10 Books for the Gardener - From Wooden Spoons

Learn the ins, outs and nuances of gardening with excellent teaching and vivid imagery with our favorite books for the gardener. When someone first becomes interested in gardening, a gardener has endless information to discover in many forms: hands-on experience, mentoring and books. This can be part of the draw to the skill: limitless interesting steps, facts, organisms and design. Palpable connection to the wonder of our Maker. These are our top 10 books for new gardeners!

A mentor, or local farmer, would be the best source of information for a budding gardener. There is nothing like hands-on experience. But our experience required a lot of patience, and little amount of practicing singular elements as we waited for more space to try more. Local farms and neighborhood gardens gave us practical hands-on experience that took our book knowledge and put it into action. However, with all of this mounting information in my back pocket from books, the learning curve was shorter and could bite off larger projects faster. There were less conversations about basics, and more about nuance. There was less trial, and more success.

Sigh, this sweet stack of gardening books really tells the story of everything we’ve learned: from finding Shaye Elliott’s book in rural Idaho, to growing cherry tomatoes in pots on apartment balconies with Curtis Stone & Jean Martin Fortier, a rental house raised bed garden with first real harvests that interested us in local food with Andrea Bemis. And now, at our 1,000 ft garden, learning how to grow what we need, preserve and cook it with Melissa K. Norris. For our full garden story, check out our About Me page.

stack of gardening books with yellow sunflowers on top

What Information is Needed?

A new gardener will need some basic information:

Seed information: how seeds grow, what they require, what impacts their growth, materials required
Soil information: compost, how to improve soil, what poorly impacts soil
Growing information: how plants are affected by light, by weather, by soil temperature, by day lengths, elemental needs, etc.
Pest information: specific species impacting each plant, how to control or prevent damage
Harvest and processing information: when harvest is ready, how to preserve, how to cook
Bonus: how to make a business from it all, how to be productive, how to grow in abundance, how to grow regeneratively, how much to grow

These titles, and the authors behind them, provide so many answers to these lingering questions.

Books on Growing

“Welcome to the Farm” by Shaye Elliott

Before I knew anything of gardening, or homesteading – before the dream was even awake in me, I came across this book in a feed store in rural Idaho. So, maybe I can blame Shaye for the pure determination and thrill that followed in the years to come as gardening fed all of me.

Personal sentiments aside, this is a wonderful, well rounded book for a beginner homesteader. Someone who wants to look at the garden and the scope of its impact on a whole lifestyle. Some recipes, some animal education, and gardening instructions. Feeding it all.

I would also highly recommend her more “from the farm”, recipe heavy (+ seasonally minded) books such as:

“The Urban Farmer” by Curtis Stone

When I decided I really liked where gardening was taking me, and I wanted some technical information on food production, I sought out this book. At this time, I also only had access to an apartment patio, an apartment raised bed (by the dark of night!), and Youtube.

The Urban Farmer is an expression of Curtis’ experience converting neighborhood lawns into highly productive small gardens. The information in this book built hope, especially for an urban castaway with little space to grow things. It gave me tangible things to test and practice, in just pots. It’s not just for those in urban areas: speaking about high yield crops, rotational and successional planting and general plant care. Curtis learned much of what he speaks about from Jean Martin Fortier.

“The Market Gardener” by Jean Martin Fortier

Jean is a Canadian market gardener, author, teacher and advocate for regenerative, profitable agriculture. There are a few OG’s in the gardening world, and he’s one of them. He creates and makes all the things from just two acres of farmland.

Jean’s book is a giant step into the land of technical. His approach is in depth, and he covers everything: soil health, assessing your size, design, management, seeds, pests, storage, and planning. He gives the individual such a step in the right direction when it comes to starting a home garden or a profitable market garden. In fact, 50 pages of the book are available free for preview HERE

the market gardener book for market gardening

“Organic Gardening” by Charles Dowding

Charles Dowding’s book answered many of the “why’s” for me: why to grow organically, why to work with nature, why to think regeneratively, why to implement systems, why to care about soil health. You hear these terms thrown around in different pockets, but why take them to heart? This book gives direction, and demonstration. The demonstration comes naturally; Charles’ garden is in some parts an 11 year old trial bed comparing traditional methods to no-dig, organic and regenerative practices. He compares their quality and yields annually on his Youtube channel.

