February 16, 2006


The only thing better than gardening or visiting gardens is reading about gardening! I review many books here at Digging, favoring those about garden design (which is universal) and gardening in Texas or the Southwest (where regional info is essential). But I also branch out into general gardening books, memoirs, garden-project books, and even a little fiction and poetry. Here you’ll find an alphabetized list of all the books I’ve reviewed, with links to my posts about them. Click through to read my reviews.

If you click on my Books category, you can browse all my blog posts that mention gardening books, including those without reviews.

Happy reading!

Read This: Yards and Fine Foliage

Read This: Yards and Fine Foliage

April 08, 2013 Two new books from St. Lynn’s Press are well worth some of the precious real estate on your bedside table as you start making plans for your garden this spring. I’ve followed Santa Barbara, California, landscape architect, garden writer, and funny guy Billy Goodnick online for several ...
Giveaway: The Drunken Botanist and seeds to grow your own cocktails

Giveaway: The Drunken Botanist and seeds to grow your own cocktails

April 01, 2013Cocktail time!“Every great drink starts with a plant,” writes Amy Stewart in her new book The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks. “If you’re a gardener, I hope this book inspires a cocktail party.” Stewart, a former Austinite, often writes about the intersection of ...
Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? review & giveaway

Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? review & giveaway

December 11, 2012Why Grow That…You can’t help but feel curious about a gardening book titled as provocatively as this one. Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants is the work of Andrew Keys, a blogger at Garden Smackdown, the creator of Garden ...
Read This: Agaves: Living Sculptures for Landscapes and Containers

Read This: Agaves: Living Sculptures for Landscapes and Containers

December 04, 2012 Do you have an agave lover on your holiday shopping list? Or do you want to know more about these marvelous, architectural plants yourself? Or maybe, just maybe, you fantasize about plant hunting on rocky, treacherous hillsides in remote Mexico? Then check out Greg Starr’s Agaves: Living ...
Read This: The Gardener's Guide to Cactus

Read This: The Gardener’s Guide to Cactus

July 09, 2012 Cactus is one of those categories of plant that is either hated or adored. One either shuns cactus altogether or turns into a cactus nut, acquiring as many species as possible, filling one’s garden with spiny specimens, and building greenhouses (always more than one) to house freeze-tender ...
Read This: The Undaunted Garden, 2nd edition

Read This: The Undaunted Garden, 2nd edition

July 07, 2012 In 1994 my husband and I bought our first home in Austin, and I wanted to make a garden. Along the driveway a large, triangular bed, outlined by flat pieces of limestone, had already been carved out of the lawn by the previous owners. By the time ...
Gardening is a dialogue: Reading Joe Eck's Elements of Garden Design

Gardening is a dialogue: Reading Joe Eck’s Elements of Garden Design

February 13, 2012 I just finished reading Elements of Garden Design by Joe Eck, a delightful series of essays on the theory and practice of garden design. It’s a wonderful book for beginners and experienced gardeners alike, and should be read while curled up on the couch during these last ...
Read This: Handmade Garden Projects

Read This: Handmade Garden Projects

January 11, 2012 “A collection of plants, however choice and brilliantly well-tended, doesn’t become a real garden until it takes on the character and personality of the gardener behind it. The best gardens—those we fall into for hours, appearing new with every visit—are ones in which the owners are telling ...
Read This: Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens

Read This: Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens

January 03, 2012 The ongoing drought in Texas has focused the attention of gardeners, and homeowners in general, on making smarter, more sustainable choices in the garden: using plants that need less water, reducing or eliminating thirsty lawns, and embracing a more open, xeric aesthetic. These considerations, while vital here, ...
Read This: Concrete Garden Projects

Read This: Concrete Garden Projects

September 24, 2011 Are you looking for a fun garden project this fall? A way to add clean-lined flair to your garden? I have just the book recommendation for you. Concrete Garden Projects: Easy & Inexpensive Containers, Furniture, Water Features & More by Camilla Arvidsson and Malin Nilsson is a ...
Giveaway! The Edible Front Yard

Giveaway! The Edible Front Yard

June 13, 2011 My friend and colleague Ivette Soler, aka The Germinatrix, has just published her first book, The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden (Timber Press, 2011). I’m so happy for her accomplishment and am certain her book will do well. Ivette has ...
Read This: Tomorrow's Garden

