Grow a Garden Library This Year

As gardeners, we often need valuable information about our plants, the weather and pests. Many of us have become reliant on the quick access we have to garden information on the Internet. You can look up any topic you want and get an array of ideas. But what if you didn’t have that information readily available? And can you always trust everything you read on the Internet?

Despite the ease of getting our gardening advice online, we all need a backup. We need the ability to get information quickly, but we also need to know that it’s accurate. Every gardener should have tools at their fingertips to research and discover helpful gardening advice. The best way to do that is to grow a garden library.

Here are 5 Reasons to Grow a Garden Library…

Books are Motivating/Inspiring

Being able to look through garden books can inspire you with ideas that have stood the test of time. You can quickly find the topic you need to grow a better garden. Improving your garden skills is a journey. Even if you’ve been gardening for many years, there’s always more to learn. Books can expand your knowledge and inspire you to try new techniques.

Quick Access (without distraction)

When you grab a book from your garden library, you won’t fall down the rabbit hole of other topics that are presented to you. When you’re on a webpage, you’re bombarded with ads and articles that temp you. If you’re on YouTube, you might get distracted by other videos. A book can help you keep your focus.

That’s not to say that watching gardening videos or searching for a topic online can’t provide you with valuable information, but sometimes choosing a book is just what you need.

Good Bedtime Reading (without blue light)

Do you love to read before you go to sleep each night? Reading at night is so relaxing. But reading articles online means that you’re being exposed to the blue light from your devise. Many people find that if they read from their phone or tablet too late into the night, they’ll have difficulty sleeping. A physical book will not do that to you (unless you get so excited to be in the garden you lay awake planning.)

Availability During Power Failure

What will you do if the power goes out? We’ve just experienced a massive cold front across the US and many people lost power. With a physical book, you can continue to read with the help of a lantern, flashlight or even by firelight. But reading and getting the information you need from the Internet won’t be possible. In recent years, we have seen evidence that our electrical grid is in trouble. Short-term power outages are always a possibility. Having physical books means you don’t have to rely on electricity to get garden information.

Connecting to the Past

We often believe that in our modern times, we have all the answers. But there are many garden books from older generations that have much to share. People have been growing gardens for thousands of years. Why wouldn’t some of their thoughts and ideas be valuable to us in our time?

Older books are not only beautiful, but they provide us with advice that has often stood the test of time. While older books might not have the variety of images that newer books have, they contain garden details that can be helpful.

READ: The Best Flower Gardening Books You Need To Inspire You This Year

Steps to Grow Your Garden Library…

What type of books do you need in your garden library? There are so many options for choosing books in order to grow a garden library. When we grow our gardens, there are definite steps we take to create our garden beds and prepare for growing. When you grow a library, these same steps can help you build that wonderful wealth of knowledge.

Step 1: Assess… List the Books You Already Have

The first step you need to take in growing your garden library is to assess what you currently have available. Ask yourself these questions:

What garden books do you currently have available?
Do you have a variety of books? General garden books, specific topics of interest, how to cook your produce, how to use flowers creatively, and gardening stories are just a few topics.
What topics are you missing that you need to add to your library?
What garden topics inspire you?

During this step, create a list of the books you have. Then consider what topics you need to add to your resources. Make note of any holes in your garden library.

Step 2: Prepare… Decide What Books You Need

Now that you have a good idea of what books you currently have, decide what you’ll need to purchase to fill in those missing topics. Do a little research on what’s available for you to use.

How do you go about finding book ideas? Start with the obvious. Do you know any longtime gardeners? Ask your parents, neighbors, elderly relatives who garden what books have been most helpful to them. Next, do some research on tried-and-true garden books. There are lists of classic books available, but also research newer books. Check out what books your local library has in their garden section. This way, you can actually look through their books to see what might be helpful. Ask a member of your local horticultural society or a Master Gardener what books they might recommend.

Garden Topics to consider:

Basic gardening skills.
Specific topics of interest, such as flower gardening, vegetable gardening, individual flowers such as dahlias, etc.
Yard and garden structure books such as building decks, garden layout, fences, etc.
Garden harvest ideas such as cookbooks, flower arranging, preserving foods from the garden, creating with your flowers, drying and using herbs.
Inspiring books from gardeners about a gardener’s life.
Image heavy books for inspiration.
Garden books for kids.
Garden Devotionals.

Step 3: Plant… Purchase Your Books

Now it’s time to build your library of garden books. This is not an overnight process. While some people might purchase what they need all at once, for most of us, it will take time to grow your library. My library has taken years to build and there are plenty of books I still want to add.

Start by making a list of the books you want, either by title or type. Put your most important books at the top of the list and then try to find those first.

Where Can You Find Books to Grow Your Garden Library?

You can go online or to a chain bookstore to purchase specific garden books, but if you just want a type of book, there are other ways to find them. Here are some ideas for how to find books as you build your garden library.

Start by asking family and friends if they have any garden books they’re planning to get rid of. Your grandparents might not garden anymore and they would love to pass on their books to an interested family member.
Watch for Friends of the Library Book Sales. They receive many book donations throughout the year and you can often find classic garden books at these annual sales.
Thrift stores
Yard sales and flea markets
Used bookstores, although many of these local stores have disappeared, you can find online used books such as Abe Books.
Craigslist, Marketplace, eBay, and other online sales venues.

Step 4: Maintain… Store Your Garden Books

Real physical books are precious. Protect your books by storing them carefully. I suggest you create an area where you can arrange all your books for quick and easy access. A bookshelf in your office or back bedroom is a good place to start. Keep these tips in mind as you store your books:

Avoid direct sunlight
Store books upright or lay flat (not at an angle)
Keep dust jackets on if the book has one
Store where temperatures are regulated, not the attic or basement

I don’t recommend storing books in your garden shed unless it’s insulated and climate controlled. Excessive heat or moisture could damage your books if the shed is not protected.

Books to Include in Your Garden Library…

Below is a list of books to consider. This list will give you some ideas but is not exhaustive. Start with one or two books in each category that interest you. Then slowly expand your library by adding books over time.

In full disclosure, while I have read many of the books listed here, I have not read all of them. This list is a compilation of books I have read and recommendations from other gardeners I trust. I also have many books in my library that did not make the list because they are out of print and not easily accessible.

Please Note: I am not recommending that you have all these books in your garden library. I just offer this list as possible options for you as you begin to gather these valuable resources.

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General Garden

Specific Plants

Garden Structures and Design

Flower Gardening

Vegetable Gardening

Herb Gardening

Container Garden

Maintaining Your Garden

Tending Your Garden: A Year-Round Guide to Garden Maintenance—-Gordon Hayward

Harvesting and Preserving Your Produce

Garden Decorating and Inspiration

Relaxing in Your Garden

As many lifelong gardeners will tell you, the garden is never finished. Growing a garden is a journey. The garden changes over time, depending on our desires and needs. Having the information you need to continue to improve not only your garden, but your skills as well, can help you on your garden journey. Having physical books to refer to is like walking among your flowers. The beauty and inspiration they provide can encourage you to keep growing.

Every gardener should have some resources available to refer to when you need help or encouragement. So grow a garden library even if just a few books at a time. We create our gardens one bed at a time. It’s a slow process, but each plant, bed or border you create offers lifelong joy. And your garden library of books offers the same lifelong benefits.

So start today building your garden library. One book at a time can bring you so much knowledge and pleasure in your life.

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