Every gardener I know loves gardening books. They range from the purely instructive, full of tables showing plant height, sowing schedules, recommended soil, and so on, to the inspirational. Those are the books full of pictures of lush vegetable gardens in containers or tiny spaces, of formal knotted herb gardens, of a serene getaway with the soothing pastels of shade flowers, or the riotous beauty of spring bulbs and summer perennials.

Gardening Books Make Great Gifts

Give beginning gardeners a basic resource that will cover all types of gardens in all types of climates. They will find it enormously reassuring. For those who have special challenges in terms of space or sunlight, or who are ready to move on to new experiments and experiences, specialty books abound.

Container gardening is very popular, and often the only option when space is limited. Books on the topic give the gardener great ideas for types of containers, plants that grow best in those conditions, and the special care container plants need. A book about shade gardening will be a blessing for the gardener who doesn't have enough sunshine for a conventional garden.

There are also specialized books that focus on a particular type of plant, daylilies perhaps, or tomatoes, or roses. Categories such as perennials, spring bulbs, and herbs all have their own volumes. By paying attention to what your favorite gardeners grow, and listening to complaints about what they wish they could grow, you can choose a gardening book that will be a greatly appreciated gift. There are also informational books written by professional gardeners that will give you all their secrets to growing a beautiful and healthy garden.