If you’re new to gardening, you can take up your hobby of reading books again by reading the best gardening books for beginners. When it comes to gardening, there are so many things to learn and you can easily educate yourself on the basics with a good read.
If you have time it is great to check out one of these books at your local library to read before you purchase to make sure you like it.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices
Of course, not all gardening books are created equally and each book refers to a different style of gardening. Since you’re a beginner, it wouldn’t really matter which style of gardening you pick and each of these 5 handpicked books can help expand your gardening skills and green thumb.
The 7 (I’ve added two new books) Best Gardening Books for Beginners
If you’re having trouble picking just one book for your first read, you can skip on over to our buyer’s guide and understand what elements set each of these books apart. You can then delve deep into the niche of gardening you like reading about most before you try all the other books on this list.
1. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, 2nd Edition
Do you want to learn how to make salads that are sourced from homegrown produce? The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, 2nd Edition will teach you everything you need to know about growing delicious vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes and many other varieties of produce.
This book smoothly transitions from beginner level instruction to expert techniques and each page is dedicated to teaching readers about the author’s tried and tested, high-yielding gardening methods.
Pros
- The perfect book for a vegetable garden
- Teaches gardeners how to extend growing seasons, grow unusual varieties
- Has helpful tips about how to deal with fussy plants
- Can be used for inspiration by beginners and experienced gardeners
- Profiles and guides readers on how to grow hundreds of popular vegetables
- Readers can also transition to the first edition for reference
Cons
- Has no insights for other farming methods
2. All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
Most gardeners do not have a large yard to call their own but this shouldn’t mean that they are better off giving up on their hobby. The All New Square Foot Gardening II can help beginners make a fruitful garden with just a few square feet.
This particular series has been helping gardeners since the 80’s and this update does the same but without using complicated ingredients or tools. All you need is a little space and all the basic gardening tools to follow beautiful plants with healthy gardening techniques.
Pros
- The series has been widely recognized since the 80’s
- Allows gardeners to make the best of their small garden spaces
- Does not introduce beginner gardeners to complex tips or tools
- Has interesting vertical gardening chapters
- Affordable
- Easy to understand
Cons
- Most of the recommended soil mixtures in this book are a little expensive.
3. Rodale’s Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden
If you’re new to trellises and trowels, then Rodale’s Basic Organic Gardening is comprehensive enough to cover all the broad strokes for every beginner. We thought that this was the best gardening book for beginners because it answered so many novice questions with detailed answers.
Additionally, this book can help new gardeners start off by learning everything about organic gardening and it also tackles the most simplest questions like, “What’s the best way to dig” or “What’s the best way to plant seeds”.
Pros
- Covers every topic that beginner gardeners may have no clue about
- A specific part of this book also lists down over 100 different gardening terms
- Consists of chapters dedicated to sample garden layouts, plant guides and projects
- Teaches new gardeners about organic gardening
- Author uses easy to understand language without technical jargon
- Affordable
Cons
- More of a guide book than an interesting read
4. The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual: Essential Gardening Know-How for Keeping (Not Killing!)
Most modern gardeners include people who love growing houseplants. For such gardeners The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual can easily teach them how to keep their indoor plants alive in many different situations. What’s more, their guide covers instructions for over 150 flourishing houseplants.
This book creatively compiles each personality profile with troubleshooting tips and growing needs for each plant and it even includes instructions for indoor bonsai or ivy trees. Each section of the book clearly deals with topics such as fertilizing, watering and acclimatization among many others.
Pros
- Lists all important details about over 150 houseplants
- This guide also includes instructions for maintaining rare houseplants such as bonsai trees
- Book is divided into in-depth plant profiles and how to care for indoor plants
- Covers basic problems faced by beginners such as watering or fertilization
- Easy to navigate through
- Affordable
Cons
- Might contain some technical knowledge but the book is still quite easy to interpret
5. The Flower Gardener’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long:
The Flower Gardener’s Bible outranks all its alternative books because it consists of actionable advice for over 400 species of flowers. Each flower listed in this book is dedicated to planting a garden full of colorful and radiant flowers that will blossom all year long.
