I have a shelf full of gardening books. When I got really interested many years ago in Roses-I bought loads of books on them, especially the Graham Thomas,the David Austin,but many others.

When I decided I wanted to grown Herbs, I invested in several books about Herbs. Being unsuccesful with the herbs-I think mostly due to the hot weather here, I find I do best with just growing my own Lavender-although I do still have a few herbs struggling along out there!

My DH loves Orchids and we have several books about them-such as when to repot and feed etc. DH keeps most of them outside (wish we had a greenhouse) and has them protected with a makeshift covering-under the huge grapefuit tree.

We did try veggie gardening a few times-and were quite unsuccessful, so gave that up!

Pat

Actually I have an entire bookcase full of gardening books ~

Some favorites include these:

In Search of Lost Roses by Thomas Christopher
Reads like a detective story, this very entertaining book describes the search for older varieties.

Visions of Roses by Peter Beales
IMO, the best eye candy out there.

A Year of Roses by Stephen Scaniello
My favorite introduction to rose growing.

Enough about roses, on to the rest of the garden

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy Disabato-Aust
The best book on this topic out there. Really.

The Undaunted Garden by Lauren Springer
A Colorado gardener describes how to have a beautiful garden under trying circumstances, and does so with a cheerful and practical tone.

Mrs. Greenthumbs by Cassandra Danz
Hysterically funny. I'm so sorry we lost her.

One Man's Garden by Henry Mitchell -- or any other of the collections of his garden essays such as The Essential Earthman
Reprints of his columns from the Washington Post

Pleasures of the Cottage Garden by Rand Lee
Of my several books on cottage gardening, I decided to recommend this one because of his quirky humor. If humor has no lure for you, try English Cottage Gardening for American Gardens by Margaret Hensel. It's good, too.

Finally, one more rose book, Vintage Garden Book of Roses by Gregg Lowery and Phillip Robinson. This is actually their nursery catalog, but many rose growers consider it to be their most valuable book. And that was before they added any color pictures.

Rosefolly (see how well named I am?)

I'm a big fan of the Elizabeth Lawrence books. She wrote gardening essays for the Charlotte Observer for years and combines an wonderful writing style with a deep garden knowledge. While the books are dated, and her region is Zone 8, they remain delightful converstations about the philosopy of gardening.

I second Paula's endorsement of The Well-Tended Perennial Garden.

I've also been buying up all the books on Mid-Atlantic gardening that I come across, trying for more gardening success by focusing on plants that actually like our area. My favorite is The Washington Post Garden Book: The Ultimate Guide to Gardening in Greater Washington and the Mid-Atlantic Region by Adrian Higgins. I have willfully ingored his advice on boxwoods to my peril. (They really don't like being sheared back heavily in this region.)

A favorite, which seems to have disappeared from my shelves, is The Perennial Gardener by Frederick McGourty. Written with style and much humor (directed at garden snobs mostly), this was one of the first gardening books I read and it taught me to go with the conditions I had.

I picked up Mrs. Whaley and her Charleston Garden at a recent book sale and I am finding it both delightful and off-putting. The grande dame with a world class garden designer and her own gardener doesn't translate well to my life, but somehow, she still enchants.

I've just started reading garden-related books and find I like rambling gardener's stories quite a bit. I am the most amateur of gardeners, so I the instructional books I have are pretty basic.

Instructional (that I've actually used with success):

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith

Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Gardening

Chatty (and quite enjoyable)

Anything garden-related by Beverley Nichols with my favorite being the first two books of the Merry Hall trilogy.

The Gardener's Bed Book, Another Gardener's Bed Book (OOP) and Truly Rural (also OOP) by Richardson Little Wright.

Gardening Letters to My Daughter by Anne Scott-James, which I've just finished.

Dear Mr. Jefferson : Letters from a Nantucket Gardener by Laura Simon.

And one novel that I thought was charming, Old Herbaceous by Reginald Arkell.

Frances, thanks for starting this thread, I will be taking lots of notes!

I've just started reading The Botany of Desire and have Seeds of Change: Six Plants that Transformed Mankind waiting.

Solstice98, I read Seeds of Change a few years ago and found it fascinating. Let us know how you like The Botany of Desire. I've looked at it a couple of times but need a nudge to pick it up.

Rosefolly

The Botany of Desire and Second Nature both by Michael Pollan are excellent.

The Truth About Garden Remedies Jeff Gilman
A scientific but readable analysis of home-brewed concoctions -- very helpful.

The American Woodland Garden Rick Darke
Gorgeous photography.

The Intimate Garden Gordon and Mary Hayward
And enviable -- this book is full of before and after pics. I especially like the weeds left
in the grass areas, lawns are so boring.

And speak of the devil, American Green:The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn Ted Steinberg
Details the brainwashing of homeowners by lawn care companies.

The Wild Gardener Peter Loewer
History, literature, botany and practical advice in brief essays -- excellent reference.

Color For Adventurous Gardeners The Late, Great Sir Christopher Lloyd
Alas, I haven't made it to Great Dixter yet. I hope the Trust is able to maintain the property.

In general, I go for text over pictures. When I browse garden books, if it has a full glossy of marigolds, I put it back on the shelf. I think that the best way to develop a gardener's eye is to visit gardens, take lots of your own pictures of things you find pleasing, and then figure out why you are drawn to the scene. Hayward's book and anything by Piet Oudolf are excellent guides to learning this process.

Just now my gardening books are spread over 4 rooms, but inspired by this thread I started organizing them. Turns out I have two hardback copies of The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy Disabato-Aust. Sigh. I hate when that happens.

Update on The Botany of Desire!

--Tiny Spoiler --

John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) was definitely NOT the man Walt Disney presented him to be!
Wholesome apples for healthful living? Not really.
Possible pedophile and liquor monger? You bet!
This is an even more fascinating read than I expected. If apples are this interesting I can't wait for tulips, cannabis and potatoes...

Getting ready to read The 64$ tomato! Should be entertaining.

Because Monet is one of my favorite artists, I enjoy reading anything about his house and gardens at Giverny, France. I think there are several books about this, but exact titles escape me....

I've just finished Botany of Desire too. Great book.

Cultivating Delight, A Natural History of My Garden by Diane Ackerman (2001).

Well,I collect garden books,especially old ones and have well over 200. There are so many wonderful authors and what to recommend depends a lot on the mood you are in. Do you want to learn something? I love Sydney Edison. Do you want to laugh? Henry Mitchell.Do you want to be transported to a beautiful place and feel as if you are part of the scenery? Celia Thaxter. I would have to agree with Socks about Diane Ackerman...she is wonderful.