The best gardening books, recommended by some of the world's leading gardening experts. In Five Books' time-honoured tradition, each of our experts has selected their five leading books on the subject of gardens, horticulture or plants. They also explain, in the accompanying interview, why those books are particularly important to them or significant.
Whether you're just starting out with your garden and looking for general inspiration or need specific advice on how to grow things, you should be able to find some of the best gardening books ever written.
We hope you will find the selections informative, educational and inspiring.
- Read1Derek Jarman's Garden by Derek Jarman
- Read2The Vegetable Garden Displayed by Royal Horticultural Society
- Read3Green Thoughts by Eleanor Perenyi
- Read4Classic Roses by Peter Beales
- Read5Essay on Gardening by Henk Gerritsen
Monty Don recommends His Favourite Gardening Books
Monty Don OBE, Britain's most loved gardener and lead presenter of Gardeners World, discusses his favourite books on gardening including one he describes as "the best gardening book ever written." This is a strong endorsem*nt, given that his own gardening library extends to over three thousand books.
Monty Don recommends His Favourite Gardening Books
Monty Don OBE, Britain’s most loved gardener and lead presenter of Gardeners World, discusses his favourite books on gardening including one he describes as “the best gardening book ever written.” This is a strong endorsem*nt, given that his own gardening library extends to over three thousand books.
Monty Don recommends His Favourite Gardening Books- Read1The Education of a Gardener by Russell Page
- Read2New Trees by John Grimshaw and Ross Bayton
- Read3In Your Garden by Vita Sackville-West
- Read4The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs by Hilllier Nurseries
- Read5Gardens from the Air by Franco Migliorini and Luigi Latini
The best books on Garden Design, recommended by Arabella Lennox-Boyd
Trees are the backbone of any garden, says award-winning garden designer, Arabella Lennox-Boyd. She recommends some great books to get you thinking about garden design.
The best books on Garden Design, recommended by Arabella Lennox-Boyd
Trees are the backbone of any garden, says award-winning garden designer, Arabella Lennox-Boyd. She recommends some great books to get you thinking about garden design.
The best books on Garden Design, recommended by Arabella Lennox-Boyd- Read1Thoughtful Gardening by Robin Lane Fox
- Read2The Well-Tempered Garden by Christopher Lloyd
- Read3On the Making of Gardens by Sir George Sitwell
- Read4Forgotten Fruits by Christopher Stocks
- Read5The Compleat Florist by Sieur Louis Liger (translator)
The best books on Gardening, recommended by Helen Dillon
Gardening expert Helen Dillon recommends five books that have influenced her, from 300-year old gardening tips to the difficulty of describing flowers
The best books on Gardening, recommended by Helen Dillon
Gardening expert Helen Dillon recommends five books that have influenced her, from 300-year old gardening tips to the difficulty of describing flowers
The best books on Gardening, recommended by Helen Dillon- Read1Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A Dirr
- Read2Thoughtful Gardening by Robin Lane Fox
- Read3Climate Change and Biodiversity by Thomas E Lovejoy and Lee Hannah
- Read4Keywords in American Landscape Design by Therese O’Malley
- Read5Random House Book of Perennials by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix
The best books on Gardening, recommended by Gregory Long
The President Emeritus of The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York tells us about the books that all aspiring gardeners should have on their bookshelves, from reference works to the most fun guide to making the best of your garden
The best books on Gardening, recommended by Gregory Long
The President Emeritus of The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York tells us about the books that all aspiring gardeners should have on their bookshelves, from reference works to the most fun guide to making the best of your garden
The best books on Gardening, recommended by Gregory Long- Read1The English Garden (World of Art) by Edward Hyams and Edwin Smith
- Read2A Gardener's Labyrinth by Tessa Traeger and Patrick Kinmonth
- Read3Karl Blossfeldt (TASCHEN Icons Series) by Hans Christian Adam
- Read4Gardens in Perspective by Jerry Harpur
- Read5Garden Photographer of the Year, Collection 1-3
The best books on Garden Photography, recommended by Andrew Lawson
One of the world's leading garden photographers talks us through the many different styles employed in his field
The best books on Garden Photography, recommended by Andrew Lawson
One of the world’s leading garden photographers talks us through the many different styles employed in his field
The best books on Garden Photography, recommended by Andrew Lawson- Read
- Read2The Arcadian Friends by Tim Richardson
- Read3Founding Brothers by Joseph J Ellis
- Read4Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson
- Read5A Little History of British Gardening by Jenny Uglow
The best books on Horticulture, recommended by Andrea Wulf
The respected horticulturalist says if you plant an oak tree you know you’re never going to see it grow into maturity, but in planting it you are asserting your belief in the future and in future generations.
