The warmth of the summer sun beckons new life out from the dirt and into our hearts. Summer gardening is an avid pastime for many, but now with the current restrictions and precautions, more people than ever are dedicating time and space to their gardens. Whether you have a green thumb and a full backyard or are just beginning with a modest kitchen window planter, this reading list is sure to dig up information and inspiration for your gardening pursuits.

Discoveries in the Garden, by James B. Nardi

 “Nardi’s wonderful new book is a must for anyone who wants to be an informed observer of and participant in the life of their garden. From the architecture of plant tissue to the magic shop of plant chemistry, Nardi shows how plants have evolved strategies to help them thrive and offers simple experiments allowing readers to ask them questions. I will never look at the brilliant colors of fall leaves or sniff the fragrance my tomato plants leave on my hands without thanking him for this book.” Kristin Ohlson, author of The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet

Darwin’s Most Wonderful Plants: A Tour of his Botanical Legacy, by Ken Thompson

 “This is a fascinating insight into the scientist’s sheer delight in observing the minutiae of living organisms. Intuitive he may have been, but it was the painstaking hours spent on detailed observation that put him in a position to generate his larger ideas.” Gardens Illustrated

Plant Families: A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists, by Ross Bayton and Simon Maughan

“A visually engaging introduction to systematics that would make a perfect gift or decorative tabletop book for almost any level of budding horticulturist. Its beauty does not detract from the bite-sized knowledge that it imparts, but rather works well to pull in the novice reader and maybe even attract a few future botanists.” Economic Botany

Lessons from the Great Gardeners: Forty Gardening Icons and What They Teach Us, by Matthew Biggs

“However their dreams were realized, author Biggs writes about the forty icons covered in his book, their aim was the same: to perfect the art of the garden. What special innovation in technique, exceptional plants, or flair with color or design did each of those forty hand down to the rest of us? Biggs’s book is loaded with their garden wisdoms, and also with the charming tale of each luminary and how they got to the garden in the first place.” Margaret Roach, author of A Way to Garden

A Portable Latin for Gardeners: More Than 1,500 Essential Plant Names and the Secretes They Contain, by James Armitage

A Portable Latin for Gardeners is the perfect quick reference for working in the garden, shopping for plants, or doing botanical research—and no prior knowledge of Latin is required. The 1,500 terms are grouped by categories, making it easy to describe color, size, form, habitat, scent, taste, and time. Rich botanical illustrations make this guide as beautiful as it is useful, while a durable flexi-bound cover means the book can withstand both days in the garden and evenings on the nightstand.

All of these books are available now from our website or your favorite bookseller.