Some of the information and resources available in the book make it a great buy for expert gardeners as well. However, the identification and maintenance tips for most indoor and outdoor flowers have been compiled in a manner that beginners can easily follow.
Pros
- Has numerous stunning images of flower species
- The guide helps gardeners plant and take care of over 400 plants
- This guide has a purpose of helping beginners plant a beautiful aesthetically pleasing garden
- Some references in this book are perfect for advanced gardeners as well
- Affordable and easy to understand
- Also available in Kindle version
Cons
- Instructions include some tools that beginner gardeners may have never heard of or used before.
6. Companion Planting for Beginners
This is a wonderful book for everyone not just beginners to understand companion planting. The author is very knowledgeable and provides very detailed information on how companion planting works and what are the best companions for many vegetables you may want to grow.
Pros
- Great source for companion plantings
- Other valuable details from planning to soil preparation
- Beautiful photographs
- Expert Advice
- Tips
- Easy to Read instructions
Cons
- I don’t have any
7. The Family Garden Plan
This book is written by Melissa Norris an author living in Pacific Northwest Washington state. She describes everything from planning your garden to caring for and harvesting your garden. The writing is done in a very friendly and comforting way bringing her passion for gardening together with her love of god. Even if you are not a very religious person you will love reading this book and what Melissa has to offer.
Pros
- Very knowledgeable in describing how to grow all the vegetables and fruit you need to sustain your family.
- Breaks down the information in an easy-to-read format
- Detailed information to help you grow healthy food for your family
- Understanding how to protect your garden from pests
- Knowing when to harvest your garden
- Planning out your garden
Cons
- For those not very religious you might be turned off (Keep reading and you will appreciate her knowledge of gardening)
- Could have spent more time writing about the fruits in her garden
What to Look for When Picking the Best Gardening Books for Beginners
Winter Gardening
If you live in extreme temperatures or are worried about an extreme winter shortening the life of your plants, you should choose books that have instructions regarding winter gardening. Of course, it is also possible to find books that teach readers how to garden all year long with a helpful chapter on winter gardening as well.
Vegetable Gardening
Without the help of a book, it can be difficult to determine which vegetables will grow in the climate you live in. For this reason, you should find out whether your choice of book has a chapter on growing vegetables during fall and summer alongside a chapter for preserving veggies during winter.
Fall Gardening
In some climates, gardeners will have only two types of seasons during the year: summer and fall. For such gardeners, a book that teaches them about the wonderful fruits and herbs that thrive in the 2 seasons should be a great read.
Low Maintenance Gardening
If you have very limited time for your hobby, some books can help you succeed at gardening with very minimal effort. These are usually considered to be the best gardening books for beginners.
Flower Gardening
Gardens don’t necessarily have to be dedicated to fruits, vegetables and edible items. You can just as easily read a book about gardening a colorful garden that is dedicated to seasonal flowers.
Herb Gardening
You could also synergize all your hobbies by reading how to grow garden herbs and then add them to interesting homemade recipes. If this sounds like something up your alley then you should look for books that focus on herb gardening.
Organic Gardening
It is always a great idea to use all-natural and organic techniques in your garden. That being said, some books teach readers how to garden while introducing them to organic gardening methods where others only focus on how to pull off organic gardening.
Farmstead Gardening
It is also possible to come across books that teach you how to turn your yard or entire plot of land into a full-fledged garden. If you have enough space to materialize your learnings, then by all means, look for a book that focuses on or is entirely based on farmstead gardening.
Our Final Thoughts
Together, each of these 7 best gardening books for beginners can teach you everything you need to master various home gardening techniques. Whichever book you choose, you will gain some expert insight into growing plants in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Remember that trial and error may be great for experience, but with each of these references, you will be able to devote your time into growing an abundant and thriving garden instead.
