Heyya garden friends,
This weekend, while doing the usual garden work (mowing the lawn to get some sweet grass clippings for mulch), I got thinking about all the new books out there about sustainable gardening. As a book nerd myself, I get a little giddy whenever a new book is released.
While I have this article for the best sustainable gardening books from 2023, I wanted to make this a yearly tradition and offer some new reads for eco-friendly gardening practices in 2024.
Before we get into the good stuff, just a quick note: if you buy a book through one of my links, it helps support my garden at no extra cost to you. No amazon here - all my links are through bookshop.org, which supports local bookstores.
A sustainable approach to gardening is more than a hobby; it's a commitment to nurturing our environment and fostering a healthy ecosystem right in our backyards. With climate change and environmental stewardship at the forefront of our collective consciousness, it has never been more crucial to equip ourselves with the knowledge and techniques that can make a real difference.
That's why I've delved deeply into this year's wealth of literature to bring you the most groundbreaking, practice-shifting sustainable gardening books of 2024.
Whether you're a seasoned green thumb aiming to refine your approach or a newcomer setting foot in the world of gardening with an eye towards sustainability, this carefully curated list is your annual guidebook.
The wisdom in these books can revolutionize your garden, turning it into a thriving, self-sustaining oasis that benefits both your family and the planet.
This year, I've handpicked a selection that embodies innovation, practicality, and environmental harmony. From urban container gardens to sprawling permaculture landscapes, these books promise to impart skills and inspire transformations.
They are not only rich in sustainable practices but also celebrate the garden as a sanctuary that can heal, nourish, and enchant.
Join me and explore these pages that plant the seeds of change. Together, let's grow our knowledge and our gardens, and let's do it in a way that honors the earth and all its intricate ecosystems.
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Ever since its announcement, "The Layered Edible Garden" has topped my must-read list. Christina Chung's guide to designing a flourishing, biodiverse garden aligns with eco-friendly and low-maintenance philosophies, mirroring the approach I advocate for in my own gardening practices.
In this book, Chung deftly combines perennial plant knowledge with intelligent design tactics. Her comprehensive growing guides are thoughtfully crafted to help you fully utilize every available inch, horizontally and vertically, within your garden.
I found this book to be a great source of ideas for unique trees and shrubs to add to your yard, and also for edible understory plant ideas that thrive in the dappled shade of the layers.
A quote I highlighted from The Layered Edible Garden that summarizes the ethos of the book is “The more we can align our cultivation practices and goals with what a site wants to do naturally, the less work and more successful our garden will be.”
I love how Christina breaks down and shares tips on the concept of layering. This permaculture and food-forest principle can be kind of confusing to plan out yourself, and she’s like a wise friend helping guide you through the whole process.
This is a great choice for new, intermediate, and advanced gardeners.
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Huw Richards has become a cherished author for his commitment to bountiful, renewing gardening techniques - principles that deeply resonate with my own ideals. His book "The Self-Sufficiency Garden" details a transformative 12-month quest to turn an ordinary backyard into a pinnacle of productivity.
Huw's diligent documentation, from precise sowing times to the impressive kilogram yields, acts as an invaluable ledger for gardeners. This detailed guidance illuminates the path to calculating your plantings, devising your crop succession, and truly realizing the abundant possibilities of your personal garden.
Huw shows you that you don’t need acres of land to be more self-sufficient with your produce. I often see videos of gardeners in small spaces who are working their way towards self-sufficiency, but not many give much detail to how they get there. This book changes that!
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"Gardening for Abundance" goes beyond the typical gardening handbook by threading a rich tapestry of self-care principles into the fabric of organic gardening. Brian Brigantti guides you from the foundational steps to create a vibrant garden, and further elevates the experience by weaving in themes of personal growth and connection with nature.
Brigantti’s unique approach harmonizes practical gardening techniques with reflective insights, creating an enriching read that teaches you to tend both your garden and your well-being. It's this harmonious blend that makes "Gardening for Abundance" a distinctive and invaluable resource for gardeners looking to enrich their practice and their lives.
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Vicky Chown is one half of the Handmade Apothecary, and is a trained medical herbalist with a couple of books out about herbalism and how to make your own remedies.
Edible Garden made the cut for this book list because it focuses on sustainability, wildlife habitat, and land stewardship - no matter how big or small your backyard - or balcony - is.
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While you’ll have to wait until the end of 2024 - new year’s eve to be exact - for this book when you pre-order it, you’ll be ready to plan your new garden in 2025.
"Kitchen Garden Living" tackles the common hurdles that keep many aspiring gardeners from breaking ground: planning, mastering best practices, and overcoming the fear of failure. This book promises to guide you past these obstacles and help you cultivate a successful garden.
This book will help you overcome those obstacles so that you can get clarity on how to lay out your garden, what to grow when, and growing guides to help you succeed.
