Book Recommendation
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen This novel is a work of gentle magical realism set in North Carolina, centered on the Waverley sisters and their extraordinary garden. Apples hint at the future, edible flowers influence moods, and the garden becomes a place of…
Read MoreMrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden by Emily Whaley
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden by Emily Whaley, in conversation with William Baldwin Emily Whaley was a Charleston gardener with strong opinions and a deep love of experimentation. Her narrow city garden became famous not because it was fixed, but because it was…
Read MoreMy Garden by Jacqueline van der Kloet
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) My Garden by Jacqueline van der Kloet Published in 2025, this book follows a single garden through the months of the year, offering continuity rather than transformation. Jacqueline van der Kloet is known for her naturalistic style and her masterful use of bulbs layered…
Read MoreA Year in the Life of Beth Chatto’s Gardens by Fergus Garrett
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) A Year in the Life of Beth Chatto’s Gardens by Fergus Garrett This book follows one garden, on one piece of difficult, drought-prone land in Essex, observed honestly through an entire year. Beth Chatto built her garden through close observation rather than force, fertilizer,…
Read MoreCultivating Sacred Space by Elizabeth Murray
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) Cultivating Sacred Space: Gardening for the Soul by Elizabeth Murray Published in 1997, this is a quiet and unusual garden book, less about what to plant and more about what a garden can hold. Murray approaches the garden as a place of private meaning,…
Read MoreTake Chelsea Home by Chris Young
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) Take Chelsea Home: Practical Inspiration from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show by Chris Young This book takes the spectacle of the Chelsea Flower Show and translates it into something usable. Rather than admiring from a distance, Chris Young focuses on paths, proportion, planting combinations,…
Read MoreThe Unsung Season by Sydney Eddison
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) The Unsung Season: Gardens and Gardeners in Winter by Sydney Eddison Published in 1995, The Unsung Season is written for gardeners who live where winter is real. Sydney Eddison explores what happens when the garden goes quiet and how gardeners adapt. Some strap on…
Read MorePeople With Dirty Hands by Robin Chotzinoff
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) People With Dirty Hands by Robin Chotzinoff Published in 1996, People With Dirty Hands is built not from instructions, but from portraits — of gardeners, gardens, and the moments that keep people returning to the soil. Chotzinoff, a journalist by training, reveals why people…
Read MoreA Year of Garden-Inspired Living by Linda Vater
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) A Year of Garden-Inspired Living: Season by Season by Linda Vater This book invites gardeners to live seasonally even when the garden is quiet. Filled with ideas for bringing the feeling of the garden into daily life, it follows the rhythm of the year…
Read MoreThe Winter Garden by Richard Rosenfeld
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) The Winter Garden by Richard Rosenfeld This thoughtful seasonal book invites gardeners to slow down and notice what winter reveals – structure, light, patience, and the quieter forms of beauty that don’t announce themselves in bloom. It’s a perfect January book: reflective, observant, and…
Read MoreThe New Romantic Garden by Jo Thompson – A Book for Winter Gardeners
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: (opens in new tab) The New Romantic Garden: Classic Inspiration, Modern Mood by Jo Thompson If you’re gardening mostly by imagination right now, this is a winter-perfect recommendation. The New Romantic Garden celebrates gardens shaped by feeling as much as function — spaces built for atmosphere, reflection, and…
Read MoreOutside In by Sean A. Pritchard
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. (opens in new tab) Outside In by Sean A. Pritchard This book came out in 2024, and the subtitle is A Year of Growing and Displaying.…
Read MoreNew Nordic Gardens by Annika Zetterman
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. (opens in new tab) New Nordic Gardens by Annika Zetterman This book came out in February 2023, and the subtitle is Scandinavian Landscape Design. In this…
Read MoreAround the House and In the Garden by Dominique Browning
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. (opens in new tab) Around the House and In the Garden by Dominique Browning This book came out in 2002, and the subtitle is A Memoir…
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