Read This: Tomorrow’s Garden

June 08, 2011 I came of age as a gardener when the native-plant movement was already well-established, in a progressive city that encourages its citizens to harvest rainwater, recycle yard trimmings through a city composting program, replace lawn grass with xeric plantings, and forgo weed-and-feed chemical treatments for their lawns ...
Read This: Chanticleer, a Pleasure Garden

Read This: Chanticleer, a Pleasure Garden

June 06, 2011 I stumbled upon Chanticleer Garden by happy accident while on a driving trip down the East Coast during the summer of 2008. It was, and still is, the most engaging, playful, and beautiful garden I’ve seen. (Click here for the first of my six posts about Chanticleer.) ...
Read This: Armitage's Vines and Climbers

Read This: Armitage’s Vines and Climbers

May 04, 2011 Vertical gardening has gotten a lot of attention lately (see my recent review of Garden Up!), and deservedly so. While gardeners have always planted vines and greened up their walls, a renewed interest makes sense for those of us who garden on tight urban or fenced-in suburban ...
Garden Up! Vertical gardening cyber book party & giveaway

Garden Up! Vertical gardening cyber book party & giveaway

March 14, 2011 Today is the official launch of Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces, a new book by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet, my friends and colleagues at Garden Designers Roundtable. To celebrate, Rebecca and Susan are hosting a cyber book party with 7 great ...
Read This: The Complete Kitchen Garden