The best books on Horticulture, recommended by Andrea Wulf
The respected horticulturalist says if you plant an oak tree you know you’re never going to see it grow into maturity, but in planting it you are asserting your belief in the future and in future generations.
The best books on Horticulture, recommended by Andrea Wulf- Read1The Emerald Planet by D J Beerling
- Read2Eating the Sun by Oliver Morton
- Read3The Secret Life of Trees by Colin Tudge
- Read4Plant by Janet Marinelli
- Read5Feeding the Ten Billion by L T Evans
The best books on Plants, recommended by Jonathan Silvertown
Internationally known ecologist says plants are grievously overlooked, because no life on earth would exist without them - essential reading on plants
The best books on Plants, recommended by Jonathan Silvertown
Internationally known ecologist says plants are grievously overlooked, because no life on earth would exist without them – essential reading on plants
The best books on Plants, recommended by Jonathan Silvertown- Read1The Well-Tempered Garden by Christopher Lloyd
- Read2Riddle of the Tsangpo Gorges by Frank Kingdon Ward
- Read3The Morville Hours by Katherine Swift
- Read4The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan
- Read5A Rage for Rock Gardening by Nicola Shulman
The best books on Plants and Plant Hunting, recommended by Kenneth Cox
The author, plantsman and rhododendron expert selects his favourite books on botanical exploration and explains his passion for plant hunting
The best books on Plants and Plant Hunting, recommended by Kenneth Cox
The author, plantsman and rhododendron expert selects his favourite books on botanical exploration and explains his passion for plant hunting
The best books on Plants and Plant Hunting, recommended by Kenneth Cox- Read1The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs by Hilllier Nurseries
- Read2The Education of a Gardener by Russell Page
- Read3Garden Design by Sylvia Crowe
- Read4The Well-Tempered Garden by Christopher Lloyd
- Read
The best books on Horticultural Inspiration, recommended by Penelope Hobhouse
Historian of garden design Penelope Hobhouse says creating a garden is not about pulling out weeds - it's about fulfilling man’s need for organisation and security
The best books on Horticultural Inspiration, recommended by Penelope Hobhouse
Historian of garden design Penelope Hobhouse says creating a garden is not about pulling out weeds – it’s about fulfilling man’s need for organisation and security
The best books on Horticultural Inspiration, recommended by Penelope Hobhouse- Read1The Digger Movement In The Days Of The Commonwealth, As Revealed In The Writings Of Gerrard Winstanley by Lewis H Beren
- Read2Hungry City by Carolyn Steel
- Read3Defiant Gardens by Kenneth I Helphand
- Read4The Search by John Battelle
- Read5Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
The best books on Guerrilla Gardening, recommended by Richard Reynolds
Discussion of the lesser-known subject of guerilla gardening - the illicit cultivation of someone else's land. A fascinating and historical topic, and eclectic book selections include a history of Google
The best books on Guerrilla Gardening, recommended by Richard Reynolds
Discussion of the lesser-known subject of guerilla gardening – the illicit cultivation of someone else’s land. A fascinating and historical topic, and eclectic book selections include a history of Google
The best books on Guerrilla Gardening, recommended by Richard Reynolds