The best gardening books to read

Whether you’re a gardening pro or just getting started, reading the right books can massively improve your gardening prowess. New techniques get discovered, and if you’re not reading up then you’re falling behind.

Don’t worry. We’ve found the very best books to help keep your gardening knowledge in tip top shape. Our top picks for the best gardening books are:

• The Complete Gardener, by Monty Don
• Complete Gardener’s Manual, by DK
• Planting for Wildlife, by Jane Moore
• Jekka’s Complete Herb Book, by Jekka McVicar
• Gardens of the High Line, by Piet Oudolf and Rick Darke

With so many gardening books out there, it can be a struggle to find the right one. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to create a look that’s easy on the eye, or setting up veg patches. We’ve found the best gardening books to help. 

If you’re looking for a brand new, comprehensive book about gardening you could do a lot worse than The Complete Gardener by Monty Don. 

In his book, Monty (a famous horticulturist) provides his own top tips for creating your perfect garden. There are even images of his garden to provide you with ideas for building outdoor spaces. 

You may be pleased to know that the book also contains useful information about different types of gardens. For example, how to deal with dry soil. This is all information you could pass onto your clients when renovating their garden. 

Whether you are new to gardening or already have your green fingers, you’ll want to check out all 440 pages of Monty Don’s picturesque book. 

With chapters on planning, planting and growing, the Complete Gardener’s Manual is excellent for teaching you the basics of gardening. Using the information within, you should be able to create spectacular and thriving gardens. 

The Complete Gardener’s Manual is also filled with super-helpful diagrams and illustrations. From “building a raised bed” to “creating a patio”, this book has everything you need to know. 

Sometimes, a client might have a weed or pest problem. Instead of passing them on to someone else, this book can help you deal with the issue. That way, more money goes into your pocket and your business gets more profitable. 

Everything is explained in a clear and thoughtful way, so you should have no issue understanding why something needs to be done. 

Instead of missing out, read this book and help your business flourish. 

If your clients want to turn their garden into a thriving ecosystem teeming with wildlife, then Planting for Wildlife is your next stop. This funky little book has a gorgeous art style throughout, and is designed to get gardens filled with life. 

This book by Jane Moore is part of a set, all designed to improve the biodiversity of gardens. Her other two books, Planting for Butterflies and Planting for Honeybees are perfect expansions when you’re finished with this one. 

But what are the benefits of bringing wildlife into your garden? 

There are actually a few reasons why someone would want animals and insects in their gardens. First of all, encouraging creatures to visit a green patch can reduce the number of garden pests. But they can also help improve mental health and emotional wellbeing. 

This book gives you loads of different tips and tricks that you can translate to your customer’s garden. When you’re done incorporating these ideas with your own twist, your client is sure to love it. 

While Jekka’s Complete Herb Book was published back in 2009, it’s the perfect entry for learning about planting herbs. Your culinary customers might already have some herbs on their windowsill, but this book can help you expand their collection.

If you’re wondering why you should listen to Jekka McVicar, she’s the creator and custodian of the UK’s premier herb farm. She also has over 30 years of experience in the field, so her knowledge is well earned. 

Jekka’s Complete Herb Book contains over 350 varieties of herbs. While we don’t suggest planting all of them, they can make great inspiration for designing unique and functional garden spaces. 

If you fancy incorporating her advice into your own garden, she also includes some culinary tips for how to use each herb. 

Want to use gardening to create a piece of living art for your clients? You can do exactly that with Gardens of the High Line in hand. Oudolf’s arrangement of plants and grasses creates gorgeous examples of structure and colour. 

Using this book, you can replicate his techniques to create your own unique styles. Whether you’re intending to use exotic plants from abroad, or something a little more local, Gardens of the High Line is sure to get creative juices flowing. 

This book is filled with stunning images, all designed to showcase the rich and natural beauty of a once-abandoned landscape. By reading this book, you can get ideas to improve even the most troublesome gardens. 

Mastering some of the techniques covered in these books can lead to you getting better reviews and working for more clients. Since you’ll have to manage a greater income, it’s better you set the groundwork sooner rather than later. 

You can do this with the Conutingup app. As a two-in-one accounting software and business current account, Countingup offers excellent control over your finances. 

One of the most useful features is the invoice management. Using the app, you can create custom invoices and send them to clients. Better yet, when your client pays, their payment gets automatically matched to that specific invoice.

If you’re interested in saving hours on your financial management, give Countingup a shot. 
Download the app for free.