Read This: The Complete Kitchen Garden

February 25, 2011 After writing my Garden Designers Roundtable post about vegetable garden design, I picked up a book recently sent to me for review: The Complete Kitchen Garden: An Inspired Collection of Garden Designs & 100 Seasonal Recipes by Ellen Ecker Ogden, a Vermont gardener, author, and cofounder of ...
Read This: The Hot Garden
The Hot Garden: Landscape Design for the Desert Southwest, by Scott Calhoun (2009, Rio Nuevo)
April 14, 2009 “Get your desert eyes on,” Scott Calhoun urges in his new book The Hot Garden. In other words, see and appreciate the natural beauty of a country that is not lush, leafy, or green and that relies on rock and open space as much as plants for ... Keep Reading
Read This: The Landscaping Revolution
The Landscaping Revolution: Garden With Mother Nature, Not Against Her, by Andy Wasowski and Sally Wasowski (2002, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary)
May 08, 2007 Last week a friend pulled this book off her shelf and insisted I read it, enthusing that it caused an awakening for her and changed the way she looks at traditional, lawn-centered landscaping. I’m glad she told me about it. It’s a highly persuasive and entertaining book—although ... Keep Reading
Read This: The Less Is More Garden, plus a book giveaway!
The Less Is More Garden: Big Ideas for Designing Your Small Yard, by Susan Morrison (2018, Timber Press)
March 21, 2018 When I opened this book and saw the title-page photo of a tiny patio garden awash in chartreuse foliage and leafy texture, with two well-chosen pieces of garden art, a pair of acid-green chairs, and a steel fire pit, I knew I was going to love the ... Keep Reading
Read This: The Lost Words, a spell book to bring nature back to life
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris (2017, Hamish Hamilton)
November 10, 2022 For Christmas last year, I gave a book to my grown daughter that enchanted me when I paged through it in a bookstore in Maine. I carried it home and read it cover to cover, savoring its evocative poems about plants and animals and its magical illustrations, ... Keep Reading
Review of The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly, and how we can help in Texas
The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly, by Kylee Baumle (2017, St. Lynn’s Press)
October 04, 2017 The first wave of migrating monarch butterflies has reached North Texas and will be fluttering through Austin and other parts of Central Texas by next week. Despite their seeming fragility, these tenacious creatures migrate each fall as far as 2,800 miles from the northern U.S. and southern ... Keep Reading
Read This: The New Low-Maintenance Garden
The New Low-Maintenance Garden: How to Have a Beautiful, Productive Garden and the Time to Enjoy It,, by Valerie Easton (2009, Timber Press)
November 12, 2009 The New Low-Maintenance Garden: How to Have a Beautiful, Productive Garden and the Time to Enjoy It, by Valerie Easton, photography by Jacqueline M. Koch (2009) Plant lovers may reject Valerie Easton’s very premise: that you can have a low-maintenance garden by making a “non-plant-centered garden,” one ... Keep Reading
Read This: The New Southern Living Garden Book
The New Southern Living Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening, edited by Steve Bender (2015, Oxmoor House)
May 29, 2015 The New Southern Living Garden Book South by Southwest (SXSW) is not only the name of Austin’s famous music/film/interactive festival, but it also happens to be descriptive of our gardening culture. Here, the South meets the Southwest, with the Balcones Fault roughly delineating the division. Deep clay ... Keep Reading
Book review & giveaway: The Perennial Care Manual
The Perennial Care Manual: A Plant-by-Plant Guide: What to Do & When to Do It, by Nancy Ondra (2009, Storey Publishing)
August 24, 2009 New gardeners will find The Perennial Care Manual, Nancy Ondra’s latest collaboration with photographer Rob Cardillo, to be an essential reference. Everything you need to know about planning, planting, and caring for a perennial garden is here. In Part 1, titled “Perennial Care Basics,” Ondra explains in ... Keep Reading
Read This: The Pollinator Victory Garden
The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening by Kim Eierman (2020, Quarry Books)
April 22, 2020 Today is Earth Day, a reminder to do all we can to help Mother Nature and make a positive difference for the health of our planet. May I suggest a goal of making your yard or garden (or balcony or patio!) more attractive to pollinators? Gardening to ... Keep Reading
Read This: The Undaunted Garden, 2nd edition
The Undaunted Garden: Planting for Weather-Resilient Beauty, 2nd edition, by Lauren Springer Ogden (2010, Fulcrum Publishing)
July 07, 2012 In 1994 my husband and I bought our first home in Austin, and I wanted to make a garden. Along the driveway a large, triangular bed, outlined by flat pieces of limestone, had already been carved out of the lawn by the previous owners. By the time ... Keep Reading
Read This: The View from Federal Twist
The View from Federal Twist by James Golden (2021, Filbert Press)
April 01, 2022 “I am Federal Twist,” declares James Golden in the preface of his book The View From Federal Twist: A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature and Ourselves (2021). Of course all gardens are personal creations, and good ones have an expressiveness and emotional quality that transcends ... Keep Reading
Read This: Tomorrow's Garden
Tomorrow’s Garden: Design and Inspiration for a New Age of Sustainable Gardening, by Stephen Orr (2011, Rodale Books)
June 08, 2011 I came of age as a gardener when the native-plant movement was already well-established, in a progressive city that encourages its citizens to harvest rainwater, recycle yard trimmings through a city composting program, replace lawn grass with xeric plantings, and forgo weed-and-feed chemical treatments for their lawns ... Keep Reading
Read This: Under Western Skies
Under Western Skies: Visionary Gardens from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast by Caitlin Atkinson and Jennifer Jewell (2021, Timber Press)
September 16, 2021 Texas straddles the climatic line between the Southeast and the Southwest — Austin even more so, sitting smack-dab in the middle of the state. We’re not part of the Old South, except perhaps East Texas. But we’re not part of the vast West either, aside from Marfa, ... Keep Reading
Leaving a garden and starting over: Uprooted by Page Dickey
Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again by Page Dickey (2020, Timber Press)
December 02, 2020 I left my last garden 12 years ago with little regret, despite my love for that sunny cottage garden. Instead I looked forward to starting a new, larger garden in completely different conditions: from sun to shade, from deep clay soil to thinner soil over limestone, from ... Keep Reading
Read This: Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens
Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens: 200 Drought-Tolerant Choices for All Climates, by Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden (2011, Timber Press)
January 03, 2012 The ongoing drought in Texas has focused the attention of gardeners, and homeowners in general, on making smarter, more sustainable choices in the garden: using plants that need less water, reducing or eliminating thirsty lawns, and embracing a more open, xeric aesthetic. These considerations, while vital here, ... Keep Reading
Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? review & giveaway
Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants, by Andrew Keys (2012, Timber Press)
December 11, 2012 Why Grow That…You can’t help but feel curious about a gardening book titled as provocatively as this one. Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants is the work of Andrew Keys, a blogger at Garden Smackdown, the creator of ... Keep Reading
Read This: Wildflowers of Texas
Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason (2018, Timber Press)
February 20, 2019 An advance guard of bluebonnets scattered across the grassy shoulder of MoPac at Bee Cave Road augurs blue battalions soon to arrive. When they do, green roadsides will surrender and turn sky-blue, touching off the annual frenzy of bluebonnet peeping and photo ops. Parents will crouch before ... Keep Reading
Read This: Windcliff by Daniel Hinkley
Windcliff: A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens by Daniel J. Hinkley, photography by Claire Takacs (2020, Timber Press)
September 16, 2020 “There is no magic or revelation,” world-renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley modestly declares in the preface of his book Windcliff: A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens (Timber Press, 2020), just “my attempt to convey my thoughts on good gardening as applied to my own climate and surroundings.” ... Keep Reading

