Outstanding Vegetable Gardening Books For Your Bookshelf

 

If you’ve been dreaming about harvesting food from your garden throughout the winter, this book is for you. Niki Jabbour, the author, is one of the people who inspired me to really commit myself to experimenting with extending the season in my own garden.

 

She lives in a cold climate in Canada, so if she can do it, you can, too! And as a bonus, if you follow her on social media you’ll be treated to lots of photos of her snowy, winter garden and the produce she’s harvesting from it. Read some of the great reviews about her book here.

 

By now you probably know that in addition to having a garden that produces a lot of food, I also want my garden to be a gorgeous part of my landscape. I was intrigued by this title because I don’t often see other garden writers talking about the aesthetics of growing vegetables.

 

Matthew Benson runs a small, specialty CSA in upstate New York and is also a garden photographer. The book is a visually striking one to hold in your hands. It’s the perfect eye candy for a gray winter day. Read more about it here.

 

 

 

 

This book was written by the two guys who run the Seattle Urban Farm Company, a business that designs, installs and maintains restaurant and home gardens in that area.

 

They have an organic farming background and their approach to growing food is very similar to mine. I agree with most of the advice and information that they give throughout the book, and they present several topics in some fresh, new ways. Find it here.

 

 

 

.

Veggie Garden Remix, by Niki Jabbour

A book after my own heart! I love experimenting with fun new vegetables and varieties and this book gave me some great ideas of alternatives to try out next season. Get your copy here.

 

 

Rosalind Creasy is pretty famous in the gardening world. She’s one of the first people who wrote about edible landscaping and she has a passion for growing beautiful vegetables. A woman after my own heart!

 

If you’ve been thinking about incorporating more colorful and interesting vegetables into your garden, check out this book, or one of her many others.

 

 

Permaculture has been a buzz word in the gardening world for over a decade, but it’s a big topic and can be confusing to gardeners. This book breaks down different ideas in permaculture and translates them into concrete projects you can create in your own garden.

 

This is the book that inspired me to build my front yard herb spiral. It’s one of the most asked about features of my garden. Find this book here.

 

Kitchen Garden Revival
This is a beautiful book with very picture-worthy gardens. The author owns a kitchen garden installation business in Houston and shares the steps they take to create attractive and productive vegetable gardens.

This is a great book for inspiration for your own garden design. Get your copy  here.

 

Garden Alchemy: 80 Recipes and Concoctions for Organic Fertilizers, Plant Elixirs, Potting Mixes, Pest Deterrents, and More

I’ve met Stephanie Rose, the author, at a conference a few years ago and have been a guest on her blog. In this book she shares lots of DIY recipes for everything from soil and mulches to garden teas and pest traps.

It’s a fun book for those who like to experiment in the garden. Grab a copy here.

A Woman’s Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things

I’ve enjoyed following the author of this book, Tanya Anderson, over the years. She’s an American living on the Isle of Mann and has an allotment (community garden plot) and a home garden.

In addition to being a vegetable gardener she’s also a soap-maker and a popular Youtube vlogger. Order your copy here.

Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden

Two of Niki Jabbour’s other books are one this list, and this latest one didn’t disappoint either.

She installed a high tunnel in her Canadian garden a few years ago and it’s been fun watching her experiment and grow in it. I want one, too! Read more about this book here.

Super Easy Food Preserving: Quick Techniques for Fresh, Fridge and Freeze Storage

My first book is focused on showing you that preserving food is simple! It doesn’t have to be difficult or take up a lot of time. And if you think canning is the only option I teach you how easy it can be to use your basement, fridge and freezer instead.

Join me in putting away plenty of healthy and delicious produce for off season eating without spending a lot of time doing it. Check out a sample of the book here.

Fermented Vegetables
My first attempt at fermenting vegetables ended up in the compost pile because I didn’t follow the directions of a trusted source like this one. Once I got the basics down (taught by this book in a clear manner) I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with their recipes.

 

This book explains the simple process step by step so that you end up with a high-quality product after several weeks. Definitely my go-to book! Check it out here.

Fiery Ferments: Hot Sauces, Spicy Chutneys, Kimchis with a Kick and Other Blazing Fermented Condiments

This book is authored by the same couple as the title above. Once you master fermentation it’s time to kick it up a notch!

I love growing hot peppers, so I had to by this book! Read more about it here.

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

Additional Resources for Vegetable Gardening Book Lovers

AMAZON COLLECTION: I collected all of these titles for easy reference in my Amazon shop.

BOOKSHOP COLLECTION: If you prefer to support local bookstores, you can find the collection of these titles in my Favorite Vegetable Gardening Books list on Bookshop here. I also keep a lists of what books I’ve read recently, favorite books by authors of color, and new gardening books to watch out for.

BLOG POSTS:

If you love books as much as I do then you’re probably always looking for more recommendations to put on your list. Here are some more of mine:

Vibrant Cookbooks Every Gardener Should Own

My Top Recommended Books of the Year (2018)

Don’t let the long, dark nights of winter pass you by without taking pleasure in a big pile of these best gardening books. The off season is a great opportunity to let your mind dream, plan, and imagine all the fun things you’ll do once spring has sprung and you can return to the pleasure of sinking your hands into the soil again.

I’d love to hear your picks for favorite gardening books. Leave a suggestion in the comments under this post.

 

SHARE IT ON PINTEREST