Gardening Books that Have Shaped Serendipity Gardens

I started collecting gardening books when I began Serendipity Gardens.

Here are five of my favorites that talk about the “why” of gardens — and the reasons I like them. In one way or another, they have shaped my gardening choices and have made Serendipity Gardens what it is. In my post next week, I will focus on books that are more about the “how” of gardening.

Second Nature, by Michael Pollan. I like this book particularly because it is so well- reasoned and thoughtful (as all books by Pollan are). It was one of the first books I read on what it means to garden, why we do it, and what our relationship to nature is. Ultimately, I think, it finds the right balance between gardening for nature and gardening for oneself, the balance between using nature and damaging it.

The book is also full of stories and anecdotes that make for good reading, from Pollan’s first memories of his grandfather’s garden to his battles with a groundhog in his own garden and his ruminations about that struggle. It’s a thoughtful book that asks and answers questions about gardening that may never have occurred to you, but that will open your eyes and make you think.

 

Bringing Nature Home, by Douglas Tallamy. This book, a recent read, teaches me a lot about planting for wildlife and provides me with sound reasons why I should consider plant origin when choosing plants going forward. Plus, it offers interesting research about the benefits of native plants compared to “alien” plants —  and surprising statistics. For example, did you know that a native oak can support over 400 varieties of lepidoptera? The book also offers extensive lists of native plants for various areas in the country.

 

Noah’s Garden, by Sarah Stein. I picked this book up by accident in the original Border’s bookstore, and wow, I was floored and fascinated. This was the first book to educate me on what an ecosystem is and how a healthy one works. It was my main inspiration for wanting to create a healthy ecosystem in my own back yard.

I recognized something of a kindred spirit in Stein, as I knew I was far more interested in watching the frogs in my pond than I was in knowing the name of every rose bush in my garden. Also because of Stein, I am able to be philosophical rather than utterly horrified when I see a hawk kill a dove or a snake eat a frog (both of which have happened in my garden), because I know the ecosystem is at work. In Stein’s view, backyard gardeners have much to offer in terms of rebuilding habitat for wildlife, particularly if they work together to create bigger swaths of habitat than one gardener alone can manage.

 

Paths of Desire: The Passions of a Suburban Gardener, by Dominique Browning. This is the story of a woman re-building her garden. It’s a great read … enough so that I have read it at least twice. It’s lighthearted and funny in places, and in others, it tackles serious gardening questions such as our relationships with animals in the garden and with neighbors who have different gardening philosophies.

The design of Browning’s garden honors the plants that were originally there when she moved into the house, and it also honors her and the way she and her two sons make use of the outdoors. The front pages in my copy have a hand-drawn map of the garden that it’s nice to refer to when reading chapters about the various garden areas.

 

Mrs. Greenthumbs, by Cassandra Danz. If you want a good laugh, this is a book for you. One of the first gardening books I read, it’s hilariously funny. The author frequently alludes to the sex that goes on in a garden (amongst the plants, that is!). She makes herself the butt of the joke in story after story. She makes gardening seem like such a fun thing to do. She also offers sound design principles. After reading the book, I knew I needed to make all my garden beds wider to have good proportions … and so we did.

This is another book that offers hand-drawn pictures of the author’s garden, which I like.

Do you have favorite garden books that inspire you? Please share if you do.

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