

Reviewer Marsha Douma wrote, "Plants for the Winter Garden is not only a pleasure to look through; it is a useful text about how to think about creating a garden that is interesting and inviting in every season."

Here are our past year's listings of our Top Garden Books:

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2024 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2023 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2022 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2021 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2020 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2019 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2018 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2017 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2016 are posted here

Win 4 New Gardening Books from Quarto Publishing in the April 2025 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contes

UPDATE:

Congratulations to Smita Parida of Rockville, MD!

For our April 2025 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, we are celebrating National Gardening Month by giving away a set of four new gardening books from Cool Springs Press/Quarto Publishing to one lucky winner. (Retail value: $100.)

   The four garden books in the prize package are Go Forth and Forage by Whitney Johnson, Start with Soil by Juliet Sargeant, Plants with Superpowers by David Domoney, and Kitchen Garden Living by Bailey Van Tassel.*

   To enter to win the books, send an email by 5:00pm on April 30 to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com with “Gardening Month” in the Subject line and in the body of the email. Tell us what your favorite article was in the April 2025  Washington Gardener issue and why. Please include your full name and mailing address. Winners will be announced and notified on/about May 1. Replies might be published.

*Note: These are Amazon affiliate links.

Top Garden Books of 2024

Here is a list of the best gardening books that were reviewed in 2024 in the Washington Gardener Magazine. These 10 selections are listed below in no particular order.

Buy a few of these for yourself and for the plant geeks, garden lovers, and horticultural nerds in your life! 
(Note that if you click on the links, it takes you to the book's Amazon page and we get a few pennies if you order it from there through our affiliate link. We have also included the Bookshop.org link from our account for those who do not use Amazon.)

1. What Makes a Garden: A Considered Approach to Garden Design

Author: Jinny Blom

Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Order Link: https://amzn.to/44PiJEF and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780711282957

Cost: $50.00

Reviewer Marsha Douma wrote, "Jinny Blom’s newest book is a comprehensively fascinating and uniquely thoughtful book on garden design. This is not the more usual, practical garden design book which has suggestions and templates for the beds and various flower combinations. Quite the opposite. What Makes a Garden is about the myriad elements to consider when creating a garden. ."

2. The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise

Author: Olivia Laing

Publisher: W.W. Norton and Company

Order Link: https://amzn.to/404y2sH and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780393882001

List Price: $27.99

Reviewer Beth Py-Lieberman wrote, "In January of 2020, Olivia Laing, a British essayist, novelist, and memoirist, discovered a Suffolk home with an abandoned garden formerly owned by designer Mark Rumary, known for his work at the award-winning nursery Notcutts. Laing had recently married poet Ian Patterson; and their combined income afforded the third-of-an-acre property, located about two-and-a-half-hours northeast of London...In this magnificent read, essays featuring a vast tapestry of classic literature, the decorative arts, and histories both classic and contemporary are set against Laing’s own hard labors to rediscover Rumary’s horticultural vision."

3. The Galanthophiles: 160 Years of Snowdrop Devotees

Authors: Jane Kilpatrick and Jennifer Harner

Publisher: Orphans Publishing

List Price: $62.10

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3O8zIKK

Reviewer Jim Dronenburg wrote, "This book is an historian’s look at the cultivation of Galanthus (snowdrops), primarily in Britain. It starts with the species as they came into the country, and then the cultivars and hybrids—through the lens of the stories of the people who grew and promoted snowdrops...Admittedly, if you want a hands-on, 'do thus and so' snowdrop book, this isn’t for you, but if you want to know how you came to get the ones you have (or could get; snowdrops do well here), this is a book well worth the reading. "

4. The Geriatric Gardener 2.0

Author: Duane Pancoast

Publisher: The Pancoast Concern, Ltd.

Order Link: https://thepancoastconcern.com/the_geriatric_gardener

List Price: $19.99

Reviewer: Beth Py-Lieberman wrote, "Pancoast’s new book is one that might actually tuck nicely into the Christmas stocking of even an energetic young gardener. The reason? His sage tips might save any gardener a few extra steps and provide some long-term safety ideas to ward off the accidental fall.

Adaptive gardening, he says, is to garden smarter, not harder. 'Tend your garden, don’t toil in it,' he advises."

5. From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape

Author: Basil Camu

Publisher: Leaf & Limb

List Price: Free/$10.75

Order Links: https://www.leaflimb.com/wonder/

Reviewer Zachary Intrater wrote, "This book is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to do their part in helping heal the planet. Camu does a great job of explaining some of the specific issues with our current environmental practices in a manner that is thorough yet easily digestible, while also providing solutions. Another great thing about this book is that all of the potential solutions and recommendations that Camu offers are things that can be easily done by your average reader. From Wasteland to Wonder is practical, informative, and useful—do yourself and our planet a favor and give it a read!"

