14 Best Gardening and Homesteading Books to Add to Your Collection
Even if you have a thriving community of gardening and homesteading mentors in your midst, it’s always handy to have a few paper resources on hand. There’s so much to learn from a good book – especially when you’re curious about a specific gardening subject. Whether you’re hoping to cultivate a larger flower garden or you want to focus on growing more of your own food at home, here are some of the best gardening and homesteading books to add to your library in 2021.
View this post on Instagram
On Flowers: Lessons from an Accidental Florist
If you fancy a coffee table book that will inspire you to find new and creative ways to display fresh flowers in your home, On Flowers: Lessons from an Accidental Florist is one book you need to add to your collection. Amy Merrick has a reputation for taking even the most mundane of grocery store bouquets and transforming them into something magical – and she can teach you to do the same.
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
Seed saving can be intimidating for new and advanced gardeners alike, but it doesn’t have to be. This book will teach you not only how to grow your own food but also how to save the seeds and better adapt your plants to your specific environment. It’s a wonderful resource that can easily help set you up for success.
View this post on Instagram
In Bloom: Growing, Harvesting, and Arranging Homegrown Flowers All Year Round
This book by Clare Nolan is essentially a comprehensive guide that will teach any flower enthusiast how to plan their own fresh-cut flower garden and make the most of the harvest when they come into bloom. If you have a methodical mind but love the artistry of floral arrangements and fragrant gardens, this is the book for you.
Vegetable Gardening for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Growing Vegetables at Home
There’s something inherently rewarding about growing your own food. Even people who swear up and down that they don’t like vegetables are more likely to eat them if they grew in their own backyard. But how do you get started? This book on vegetable gardening will teach you how to choose the optimal planting location, mix your own soil, start seeds and harvest them for a rich agricultural bounty.
View this post on Instagram
The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening
If you love to garden but have never encountered Monty Don, you’re in for a real treat. This revised edition is touted as the most comprehensive and practical handbook he has ever written, complete with beautiful illustrations and reflections on how he transformed the gardens at his own home in England. You won’t regret adding this priceless book to your collection.
View this post on Instagram
The Cutting Garden: Growing and Arranging Garden Flowers
How do you not only plant a cut flower garden but keep it stocked throughout the year, even as you trim and bring the blooms inside to enjoy? Sarah Raven will teach you just that and more in her book on growing and arranging garden flowers. Beginners and experienced gardeners alike can benefit from her informative and beautifully illustrated floral guide.
See more: The Best Vegetables for Container Gardening
Raised Bed Gardening for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Sustain a Thriving Garden
Let’s talk about raised bed gardening. This is becoming more and more popular with every passing year, especially now, which means this book is going to come in handy when you start thinking through your long-term gardening plans. This is a great book to pick up if you’re new to gardening or know someone who wants to get their hands dirty for the first time this year.
View this post on Instagram
Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers: Designing Gorgeous Arrangements for Every Season
Anyone who loves flowers needs a book from Floret Farm on their bookshelf. This is the ultimate handbook for anyone wanting to learn more about garden tools, caring for a cut flower garden and designing extravagant and inspiring bouquets and arrangements. It’s also pure eye candy if you want to keep it out on your coffee table all year round.
The Encyclopedia of Country Living: The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It Yourself
Homesteading guides don’t get much more comprehensive than The Encyclopedia of Country Living. Take a look for yourself at this guide on how to live off the land and tackle a bundle of homesteading projects.
View this post on Instagram
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Our Year of Seasonal Eating
While most of the books on our list are guides and handbooks, this one is more of a memoir. But trust us when we say it will inspire you to no end. Barbara Kingsolver is well-known for documenting her family’s year of attempting to eat only local food. This book celebrates local food culture and seasonal eating and will encourage you to get out in the garden as soon as possible.
See more: 12 Flower Varieties to Plant This Spring
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
Most of us didn’t grow up with root cellars, but we’re currently in a season where many homesteaders (aspiring and current) want to get back to the old-fashioned methods of canning and storing food. If that’s a passion of yours, this book will help you on your journey to get back to basics.
View this post on Instagram
The Backyard Homestead
When we dream about owning a homestead, we often think about large acreage and sprawling pastures as far as the eye can see. But you can actually cultivate a homestead in your backyard – even if you live in the suburbs. You can even make your dreams a reality on as small as a quarter of an acre.
See more: How to Start Homesteading in a Small Space
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It: The Complete Back-to-Basics Guide
More people than ever before are dreaming about self-sufficiency. If you fall into that category, this is the book to order next. Sold as a complete guide to getting back to basics, this will help you learn everything from chopping wood to baking bread and making cheese. It doesn’t get much more comprehensive than that.
View this post on Instagram
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Everyone knows and recognizes Ball Canning. But did you know they have a complete guide on preserving food? And there’s a reason it’s a bestselling book. The revised edition has been updated to include new recipes and expanded sections featuring low-sugar options and fermentation. With more than 400 recipes, you won’t run out of things to learn and can.