Shop garden books, films, & more
It is always a good time to garden prep, but Spring is prime gardening season! Many people may be starting a garden for the first time, expanding on their garden, looking for guidance, or seeking inspiration. There are many approaches to gardening and many books to cover all the plants under the sun (and in the shade!) With more and more people looking to get outdoors and once standard yards being reimagined for fantastic gardens, gardening resources will be in high demand.
I know I am ready for Spring to be in full swing and there are great books covering an array of gardening methods and topics, so let’s dig in!
Books you should know about
Garden Wonderland by Leslie Bennett, Julie Chai
Buy the ebook here
From your OverDrive DCL: A visual work of art as well as informative, this book looks at gardens as a way to reflect the owner. Taking this more personalized approach to emphasize more of what matters to each person, allows readers to imagine and create their own garden wonderland. The great photos throughout are inspiring and feature gardens designed for real people. Covering flowers, foods, harvest, and healing, everything is covered to help people easily see the potential in their own spaces.
Good Nature by Kathy Willis
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Buy the audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL: Perhaps some people still need convincing that nature is good for them, or just want to see the evidence to back it up. With new evidence to support just that, Good Nature delves into how connecting with nature affects the human body and mind. From everyday stressors to recovery from traumas such as surgery, there is proof that even just looking at trees can help people. With many studies and experiments being done all around the world on the topic, Dr. Kathy Willis compiles this evidence in one place to show just how good nature is for all of us. She also points out how we can do good for ourselves but should also encourage others to do so and make it a part of our society to connect with nature.
The Climate Change-Resilient Vegetable Garden by Kim Stoddart
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From your OverDrive DCL: With changing climate bringing on heat waves, flash floods, changing pest ranges, and water use restrictions in some areas, gardeners will need to adapt their practices for a more resilient garden. Kim Stoddart covers how to be a resilient gardener with actionable tasks focused on stabilizing gardens in regenerative ways that also reduce resources used. From plant selection and soil care to garden features, prepare to face possible challenges in the garden from climate change so you can weather any storms that come along.
The 5-Minute Gardener by Nicole Johnsey Burke
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Buy the audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL: Everyone is busy in their own way, but in The 5-Minute Gardener readers can find ways to garden in just 5 minutes a day. This book goes season by season and even week by week to discuss the small ways to have an impact on your garden at any time of year to help seeds grow to harvest. With manageable habits and broken out schedules, making a little time to connect with the garden can make a big difference.
Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook by Martha Stewart
Buy the ebook here
From your OverDrive DCL: For some full coverage gardening information, this handbook has it all. The basics and more are explored, including gardening zones, planning, soil, plant varieties, maintenance, garden tools, trees and shrubs, and more specialty areas too. The in-depth information and the photos throughout offer insights to every level of gardener for every garden type- flower, vegetable, herb, succulent, shrub, etc. The guide to pollinators and winterizing tips add to this comprehensive garden guide.
The Water-Smart Garden by Noelle Johnson
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From your OverDrive DCL: Many gardeners are facing water use restrictions or are seeing more and more windows of drought and adapting to water efficient gardening methods can help gardeners all over. For various types of gardens, learn more about plant selection, soil water capacity, and landscaping with water conservation in mind. Also explore harvesting rainwater, replacing standard lawns, and container gardening. Guidance on sun exposure and microclimates within individual gardens offers more to consider when planning the garden.
An Illustrated Guide to Flower Gardening in Small Spaces by Stephanie Walker
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Buy the audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL: Add some beautiful color to any garden space with the help of this illustrated guide. While the basics are covered for starting a flower garden, the illustrations of flowers along with variety specific care guidelines are what makes this guide unique. Each flower has a difficulty level, planting and care instructions, and details on when to harvest cut flowers. There is a wide variety of blooms included making for a most helpful book bouquet.
Grow Food Anywhere by Lucy Chamberlain
Buy the ebook here
From your OverDrive DCL: For people looking to grow their own food, this book covers all types of growing conditions and the food that can be grown within them. Take a close look at your garden space to identify the zones of sun, shade, sheltered, open, moist, dry, or in between. Once the zones are figured out, discover the crops that will do best in each type of zone. Work with your garden to cater to the natural conditions and find ways to make it work, such as rain harvesting and greenhouse use. Also, with a troubleshooting guide, this book genuinely helps gardeners grow food anywhere.
Your Natural Garden by Kelly D. Norris
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From your OverDrive DCL: For those letting go of manicured lawns, the manicured garden can go too, in favor of a more natural garden. In this book, explore ways to mimic nature to help your garden thrive. Working with nature for a more biodiverse garden that supports local wildlife will help your garden grow without unnecessary disruptions to the ecosystem. Learning the connection of the garden to the larger natural world can help guide how to start and care for a more natural garden. With tips and care methods, this book is for those tending to gardens in more natural ways.
The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams
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Buy the audiobook here
From your OverDrive DCL: While the garden prep books are most helpful, there is also gardening inspiration to be found in fiction. In The Twilight Garden two neighbors work together to bring a neglected garden back to life. A once thriving neighborhood garden has fallen into overgrown disarray. When photos of the once beautiful garden are discovered, the idea takes root and neighbors Winston and Bernice overcome their differences to restore the garden oasis. As they continue to care for the garden, they start to care for each other and the neighborhood as well.
If you’re interested in exploring more titles that center around garden prep, you can explore our full Readers’ Advisory Lists!
In the Garden: Fiction and Nonfiction garden reads
Buried in the Garden: Garden, Farm, Flower Cozies
Hot off the press
New this year to our Magazine offerings is The Old Farmer’s Almanac Quarterly. Discover articles about weather, gardening, wildlife, plus recipes for your garden goods! And new this month is Small-Space Gardening 2025, a special issue on maximizing gardens in every space.
Must-Watch Films
The Gardener, 2018
Watch on Kanopy here
From the studio: Created over 75 years and three generations, Les Quatre Vents stands as an enchanted place of beauty and surprise, a horticultural masterpiece of the 21st century. See how Frank Cabot gave birth to one of the greatest gardens in the world.
The Secret Garden, 1993
Watch on Kanopy here
From the studio: In this story based on the classic family novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a young girl sent to live in her uncle’s forbidding Victorian manor discovers an invalid cousin and a garden that has fallen into disrepair. As the two children nurture their secret place, they discover wonder, power and magic within the garden.
A little Extra something
Support your community by diversifying your Libby offerings with Libby Extras. Today we’re highlighting Craftsy.
Craftsy and Craftsy en español offer resources for all creative makers, from basic instruction to advanced techniques for fabric and yarn crafts, baking, drawing, and much more- including gardening!
Test run Libby Extras to see how each service can entertain and educate your patrons.
Thank you for joining us on this week’s round up of garden prep materials! Reach out to your Digital Content Librarian or Account Manager for more information on how to provide the best content for your community.
About the author: Tori Casper has worked in academic libraries, archives, and public libraries in various roles. Now at OverDrive, she helps public libraries build and highlight their digital collections. Outside of work and reading, she enjoys hiking, gardening, wildlife photography, and planning trips to national parks. Tori is always happy to discuss all the books with strong nature settings!