6. Growing Bulbs in the Natural Garden: Innovative Techniques for Combining Bulbs and Perennials in Every Season

Author: Jacqueline van der Kloet

Publisher: Timber Press

List Price: $35.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3LsRoPz and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781643264028

Reviewer Josh Panepento wrote, "The author uses her experience as a garden designer in North America, Europe, and Asia to create an intriguing mix of personal stories, pictures, and how-to guides...I recommend this book to anyone growing bulbs, no matter how much experience you have because it can inspire a new project. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys flipping through colorful flower photos. "

7. Nature at Your Door: Connecting with the Wild and Green in the Urban and Suburban Landscape

Author: Sara A. Gagné 

Publisher: Stackpole Books

List Price: $29.95

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3Umr6nk and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780811772266

Reviewer Teri Speight wrote, "This is quite the informative book, filled with usable information, relevant to urban, as well as suburban settings. Many times, it is hard to address both conditions with one reference. However, author Sara A. Gagné has done an excellent job of assessing the needs of the total landscape and beyond."

8. Bird-Friendly Gardening: Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape

Author: Jen McGuinness

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $27.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3XNRE2L and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760382110

Reviewer Marsha Douma wrote: "If you want to attract more birds to your garden or invite them to visit your balcony, this is the perfect book to help you do that. The subtitle, “Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape,” is an accurate description of the generous instructive offerings in this book...I enthusiastically recommend this book to all bird lovers who want to attract them to where they live. Also to all gardeners who want to not only have plants in their garden that are beautiful, but ones that can support more birds at the same time."

9. Bonsai Master Class: Lessons and Tips from a Japanese Master For All the Most Popular Types of Bonsai

Author: Kunio Kobayashi

Illustrated by: Mai Ly Degnan

Publisher: Tuttle

List Price: $24.99 

Order Links: https://amzn.to/49a8iMa and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9784805317433

Reviewer Cassie Peo wrote, "As a beginner gardener myself, I had very little bonsai knowledge, but this book provides a great introduction to the art and inspired me to do more research about the history of bonsai. This book would make a great gift for anyone looking to get into bonsai or for longtime fans. Kobayashi’s love for bonsai is evident on every page and will inspire all audiences."

10. A Gardener at the End of the World

Author: Margot Anne Kelley 

Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher

List Price: $28.95

Order Links: https://amzn.to/4bC00iN and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781567927344

Reviewer Beth Py-Lieberman wrote, "Four years have passed and we can’t keep ourselves from marking the traumatic moments in those perilous first weeks when reports trickled in of people in China sickening from the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2...Kelley has penned a vivid reminder of that year in her new book...Kelley’s evocative memories gently compel the reader down that perilous road on a necessary journey to revisit the multiple traumas of the year 2020. The author’s deep dives into past pandemics, human disease transmission, global trade, and the origins of crops and plants are viewed through the lens of the garden that Kelley and her husband Rob maintain on their one-acre homestead. As the couple hunkers down for what would become more than a year of isolation, Kelley, a cancer survivor with a weakened immune system, envisions the process of gardening as a 'defiance.' Her 2020 garden would become 'a way to propagate life and health and pleasure and optimism when death feels terrifyingly present.' "

Here are our past year's listings of our Top Garden Books:

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2023 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2022 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2021 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2020 are here

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2019 are here
- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2018 are here
- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2017 are here
- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2016 are posted here

Garden Bookmark

My book "Groundcover Revolution" came out exactly a year and I thought I'd celebrate the first anniversary of its release by designing this printable bookmark as a gift for all of you.

If this graphic doesn't work for you, message me and I'll send you a PDF version.

Top Garden Books of 2023

Here is a list of the best gardening books that were reviewed in 2023 in the Washington Gardener Magazine. These 10 selections are listed below in no particular order.

Buy a few of these for yourself and for the plant geeks, garden lovers, and horticultural nerds in your life! 
(Note that if you click on the links, it takes you to the book's Amazon page and we get a few pennies if you order it from there through our affiliate link. We have also included the Bookshop.org link from our account for those who do not use Amazon.)

1. Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers

Author: Marta McDowell

Publisher: Timber Press

List Price: $29.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3QoAN2U and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781643261126

Reviewer Beth Py-Lieberman wrote, "With murderous precision and the exhaustive art of a detective’s pursuit, McDowell is on the trail in her new book, Gardening Can Be Murder. But don’t mistake this tiny tome with its sinister black cover—the backdrop for a gorgeous rendering of deadly nightshade—as a playful light read. McDowell’s packed pages are a spell-binding timeline detailing how the garden provides key clues across a landscape of classic to contemporary mystery novels."

2. The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture

Author: Helen Atthowe 

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

List Price: $44.95

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3RqUiIT and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781645021810

Reviewer Marsha Douma wrote, "The Ecological Farm builds on the ideas that came before it. How fortunate we are to have so many good books to choose from in advocating organic, sustainable growing practices. Who will find this particular book valuable? Any gardener. Even for the reader who is familiar with organic gardening practices, the extensive second part of the book, about how to organically grow and trouble-shoot a wide selection of crops, is a valuable, carefully researched reference to have on hand."

