20 New Garden Books to Order This Spring

Get ready to dig into 20 fresh garden books that’ll change the way you grow this spring! From botanical artistry and edible gardening projects to inspiring cultural histories and climate-resistant landscaping, these new and upcoming releases are packed with fresh ideas and inspiration. Whether you’re planting your first seed or refining your green thumb, these reads remind us that growing your mind is just as important as growing your garden. So, grab a book, get inspired, and let’s cultivate a garden—and a mindset—that thrives!

Edible Gardening

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Nettles and Petals: Grow Food. Eat Weeds. Save Seeds by Jamie Walton (Author), Samuel Binstead (Photographer)

Ecological horticulturist and social media star Jamie Walton delivers a game-changing guide to sustainable gardening. Through stunning imagery and expert advice, this book champions a holistic approach to gardening, focusing on biodiversity, soil health, and the creation of balanced ecosystems. Learn how to embrace wild plants like nettles, practice companion planting, and plan a garden that works with nature rather than against it. With practical tips on growing, seed saving, and harvesting, this accessible guide will help you grow a thriving, eco-friendly garden that nourishes both you and the planet. 

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The Curious Kitchen Gardener: Uncommon Plants and How to Eat Them by Linda Ziedrich 

A delightful fusion of gardening and cooking, perfect for those seeking to discover new, delicious flavors right from their own garden. With the expertise of Master Gardener and Food Preserver Linda Ziedrich, this book takes you through the seasons, highlighting nearly 35 often-overlooked edible plants and offering a tasty recipe for each. Through beautiful illustrations and fascinating cultural insights, Ziedrich encourages readers to rethink their gardens as year-round sources of culinary adventure. This charming guide combines personal stories, practical gardening tips, and flavorful dishes, helping you create a unique and sustainable cuisine from your garden.

Cut-Flower Gardens

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Sweet Pea School: Growing & Arranging the Garden’s Most Romantic Blooms by Marryn Mathis 

An enchanting journey through the world of sweet peas, from planting to creating stunning floral arrangements. Marryn Mathis, renowned for her vibrant sweet pea fields at The Farmhouse Flower Farm, shares her expert knowledge and personal journey of becoming a flower farmer. This book, inspired by her popular “Sweet Pea School” workshops, provides practical tips for growing and harvesting sweet peas, insights into popular varieties, and step-by-step instructions for crafting beautiful bouquets. 

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Casting Flowers: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Beautiful Botanical Art by Rachel Dein, Juliet Roberts

Artist Rachel Dein introduces readers to botanical bas-relief, a unique technique that captures the delicate textures and patterns of plants. Perfect for gardeners, crafters, or anyone seeking a creative project, this book shows you how to create stunning botanical artwork using just clay, flowers, plants, and plaster. Whether you’re crafting simple flower portraits or intricate garden-inspired panels, Rachel’s step-by-step instructions make it easy to record nature’s fleeting beauty. 

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Lavender for All Seasons: A Gardener’s Guide to Growing and Creating with Lavender Year-Round by Paola Legarre 

The ultimate guide to cultivating and utilizing lavender throughout the year, penned by passionate gardener and sustainable farming expert Paola Legarre. Drawing from over two decades of experience, Legarre introduces readers to the ins and outs of growing lavender, from selecting the best varieties to maintaining healthy plants in various climates. With practical advice on propagation, pest control, and harvesting, this book also inspires with seasonal crafts, culinary recipes, and tips for distilling lavender for essential oils. 

Landscaping Design & Inspiration

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derek jarman’s garden by Derek Jarman

A garden built on a windswept, shingle-covered coast might sound impossible—but for artist and activist Derek Jarman, it became a masterpiece. This reissue of his cult classic captures the evolution of his singular garden at Prospect Cottage, a poetic blend of driftwood, wildflowers, and resilience against the elements. With breathtaking photographs by Howard Sooley and a foreword by Jamaica Kincaid, this edition celebrates Jarman’s vision of the garden as not just a refuge, but a canvas for art, philosophy, and radical creativity.

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How to Design a Garden: Create and Maintain Your Dream Garden by Pollyanna Wilkinson

Dreaming of a garden that feels like an extension of your home? Award-winning designer Pollyanna Wilkinson hands you the blueprint for creating an outdoor space that’s both stylish and deeply personal. From choosing the right materials and focal points to crafting the perfect plant palette, this guide is packed with expert advice (and a few strong opinions on design dos and don’ts). With practical tips and a month-by-month care guide, Wilkinson makes garden design feel less intimidating and more like an exciting creative adventure.

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Garden to the Max: Joyful, Visionary, Maximalist Design by Teresa Woodard (Author), Bob Stefko (Photographer)

If “more is more” is your garden mantra, this book is your new design bible. Garden to the Max dives into 20 lush, personality-packed landscapes that prove maximalism isn’t just an aesthetic—it’s an invitation to embrace abundance, biodiversity, and pure joy. With stunning photography by Bob Stefko and stories of fearless gardeners who fill their spaces with bold plantings, layered textures, and wild collections, this book is a love letter to the art of going all-in.

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Glorious Gardens: Private Edens of the World’s Leading Interior Designers by Dara Caponigro 

What happens when the world’s top interior designers turn their creative vision outdoors? Glorious Gardens unveils the private retreats of design icons, from lush city terraces to sprawling countryside escapes, each a seamless extension of their signature style. A visual feast of intricate details and sweeping vistas, this is pure garden escapism at its most inspiring.