The 20-30 Something Garden Guide: A No Fuss, Down and Dirty Gardening 101 for Anyone Who Wants to Grow Stuff by Dee Nash (2014, St. Lynn’s Press)

101 Organic Gardening Hacks: Eco-friendly Solutions to Improve Any Garden by Shawna Coronado (2017, Cool Springs Press)

Adventures in Eden: An Intimate Tour of the Private Gardens of Europe by Carolyn Mullet (2020, Timber Press)

Agaves: Living Sculptures for Landscapes and Containers by Greg Starr (2012, Timber Press)

The American Meadow Garden: Creating a Natural Alternative to the Traditional Lawn by John Greenlee (2009, Timber Press)

American Roots: Lessons and Inspiration from the Designers Reimagining Our Home Gardens by Nick McCullough, Allison McCullough, and Teresa Woodard (2022, Timber Press)

Ann Lovejoy’s Organic Garden Design School by Ann Lovejoy (2004, Rodale Books)

Armitage’s Vines and Climbers: A Gardener’s Guide to the Best Vertical Plants by Allan M. Armitage (2010, Timber Press)

The Art of Gardening: Design Inspiration and Innovative Planting Techniques from Chanticleer by R. William Thomas (2015, Timber Press)

The Art of Outdoor Living: Gardens for Entertaining Family and Friends by Scott Shrader (2019, Rizzoli)

The Artful Garden: Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design by James van Sweden, with Tom Christopher (2011, Random House)

Backyards: A Sunset Design Guide by the editors of Sunset Books (2009, Sunset Books)

The Beast in the Garden: The True Story of a Predator’s Deadly Return to Suburban America by David Baron (2005, W. W. Norton & Company)

Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers + Florists by Teresa J. Speight (2022, BLOOM Imprint)

Bloom’s Best Perennials and Grasses: Expert Plant Choices and Dramatic Combinations for Year-Round Gardens by Adrian Bloom (2010, Timber Press)

The Bold Dry Garden: Lessons from The Ruth Bancroft Garden by Johanna Silver (2016, Timber Press)

The Bulb Hunter by Chris Wiesinger and William C. Welch (2013, Texas A&M University Press)

The Cancer Survivor’s Garden Companion: Cultivating Hope, Healing and Joy in the Ground Beneath Your Feet by Jenny Peterson (2016, St. Lynn’s Press)

Chanticleer, A Pleasure Garden by Adrian Higgins, photographs by Rob Cardillo (2011, University of Pennsylvania Press)

Chasing Wildflowers: A Mad Search for Wild Gardens by Scott Calhoun (2007, Rio Nuevo)

A Child’s Calendar: Poems by John Updike, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (2002, Holiday House)

A Child’s Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents by Molly Dannenmaier (1998, Simon & Schuster)

The Cocktail Hour Garden: Creating Evening Landscapes for Relaxation and Entertaining by C.L. Fornari (2016, St. Lynn’s Press)

The Complete Kitchen Garden: An Inspired Collection of Garden Designs & 100 Seasonal Recipes by Ellen Ecker Ogden (2011, Stewart, Tabori and Chang)

Concrete Garden Projects: Easy & Inexpensive Containers, Furniture, Water Features & More by Camilla Arvidsson and Malin Nilsson (2011, Timber Press)

The Cultivated Wild: Gardens and Landscapes by Raymond Jungles (2015, The Monacelli Press)

