Gardening is a great passion and hobby for many people. From putting together an aesthetically pleasing flower bed, caring for African violet to growing your own herbs and vegetables the range of gardening purposes are vast. Whatever your gardening needs, we have a book that will suit you in our best gardening books list.
COMPARISON CHART
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Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
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All New Square Foot Gardening
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The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible
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The Family Garden Plan
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Features
- Organic methods to their fruit and vegetable crops, herbs, trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals, and lawns.
- New organic pest controls
- New trends in garden design
- Latest organic soil practices
This gardening gem has been in circulation for the last 50 years and this latest edition does not disappoint. It gives details on how to employ organic methods for growing all types of plants from vegetables to shrubs. It is a great tool for novice gardeners to show the organic and toxic free possibilities.
WHAT WE LIKE
This encyclopedia includes a wealth of information, it explains what being organic truly entails. It gives you the best way to look for gardening supplements that meet the organic criteria. The earth friendly techniques section covering gardening through changing climates, managing water smartly, reducing energy use and recycling is a great addition to navigate our current circumstances effectively.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
Subject matter is not organized in the most logical fashion which can be difficult to follow. Certain fruits and melons are not included in the book.
PROS
- Wealth of information in one place
- Best organic gardening practices
- Earth friendly gardening section is very useful
- Navigating climate change, recycling and water management effectively
CONS
- Poorly organized subject matter
- Not all plants are covered
Features
- Planting charts, and growing tips
- How to build a classic square foot garden trellis
- How to build a simple wire composter
- How to create Mel’s Mix (the authors signature growing medium)
The updated 3rd edition of this book gives you new solutions to grow vegetables anywhere. Employing techniques such as how to build a classic square foot garden trellis. There are many tips and tricks in this book to ensure your veggie growing success.
WHAT WE LIKE
Each plant has its own page of well organized information giving details on best planting and growing practices. While a lot of this information can be found online it is handy to have it all in one place. Overall it is a comprehensive guide to square foot gardening that covers all the essentials on how to succeed with this gardening method. The book is for gardeners of all experience types and shows how you can have a successful gardening even in a smaller area.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
This book is mainly geared towards North America so certain aspects will not apply to other parts of the world. Calculations are also necessary if you need to convert to metric values. Another controversy is Mel’s Mix which is made up of ⅓ peat which has been set to not be environmentally friendly.
PROS
- Detailed information on each plant
- Comprehensive guide to square foot gardening
- Perfect for all levels of gardening experience
- Shows how to have a successful garden in a small area
CONS
- Written for North America, not completely applicable elsewhere
- Mel’s Mix inclusion of Peat is controversial
Features
- Includes Smith’s WORD method which includes: Wide Rows, Organic Methods, Raised Beds, Deep Soil
- Succeed with difficult plants
- Learn how to extend your growing season
- Try new and unusual plant varieties
The second edition of this gardener’s bible contains all the must know information on making your vegetable garden a success. Employing the author’s signature WORD method which includes: Wide Rows, Organic Methods, Raised Beds, Deep Soil your vegetable garden will be thriving in no time.
WHAT WE LIKE
Written by a professional that has lived off grid for 30 years and grown over 100 varieties of vegetables, fruits and herbs you know you are getting first hand information that works. This book gives details on what plants can be planted together and thrive. It also includes great tips on soil and how to check it to get your plants growing perfectly. The glossary of information on each vegetable is invaluable.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
This book is very comprehensive but is more geared towards a beginner gardener, more seasoned gardeners may not find much value. This is a very general book, if you need more specific information on specific gardening techniques you will not find that here.
PROS
- Written by a professional with first hand experience
- Details on which plants thrive when grown together
- Great soils tips
- Phenomenal vegetable glossary
CONS
- More geared to beginner gardeners
- Very general information only
Features
- Planning: Help to create a customized plan for your family based on your needs and availability
- Planting: Learning about planting different plants optimally for gardening success
- Harvesting: Helpful charts on when best to harvest
- Preserving: How best to preserve your produce including curing, canning, and freezing.
With people looking at ways to be more eco-friendly, growing a family garden is a great way to become self-sustaining and minimize your carbon footprint. This book enables you to grow a garden that yields healthy and wholesome food year round for your family. It takes you through the full process from planning, gardening, harvesting, and preserving your food.
WHAT WE LIKE
The book includes many charts and worksheets covering a range of topics around your garden which are very useful. The book is helpful for a beginner gardener all the way through to the advanced with great tips and tricks. Knowing when to harvest is a challenge for many gardeners and this book gives you great advice on this topic. The preserving methods described are also invaluable to make sure you get maxised use out of your produce.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
While it is not necessarily bad there are a number of religious references which are not included in the description and may not appeal to all readers. There are a lot of pictures included in the book and not all of them are helpful and are often just space fillers.
PROS
- Helpful charts and worksheets for gardening success
- Useful for gardeners of all experience levels
- Harvesting tips are valuable
- Preserving methods are practical and efficient
CONS
- Religious references may not appeal to all
- Some pictures are not essential
Final Verdict
This short and sweet review of some essential gardening books gives you the top choices for making your garden a success. Depending on your gardening needs and experience level different books will appeal and be useful to you.
Our top recommendation has to be Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. With a 50 year history this book is the gift that keeps on giving to the gardening community. It has been updated to keep up with the current challenges that gardeners would need to navigate. It contains a wealth of information all in one place and the new earth friendly gardening section is invaluable.
While the subject matter is not organized effectively and it does not contain all plant varieties it is still one of the most comprehensive resources out there. This book will provide you with plenty of tips and details on how to be the most effective and successful gardener in current challenging world conditions.