3. How to Forage for Wild Foods Without Dying: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Identifying 40 Edible Wild Plants

Author: Ellen Zachos

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

List Price: $16.99

Order Links:https://amzn.to/3Nvl5AR and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781635866131

Reviewer Christine Folivi wrote, "Throughout the book, there are beautiful photographs of each plant, but what I personally liked the most and thought was most useful was the author showing us the “dangerous look-likes” for many edible plants. This handy book helps people avoid these doppelgangers when they are foraging, which will save you from deadly results."

4. The Climate Change Garden: Down to Earth Advice for Growing a Resilient Garden

Authors: Sally Morgan and Kim Stoddart   

Publisher: Cool Springs Press/Quarto

List Price: $26.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3lk3HDZ and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760379486

Reviewer Andrea F. Siegel wrote, "The authors call for this: Besides changing gardening practices on the outside, gardeners should reconsider their mindset. The individual gardener’s personal resourcefulness and a recognition that gardening has to change from the practices on European estates centuries ago will help them deal with new challenges.."

5. The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook: Identify and Manage Diseases and Other Common Problems on Edible Plants

Author: Susan Mulvihill 

Publisher: Cool Springs Press/Quarto

List Price: $28.99

Order Link: https://amzn.to/3YsdQND and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760377482

Reviewer Erica H. Smith wrote, "...let me assure you that this book will not, well, lead you down the garden path to unverified, nonscientific solutions. Mulvihill knows her stuff, and she knows how to present it. This is a well-written, encouraging guide to making your garden the best it can be."

6. Shade Gardening for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: A Guide to Planning the Ultimate Shade Garden

Author: Lee Miller

Publisher: Independently published

Order link: https://amzn.to/3UzMKD4

Cost: $31.91

Reviewer Marsha Douma wrote, "The combination of a picture on just about every page with relevant and clear symbols makes this a useful and attractive book. It would be a good companion to take along to the local nursery because it quickly and easily provides the information gardeners need before buying a plant. It is also a useful general reference providing essential information about plants you might already have in your garden"

7. The Color of Roses: A Curated Spectrum of 300 Blooms

Author: Danielle Dall’armi Hahn 

Photographer: Victoria Pearson

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

List Price: $35.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3rsWnZU and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9781984861160

Reviewer Teri Speight wrote, "This carefully curated book about roses is written as a guide for learning what roses to choose from when looking for specific characteristics. It would also be quite useful as a non-intimidating resource for the care and use of one of the world’s most-loved flowers."

8. Field Guide to Outside Style: Design & Plant Your Perfect Outdoor Space

Author: Ryan McEnaney 

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $30.00

Order Link: https://amzn.to/46U76wA and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760372999

Reviewer: Taylor Edwards wrote, "The Field Guide to Outside Style is an easygoing guide to decorating any outdoor space. The author invites readers to think about what the ideal garden looks like to them by exploring personal choice and style. This book has a good balance of instructions and pictures throughout to provide some inspiration. Take your time reading through it, because it has a lot of information to digest.."

9. The First-Time Gardener: Container Food Gardening

Author: Pam Farley

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $26.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/44tzLHp and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760378137

Reviewer Marissa Yelenik wrote, "The First-Time Gardener: Container Food Gardening is a great resource for its intended audience of beginner gardeners. With charts to hammer down exactly the ideal conditions for each edible plant and photo resources to explain how to go about certain tasks, the book works to truly simplify edible container gardening for those who have never touched a plant before."

10. A Gardener’s Guide to Botany: The Biology Behind the Plants You Love, How They Grow, and What They Need
Author: Scott Zona
Publisher: Cool Springs Press/Quarto
List Price: $32.00
Order Links: https://amzn.to/3vjawL1 and https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760374450

Reviewer Marsha Douma wrote, "It has been many years since I read a biology book cover to cover, but Scott Zona’s clearly and expertly written, as well as beautifully arranged book was worth the effort. It is filled with fascinating photographs of plants from around the world to illustrate his points. Truly, every page is worthwhile, which is a claim not easy to make for a textbook. Even a cursory reading of the book will leave the reader in awe of how exquisitely plants have evolved to adapt and thrive no matter what environment they inhabit."

And one BONUS SELECTION:

We had to include our own book here, which we are extremely proud of and hope you will consider purchasing. GROUNDCOVER REVOLUTION is by Kathy Jentz (Publisher: Cool Springs Press, List Price: $26.99, Order Links: https://amzn.to/3IlYHYL or https://bookshop.org/a/79479/9780760378151) Garden writer C.L. Fornari of GardenLady.com said, “Groundcover Revolution is the must-have book for anyone who is interested in having less lawn, fewer weeds, and reduced mulching. The properties charts will save the reader time and money, the pictures provide inspiration, while the detailed plant portraits give the focused information needed for creating beautiful, functional landscapes.”

Here are our past year's listings of our Top Garden Books:

- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2020 are here
- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2019 are here
- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2018 are here
- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2017 are here
- The Top 10 Garden Books of 2016 are posted here