Cultivating Garden Style: Inspired Ideas and Practical Advice to Unleash Your Garden Personality by Rochelle Greayer (2014, Timber Press)

Deer-Resistant Design: Fence-Free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer by Karen Chapman (2019, Timber Press)

Desert Gardens of Steve Martino by Caren Yglesias, photographs by Steve Gunther (2018, The Monacelli Press)

Designer Plant Combinations: 105 Stunning Gardens Using Six Plants or Fewer by Scott Calhoun (2008, Storey Publishing)

Designing with Succulents, revised 2nd edition, by Debra Lee Baldwin (2017, Timber Press)

Designing with Succulents by Debra Lee Baldwin (2007, Timber Press)

Dreamscapes: Inspiration and Beauty in Gardens Near and Far by Claire Takacs (2018, Hardie Grant Books)

The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks by Amy Stewart (2013, Algonquin Books)

Dry Climate Gardening: Growing Beautiful, Sustainable Gardens in Low-Water Conditions by Noelle Johnson (2023, Cool Springs Press)

Dry Gardens: High Style for Low Water Gardens by Daniel Nolan (2018, Rizzoli)

Du Pont Gardens of the Brandywine Valley by photographer Larry Lederman and writer Marta McDowell (2023, Monacelli)

The Earth in Her Hands: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants by Jennifer Jewell (2020, Timber Press)

The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden by Ivette Soler (2011, Timber Press)

Elements of Garden Design by Joe Eck (2005, North Point Press)

The Essential Garden Book: Getting Back to Basics by Terence Conran and Dan Pearson (1998, Clarkson Potter)

Fearless Color Gardens: The Creative Gardener’s Guide to Jumping Off the Color Wheel by Keeyla Meadows (2009, Timber Press)

Fearless Gardening: Be Bold, Break the Rules, Grow What You Love by Loree Bohl (2021, Timber Press)

Fine Foliage: Elegant Plant Combinations for Garden and Container by Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz (2013, St. Lynn’s Press)

From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden by Amy Stewart (2000, Algonquin Books)

Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass, 2nd edition, by Liz Primeau (2010, Firefly Books)

The Garden Bible: Designing Your Perfect Outdoor Space by Barbara Ballinger and Michael Glassman (2016, Images Publishing)

The Garden Refresh: How to Give Your Yard Big Impact on a Small Budget by Kier Holmes (2022, Timber Press)

Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet (2011, Cool Springs Press)

Garden Wonderland: Create Life-Changing Outdoor Spaces for Beauty, Harvest, Meaning, and Joy by Leslie Bennett and Julie Chai (2024, Ten Speed Press)

The Gardener’s Guide to Cactus: The 100 Best Paddles, Barrels, Columns, and Globes by Scott Calhoun (2012, Timber Press)

Gardening with Foliage First: 127 Dazzling Combinations that Pair the Beauty of Leaves with Flowers, Bark, Berries, and More by Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz (2017, Timber Press)

Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces by Michelle Slatalla (2016, Artisan)

Gardens Are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces by Judy Kameon (2014, Rizzoli)

Gardens of Awe and Folly: A Traveler’s Journal on the Meaning of Life and Gardening by Vivian Swift (2016, Bloomsbury)

Gardens of the High Line: Elevating the Nature of Modern Landscapes by Piet Oudolf and Rick Darke (2017, Timber Press)

The Gardens of Japan by Helena Attlee, photographs by Alex Ramsay (2017, Frances Lincoln)

Gardens in Detail: 100 Contemporary Designs by Emma Reuss (2014, The Monacelli Press)

Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces by Jan Johnsen (2019, The Countryman Press)

The Grumpy Gardener: An A to Z Guide from the Galaxy’s Most Irritable Green Thumb by Steve Bender (2017, Oxmoor House)

Hand-Built Outdoor Furniture: 20 Step-by-Step Projects Anyone Can Build by Katie Jackson (2016, Timber Press)

Handmade Garden Projects: Step-by-Step Instructions for Creative Garden Features, Containers, Lighting & More by Lorene Edwards Forkner (2011, Timber Press)

Hellstrip Gardening: Create a Paradise Between the Sidewalk and the Curb by Evelyn Hadden (2014, Timber Press)