Having this book on hand means having his wisdom in your ear regarding soil care, seeding methods, planting tips, succession sowing and harvests.

“The New Organic Grower” by Elliott Coleman

Elliott Coleman is another one of the “big names” you will hear in the homesteading and gardening world. His books and teaching have impacted other big names in the business as one of the firsts to boldly preach regenerative home gardening. The impact of mulch, the impact of composting, the cycle of animals in regards to the garden – these are all keys in unlocking a natural system of gardening. One that doesn’t require dollars being poured into the soil annually, but one that increases in quality exponentially with less effort. The methods are so interesting and applicable!

“The Tiny but Mighty Farm” by Jill Ragan

Jill Ragan is bringing the home garden, well, home. She is making the wonderful technicalities of market gardening and making them fuel the dreams of the homemaker. Her book is comprehensive, but also provides space for brainstorming and charting. She provides the details but also helps you decide on your big picture.

I appreciate that she opens the door to “what’s next” regarding what the garden can provide for its future of business and expansion. But at the same time, this book helps the home gardener be home, tend home and enjoy it. Her family models the joy of every day living in their Youtube vlogs and technical information in their ebooks.

“The Holistic Orchard” by Michael Phillips

I picked up this book when we were gifted our first fruit tree. I actually purchased three different books, but the Holistic Orchard was the front runner. I appreciated the simple language and the simple steps. We aren’t jumping into an orchard at this property, but it felt responsible to understand the basics of growing fruit trees. While in general I appreciate understanding the ‘why’s’ behind steps, I can also appreciate a book where the actionable steps are straight forward.

the holistic orchard book for the gardener

Books on Cooking Fresh Garden Harvests

“Local Dirt” by Andrea Bemis

If you’re going to grow the stuff, you’re going to want to know how to cook the stuff. Especially locally, especially seasonally. And perhaps, especially if there are little, new mouths to feed. Adding children to our family created a new awareness of what we put into our bodies. I wanted food to feel clean, I wanted it to feel guiltless, I wasn’t afraid of the effort and I was excited to grow it and cook it myself.

Local Dirt is Andrea’s expression of love for the farms and food in her area. It’s inspiring to challenge oneself to think about how to source good food close to home. Her cookbook is divided into the seasons, making fresh sourcing much easier. Inside, you will also find beautiful photography, out of the ordinary flavors and instructions for your own sourdough starter!

She has also recently published her second book, “Let Them Eat Dirt” – a cookbook focusing on the nutritional needs of kids!

local dirt cook book flat lay for the garden

“Homegrown Pantry” by Barbara Pleasant

“Only grow what you like to eat” is advice that many experienced gardeners will tell you. It is also a burden to have too little or have too much. You cannot feed everyone with one harvest of black beans, or a single succession of peas, or from a single tomato plant. And, you can chase them away with cantaloupe, yellow squash and green beans at every meal May through January.

Barbara guides the grower on how to plan gardens for need, support plant growth and produce excellent finished products. She gives insights on different ways to cook or preserve crops of abundance, and how to better plan for low yields. Usability inspires future gardens.

home grown pantry book flat lay with wooden spoons

“The Family Garden Plan” by Melissa K Norris

Melissa is a founder and contributor of Homestead Living Magazine & Pioneering today, as well as author of numerous books and lead teacher of Pioneering Today Academy. You’ll find her blog insightful for all things homesteading, gardening and preserving as she inspires others.

Like “Homegrown Pantry”, Melissa’s book pairs well with garden growing. Her book speaks directly to the goal of growing exactly what your family needs for a year’s worth of food. Inside, you’ll find step by step methods as well as charts to help visualize each aspect of garden planning and preservation.