Every Christmas I love to ask for gardening books. It’s such an exciting time for me to start dreaming of what’s to come and what’s possible. My collection had grown pretty big through the years and I wanted to take this time to share my favorite books for nature lovers like me or those who are looking to learn more.
Second Nature – Michael Pollen
This book woke me up early on to the abserdity of trying to tame or control nature for our own purposes. You get a history lesson in why American gardens are the way they are today with a nostalgic remembrance of the landscapes we grew up with.
Gaia’s Garden– Chelsea Green
This was my first book on permaculture and is great for a beginning and intermediate gardener. I personally have a small urban lot and not acres of land so I had to adapt the information to suit what I am working with.
Living Earth Devotional– Clea Danaan
With 365 daily green practices for sacred connection, you have an activity or though to ponder each day that awakens you to the nature spirits.
Peralandra Garden Workbook – Machaelle Small Wright
For those who are comfortable getting a little woo-woo or are into working with their intuition, the Perelandra Garden is one of a kind. It’s packed with information on how to work with nature spirits and your own intuition to build a thriving garden that honors the earth. I use her tips to plan out my seedlings. It’s a fun way to vision your garden.
Evolutionary Herbalism – Sajah Popham
This is more a scholarly read for those who like science writing. At the core of it the author discusses the spiritual nature and guidance that plants can provide. With lots of history on our spiritual connection to nature you are sure to learn something new.
The Uninhabitable Earth – David Wallace-Wells
This is not an uplifting book. It is an important book. Well researched David Wallace-Wells talks about what is to come as our climate continues to warm and it’s not pretty. It’s important for us to understand the gravity of the situation so we can act now and act fast. Highly recommended.
437 Edible Wild Plants of the Rocky Mountain West- Caleb Warnock
With the goal of incorporating more native plants into the urban landscape I often use this book as a guide. Why not have a plant that not only looks beautiful but also can be harvested. With gorgeous illustrations on every page to help with identification this is a hiker companions dream.
The Kitchen Garden- Alan Buckingham
One of my first gardening books. It’s a super easy monthly breakdown of gardening activities. Very well illustrated and simple, to the point instructions I recommend this for the beginning gardener.
I hope you enjoy exploring some of these titles. What are some of your favorite nature inspired literature?