The High Line: Foreseen/Unforeseen by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro (2015, Phaidon Press)

Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love by Julie Moir Messervy (2009, Taunton Press)

Hot Color, Dry Garden: Inspiring Designs and Vibrant Plants for the Waterwise Gardener by Nan Sterman (2018, Timber Press)

The Hot Garden: Landscape Design for the Desert Southwest by Scott Calhoun (2009, Rio Nuevo)

How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest, revised edition, by Jill Nokes (2001, University of Texas Press)

Hummelo: A Journey Through a Plantsman’s Life by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury (2015, The Monacelli Press)

Hummingbird Plants of the Southwest by Marcy Scott (2015, Rio Nuevo Publishers)

Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants by Kylee Baumle and Jenny Peterson (2013, St. Lynn’s Press)

Japanese Zen Gardens by Yoko Kawaguchi (2014, Aurum Publishing Group)

Landprints: The Landscape Designs of Bernard Trainor by Susan Heeger (2013, Princeton Architectural Press)

The Landscaping Revolution: Garden With Mother Nature, Not Against Her by Andy Wasowski and Sally Wasowski (2002, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary)

The Less Is More Garden: Big Ideas for Designing Your Small Yard by Susan Morrison (2018, Timber Press)

Let’s Care for Texas Plants by Colleen Dieter (2021, Colleen Dieter)

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris (2017, Anansi International)

The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly by Kylee Baumle (2017, St. Lynn’s Press)

Mrs. Whaley and Her Charleston Garden by Emily Whaley in conversation with William Baldwin (1997, Algonquin Books)

Native and Adapted Landscape Plants: An Earthwise Guide for Central Texas by the City of Austin’s Grow Green Program (booklet updated regularly)

Native Texas Gardens: Maximum Beauty Minimum Upkeep by Sally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski (2003, Taylor Trade Publishing)

Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region, 2nd edition, by Sally Wasowski and Andy Wasowski (1997, Lone Star Books)

Natural Gardening in Small Spaces by Noel Kingsbury (2006, Timber Press)

New Garden Design: Inspiring Private Paradises by Zahid Sardar, photographs by Marion Brenner (2008, Gibbs Smith)

The New Low-Maintenance Garden: How to Have a Beautiful, Productive Garden and the Time to Enjoy It by Valerie Easton (2009, Timber Press)

The New Southern Living Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening, edited by Steve Bender (2015, Oxmoor House)

The Nonstop Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide to Smart Plant Choices and Four-Season Designs by Stephanie Cohen & Jennifer Benner (2010, Timber Press)

Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home by Julie Moir Messervy and Sarah Susanka (2006, Taunton Press)

Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration: 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy by Page Dickey (2015, Stewart, Tabori and Chang)

Patio & Stone: A Sunset Design Guide by the editors of Sunset Books (2009, Sunset Books)

People with Dirty Hands: The Passion for Gardening by Robin Chotzinoff (1996, Wiley)

The Perennial Care Manual: A Plant-by-Plant Guide: What to Do & When to Do It by Nancy Ondra (2009, Storey Publishing)

Photographing Austin, San Antonio & the Texas Hill Country: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them by Laurence Parent (2012, The Countryman Press)

Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens that Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit by Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden (2008, Timber Press)

Plants with Benefits: An Uninhibited Guide to the Aphrodisiac Herbs, Fruits, Flowers & Veggies in Your Garden by Helen Yoest (2014, St. Lynn’s Press)

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West (2015, Timber Press)

The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening by Kim Eierman (2020, Quarry Books)

Potted: Make Your Own Stylish Garden Containers by Annette Goliti Gutierrez and Mary Gray (2017, Timber Press)

Private Gardens of the Pacific Northwest by Brian D. Coleman, with photographs by William Wright (2021, Gibbs Smith)

Private Gardens of Santa Barbara: The Art of Outdoor Living by Margie Grace (2020, Gibbs Smith)

Refresh Your Garden Design with Color, Texture & Form by Rebecca Sweet (2013, Horticulture Books)

The Roses at the End of the Road by Pat Leuchtman (2011, Fiftyshift.com)

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)

Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds: A Personal Tour of 20 Private Gardens by Victoria Summerley (2015, Quarto Publishing USA).

