Top Sustainable Gardening Books to Read in 2024
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One thing is certain - a garden is a beautiful thing to stroll through, work in, and enjoy.
What’s more is that you can have a garden that is designed not only for beauty, but for the planet as well. These 7 sustainable gardening books showcase how to garden in a way that encourages beneficial wildlife and pollinators, respects waterways, and implements other climate adaptable gardening techniques.
Here are my top picks for sustainable gardening book to read in 2024:
Best sustainable gardening book for beginners with yards of all sizes:
How to Create an Eco Garden: The Practical Guide to Sustainable and Greener Gardening a book by John Walker
Key points:
- offers guidance on how to make compost, harvest rainwater, and maximize photosynthesis
- focuses on organic techniques
- shows how to work with recycled materials
- provides 6 garden layouts
For beginners wanting to learn sustainable techniques towards self-sufficiency
How to Become a Gardener: Find Empowerment in Creating Your Own Food Security a book by Ashlie Thomas
Key points:
- focuses on how gardens can be an answer to food insecurity
- offers advice on the whole gardening process - from how to get started with seed starting to how to make the most of the harvest
- shares insight on the mental health benefits of gardening
- very encouraging and empowering read
An eco friendly gardening guide for the DIY-savvy
Sustainable Garden: Projects, Insights and Advice for the Eco-Conscious Gardener a book by Marian Boswall and Jason Ingram
Key points:
- fully outlined projects for a more sustainable garden
- highlights how to move over to peat-free compost, save seeds, and create garden spaces from repurposed materials
- provides advice on how to source materials in a way the supports the environment
- explores gardening through the lens of connecting to nature and nourishing the planet
For those looking to transform an existing plot into a more sustainable garden
Resilient Garden: Sustainable Gardening for a Changing Climate a book by Tom Massey
Key points:
- focuses on building resiliency into your garden so that it can weather an unpredictable climate
- offers advice on how to navigate through droughts, flooding, winds, early and late frosts, and pest infestations
- solutions are research-based and have the spirit of tending to the planet instead of causing more harm
- full of inspiration showcasing how other gardeners have created resiliency in their gardens
- geared towards those who already have a garden but are looking to create shifts with climate change in mind
Best book for dry climate gardening and water-wise practices
Dry Climate Gardening: Growing Beautiful, Sustainable Gardens in Low-Water Conditions a book by Noelle Johnson
Key points:
- focus is on building a garden in areas with little rainfall
- covers the scope of xeriscaping, with a full guide on which plants are best for dry areas
- offers advice on landscaping plants, but techniques can be applied to growing food with some extended research
Learn how to create a wildlife paradise in your own yard
The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife (How to Create a Sustainable and Ethical Garden That Promotes Native Wildlife a book by Nancy Lawson
Key points:
- both informational on the benefits of wildlife and practical in the process of attracting wildlife into your yard
- advice is geared towards those who live in the united states, but can be applied anywhere
- provides a different perspective on "pests" in the garden
- advocates for working with nature and letting nature guide your garden decisions
Learn useful ways to improve and scale your current garden with permaculture principles
The Regenerative Garden: 80 Practical Projects for Creating a Self-Sustaining Garden Ecosystem a book by Stephanie Rose
Key points:
- outlines the key principles of permaculture in a practical and easy to understand way
- provides ways to be more self-sufficient in how you garden by bringing in less inputs
- offers techniques on how the garden can be resilient throughout the year so that eventually the garden is productive with less work from you
- 80 projects are outlined in this guide through the lens of soil, water, plants, climate, ethics, and community
Are you a fellow book nerd? Here are some more options for sustainable gardening books:
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