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Valéry Tsimba's insightful guide demystifies permaculture, making it accessible and achievable for those grappling with limited space, accessibility considerations, or soil safety concerns.
So much of permaculture is based on in-ground growing, that it can leave anyone who can’t garden in that way behind.
Tsimba showcases how your container garden can be a sustainable oasis - and guides you from pot and plant selection to harvest.
All of her advice is organic, sustainable, and with the planet in mind.
For those dreaming of a verdant balcony oasis or a productive patio vegetable garden, this book is your guide to integrating permaculture principles into every square inch of your space and achieving your garden goals.
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This is another book that I have been extremely excited for since it was announced! I love the concept of creating a beautiful and sustainable ecosystem that is infused with meaning. To infuse your own story and values into you backyard gives you the opportunity to transform you backyard into not only a sustainable landscape but also a living personal momento and work of art.
A powerful quote that I highlighted from the book that speaks to part of what motivates me to garden: “We all descend from ancestors who used plants for food, shelter, medicine, and art, so our gardens and the plants in them can serve as conduits for returning to plant-based practices, rituals, and ways of being that we can make our own.”
Another good quote that guides this book is “Whatever you decide to plant in your garden, you are sowing the literal seeds of what matters to you - or your dream of what matters - so that you can experience the meaning that grows from them.”
This book offers a wide range of garden types, from medicinal herbs to cottage flowers to edible landscapes. If you want to have your backyard be a place that reflects your values while also cultivates awe, wonder, and inspiration within yourself - this book will provide ideas and tips to help that happen. The title “Garden Wonderland” is extremely fitting for the intention of this book!
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Kelly Norris's gardens are dreamscapes incarnate—vibrant, wild, and teeming with life. Synthesizing structured chaos and the serendipity of a wildflower meadow discovered on a hike, his creations are breathtaking collaborations between the hands of the gardener and the heart of nature.
While "New Naturalism" laid the groundwork for envisioning backyard transformations into vibrant ecosystems, "Your Natural Garden" goes a step further. It offers a comprehensive roadmap not only to start your garden journey but also to sustain and nurture it.
One component that I’m most excited for is how Norris will share his tips on succession planting in a flower garden. Extending the blooming period of your backyard is a visual treat for humans, and also provides an essential food source for native insects and wildlife.
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"The Water-Smart Garden" is an essential manual, teeming with water-saving projects and techniques applicable to gardens of all dimensions.
Authored by a desert horticulture expert who cut her teeth in Arizona's arid expanse, Johnson offers innovative strategies like rainwater harvesting, permaculture earthworks, and creating drought-tolerant landscapes. This resource is laden with sage advice to transform your garden into a model of water efficiency.
Hailing from the arid landscapes of Arizona, Johnson is well-versed in the nuances of desert gardening. "The Water-Smart Garden" is your go-to resource for innovative solutions like rainwater harvesting, permaculture earthworks, and drought-resilient lawns, providing you with practical steps to elevate your garden's water efficiency.
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If you are a fan of Gardener’s World - with presenters like Monty Don - you probably have also seen Rachel de Thame.
Considering climate change is cited as the primary challenge to pollinator conservation, each effort we make towards their well-being carries significant weight.
Bridget MacDonald of the USFWS notes in her compelling article, "Save Pollinators, Save the Planet," the profound connection between boosting pollinator populations and combating climate change. Each action taken to nurture pollinators is a step forward in our global environmental efforts.
In a recent interview in Country Living, de Thame says “There’s no reason one can’t combine beauty with an awareness of the environment and the needs of wildlife.”
If you’re looking to create a lush garden AND a thriving community of beneficial insects, this is the book for you.
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The Epic Gardener, Kevin Espiritu is back with another epic book - this time, detailing his experiences and tips for setting up a modern homestead.
While this book does cover gardening, it more-so focuses on the systems that help turn a backyard into a homestead. Get inspired to be more self-sufficient by making your own compost, harvesting rainwater, and even tips for setting up a solar system.
While some reviewers note that this book is less of a in-depth how-to guide and more of a inspirational look at the potential that your backyard has to be more self-sufficient, I think that sometimes gathering ideas and lead you to seek out the instructions you need for your particular home and location.
Alright, fellow garden enthusiasts, that's a wrap on our round-up of the top sustainable gardening reads for 2024! From the best tricks to turn your backyard into a food-producing powerhouse to creating a haven for pollinators, these books have got you covered. I've had a blast sharing this fresh-off-the-press garden literature with you, and I'm pumped to see how these books shake up our gardening game.
You've got the insights, the inspiration, and now it's time to roll up your sleeves and get cracking. Whether you're about big harvests, buzzing bees, or just want to chill in a lush, green space, there's something here for every one of us. And hey, remember—a little bit of knowledge can go a long way in keeping our gardens and our planet in great shape.