So You Want to Be a Garden Designer: How to Get Started, Grow, and Thrive in the Landscape Design Business by Love Albrecht Howard (2010, Timber Press)

Spirit of Place: The Making of a New England Garden by Bill Noble (2020, Timber Press)

The Spirit of Stone: 101 Practical & Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden by Jan Johnson (2017, St. Lynn’s Press)

Striking Succulent Gardens: Plants and Plans for Designing Your Low-Maintenance Landscape by Gabriel Frank (2021, Ten Speed Press)

Succulent Container Gardens: Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants by Debra Lee Baldwin (2010, Timber Press)

Succulents: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Designing, and Growing 200 Easy-Care Plants by Robin Stockwell (2017, Oxmoor House)

Succulents Simplified: Growing, Designing, and Crafting with 100 Easy-Care Varieties by Debra Lee Baldwin (2013, Timber Press)

Sugar Snaps and Strawberries: Simple Solutions for Creating Your Own Small-Space Edible Garden by Andrea Bellamy (2011, Timber Press)

Sunset Backyards for Kids: Playhouses, Sandboxes, Tree Forts, Swing Sets, Sports Areas, and More by the editors of Sunset Books (2008, Oxmoor House)

Sunset Big Ideas for Small Gardens: Featuring Dave Egbert’s Garden Notebook by the editors of Sunset Books (2007, Oxmoor House)

Sunset Hillside Landscaping: A Complete Guide to Successful Gardens on Sloping Ground by the editors of Sunset Books (2007, Oxmoor House)

Sunset Sheds & Garages: Building Ideas and Plans for Every Shape of Storage Structure by the editors of Sunset Books (2008, Oxmoor House)

Sunset Trellises & Arbors: Over 35 Step-by-step Projects You Can Build by the editors of Sunset Books (2008, Oxmoor House)

Sunset Walks, Walls & Patio Floors: Build with Brick, Stone, Pavers, Concrete, Tile and More by the editors of Sunset Books (2008, Oxmoor House)

Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings: The Ultimate Guide to Low-Water Beds, Borders, and Containers by the editors of Sunset Books (2015, Oxmoor House)

Sunset Western Landscaping Book, 2006 edition, edited by Kathleen Norris Brenzel (2006, Oxmoor House)

Taming Wildflowers: Bringing the Beauty and Splendor of Nature’s Blooms into Your Own Backyard by Miriam Goldberger (2014, St. Lynn’s Press)

Texas Getting Started Garden Guide: Grow the Best Flowers, Shrubs, Trees, Vines & Groundcovers by Mary Irish (2013, Cool Springs Press)

Texas Month-by-Month Gardening: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year by Robert “Skip” Richter (2014, Cool Springs Press)

Tomorrow’s Garden: Design and Inspiration for a New Age of Sustainable Gardening by Stephen Orr (2011, Rodale Books)

The Undaunted Garden: Planting for Weather-Resilient Beauty, 2nd edition, by Lauren Springer Ogden (2010, Fulcrum Publishing)

Under Western Skies: Visionary Gardens from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast by photographer Caitlin Atkinson and writer Jennifer Jewell (2021, Timber Press)

Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again by Page Dickey (2020, Timber Press)

The View From Federal Twist: A New Way of Thinking About Gardens, Nature and Ourselves by James Golden (2021, Filbert Press)

Water Features for Small Gardens by Ethne Clarke (1998, Ward Lock Ltd)

Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens: 200 Drought-Tolerant Choices for All Climates by Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden (2011, Timber Press)

Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants by Andrew Keys (2012, Timber Press)

Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason (2018, Timber Press)

Windcliff: A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens by Daniel J. Hinkley, photographs by Claire Takacs (2020, Timber Press)

The World of Garden Design: Inspiring Ideas from Around the Globe to Your Backyard by Susan Dooley and the editors of Garden Design magazine (2000, Chronicle Books)

Yard Full of Sun: The Story of a Gardener’s Obsession that Got a Little Out of Hand by Scott Calhoun (2005, Rio Nuevo)

Yards: Turn Any Outdoor Space Into the Garden of Your Dreams by Billy Goodnick (2013, St. Lynn’s Press)