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My Garden: A Year of Design and Experimentation by Jacqueline van der Kloet 

Step into the heart of a visionary’s personal sanctuary with a month-by-month exploration of Jacqueline van der Kloet’s naturalistic home garden. A pioneer of the New Perennial movement, Jacqueline’s garden is a living experiment in blending perennials, bulbs, grasses, and trees to create a dynamic, year-round tapestry that supports biodiversity.

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Gardens for Modern Houses: Design Inspiration for Home Landscapes by Beth Dunlop 

Gardens for Modern Houses unveils the powerful synergy between modernist architecture and thoughtfully crafted landscapes. This stunning volume showcases 35 bold gardens designed to complement mid century and contemporary homes, proving that plants and hardscaping are integral to the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that modern design champions—offering readers a wealth of practical tips, planting schemes, and inspiration to transform any home into a harmonious, high-design sanctuary.

Resilient Gardening

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Your Natural Garden: A Practical Guide to Caring for an Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden by Kelly D. Norris 

An essential guide to cultivating a thriving, biodiverse landscape that works in harmony with nature—no pruning shears required! Kelly Norris, the plantsman behind New Naturalism, offers a practical, season-by-season roadmap for tending a naturalistic garden. Emphasizing self-sustaining plant communities, this book teaches you how to let your garden grow wild with purpose, fostering wildlife, encouraging plant self-propagation, and embracing the beauty of natural chaos. It’s a must-read for gardeners ready to move away from the manicured look and let their gardens flourish naturally.

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Start with Soil: Simple Steps for a Thriving Garden by Juliet Sargeant 

The ultimate guide to unlocking the power of the earth beneath your feet. Award-winning garden designer Juliet Sargeant makes soil science approachable, offering practical tips for understanding and improving your garden’s foundation. From testing your soil at home to learning sustainable practices like No Dig gardening and Hugelkultur, this book equips you with everything you need to boost soil health and cultivate a thriving garden. Plus, with step-by-step projects and plant profiles, you’ll soon be gardening in harmony with the planet, ensuring long-lasting beauty and growth.

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What to Grow for a Climate Resilient Garden: Practical Advice for Gardeners on Plants That Can Cope in All Climates by Amanda Rasmussen  

Dr. Amanda Rasmussen invites gardeners to think beyond their garden’s beauty and toward its impact on the planet. Packed with practical, easy-to-follow ideas, this book shows how to create a garden that thrives in a changing climate, whether in drought, heavy rain, or city heat. With expert advice on choosing plants suited to your unique conditions, Dr. Rasmussen empowers gardeners to build resilient, sustainable spaces that contribute positively to the environment. A must-have for those looking to make a difference while growing a beautiful, future-proof garden.

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Tough Plants: Garden Gladiators That Pack a Punch in Extreme Weather by Val Bourne 

When the weather throws its worst, Tough Plants has your back. With over 40 hardy species from across the globe, this guide ensures your garden survives—and thrives—no matter the conditions. Val Bourne, an award-winning plant expert, introduces resilient plants that stand up to everything from heatwaves to frost and flooding, all while adding beauty and interest to your garden. With tips on planting, garden structure, and companion plant pairings, this book is your ultimate resource for creating a garden that’s as tough as it is gorgeous.

History & Culture

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Black Girls Gardening: Empowering Stories and Garden Wisdom for Healing and Flourishing in Nature by Amber Grossman 

A powerful and visually captivating celebration of Black women and their gardens, drawn from the popular Instagram account. This book features 31 inspiring stories of women who find healing, empowerment, and connection through their gardening practices. Whether tending backyard flower beds, growing vegetables, or participating in community farming, each woman’s journey is unique, but all share the transformative power of gardening. Arranged into themed sections on gardening with kids, growing for the kitchen, and community farming, the book offers both inspiration and practical advice. 

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How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy 

Wildlife ecology expert Doug Tallamy offers practical steps for individuals to support conservation efforts in their own backyards. From planting native species to reducing lawn space and allowing leaves to decompose naturally, Tallamy demonstrates how small, mindful changes can restore biodiversity and support local wildlife. With actionable advice on everything from invasive species control to promoting ecological balance, this inspiring guide empowers readers to become active participants in backyard conservation and ecological restoration.

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A Cultural History of Plants: Volumes 1-6 by Annette Giesecke,  David Mabberley

A Cultural History of Plants explores the profound impact plants have had on human culture over the past 12,000 years. This comprehensive six-volume series examines how plants have shaped concepts of food, luxury, medicine, and art across different historical periods. With chapters organized by themes such as plants as staple foods, trade and exploration, and their role in medicine and culture, readers can either dive into specific historical periods or explore recurring themes across time. The collection covers everything from the antiquity to the modern era, offering a detailed and global perspective on plants’ influence on human life and society.

Kids Gardening Books

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Growing Green: A First Book of Gardening by Candlewick Press, Daniela Sosa 

A fun, stylish guide featuring sixteen easy, step-by-step edible gardening projects perfect for young children. From strawberries in galoshes to herbs in recycled tin cans, this book teaches kids how to grow their own fruits, herbs, and veggies in any space—whether it’s a windowsill or a yard. With bright illustrations and clear instructions, it’s a perfect gift for young gardeners eager to learn where their food comes from and start growing their own delicious treats.

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My Pollinator Garden: How I Plant for Bees, Butterflies, Beetles, and More (Books for a Better Earth) by Jordan Zwetchkenbaum, Kate Cosgrove 

Teaching kids about the important relationship between bees, birds, butterflies, and bats, and the native plants that support them. Stunning illustrations by a New York Times best-selling artist bring to life the unique needs of these creatures—whether it’s the right type of flower or proximity to their food sources. This book explains how these species rely on each other to survive and provides practical tips for creating a pollinator-friendly garden at home, making it a perfect read for young nature enthusiasts and educators.

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