Best Garden Hacks: 7 Gardening Books For Newbies

Many novice gardeners attribute their successful yield to the many books they read. Whether you want to learn about what crops to grow or find a suitable garden design, the best gardening books will surely help you. New to gardening? In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best garden hack books for beginners to help you in your gardening journey.
Most of the gardening books are drawn from personal experiences of professional gardeners. With that said, you’re likely to find an answer and solution to any gardening difficulty you’re experiencing.
Not everyone is lucky to be given guidance by a professional gardener on how to start gardening properly. If you’re not as fortunate, consider investing in a few well-written books. They will lead you to the right path in order to achieve your goals.
Price and Quality
However, be mindful of the gardening books you buy, most especially when it comes to price range and the scope and quality of information they contain. As a novice gardener, keep in mind that there are many expenses, such as gardening tools, seeds, and more, so you shouldn’t spend too much on your first gardening book. Your goal is to buy a reasonably-priced book that will help you get started on your gardening journey.
Comparison Chart

Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening
If you're inspired to start an organic garden, choosing the Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening by Deborah L. Martin could be beneficial. This guidebook speaks directly to the enthusiasm, goals, and, of course, the need for solid information of a newbie gardener. It also comes from one of the most trusted sources for organic gardening practices.

The Flower Gardener's Bible
This comprehensive book includes expert advice on everything about flowers. Beautiful illustrations and photographs accompany useful tips on how to improve soil, prevent pests, and make all your flowers bloom with bright colors. Whether you’re a novice gardener or a seasoned florist, The Flower Gardener’s Bible is an excellent resource to help keep the garden of your dreams healthy and beautiful for many years to come.

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition
Would you like to learn how to make fresh salads using produce from your homegrown garden? Edward Smith’s The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible provides the complete guide on this topic. You’ll learn how to grow almost all kinds of vegetables under the sun, from simple ones like tomatoes and carrots to the more advanced produce.

The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual
If you're into the idea of keeping houseplants but struggle to care for them, you'll find invaluable advice in this complete guide from expert gardener Barbara Pleasant. Even seasoned houseplant enthusiasts will benefit from the expansive content of this book about indoor gardening.
All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
Not everyone has a spacious yard to grow an array of different foliage. However, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your gardening dreams. The popular gardening guide, All New Square Foot Gardening II, will guide you on how to create an amazing garden even with just a limited space.
Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
Reconnecting with children through gardening is the core of Sharon Lovejoy's Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots book. This guide presents 12 spirited, easy-to-make ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together. Illustrated by the author's own lyrical watercolors, each garden includes a plan, the planting recipe, and growing instructions spelled out in step-by-step fun activities.
Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space
If you have limited space or simply don’t want to commit to a huge plot of land, you should read Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space. This gardening guide delves into vertical growing approaches using string supports, trellises, pergolas, and more, helping you to save space while still cultivating healthy plants.
Detailed Reviews on the 7 Best Garden Hack Books
Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening

If you're inspired to start an organic garden, choosing the Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening by Deborah L. Martin could be beneficial. This guidebook speaks directly to the enthusiasm, goals, and, of course, the need for solid information of a newbie gardener. It also comes from one of the most trusted sources for organic gardening practices.
Product Highlights
Rodale’s covers all the essential knowledge in order to thrive into the wonderful world of organic gardening. This book includes a skills section that answers simple questions such as “How do I plant a seed?” and “What’s the best way to dig?” and the book also comprises topics like soil, compost, seeds, pest control, and weeds, using a direct and straightforward language for novices.
The Good
Furthermore, the Rodale's includes more than 100 basic gardening terms that are defined throughout the text, ensuring you feel confident when you start utilizing your garden. This gardening book has it all- DIY projects, plant guides, sample garden layouts, and many more.
The Bad
Since the book covers basic information only, advanced gardeners might not find this book useful at all.
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The Flower Gardener's Bible

This comprehensive book includes expert advice on everything about flowers. Beautiful illustrations and photographs accompany useful tips on how to improve soil, prevent pests, and make all your flowers bloom with bright colors. Whether you’re a novice gardener or a seasoned florist, The Flower Gardener’s Bible is an excellent resource to help keep the garden of your dreams healthy and beautiful for many years to come.
Product Highlights
The Flower Gardener's Bible: A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long is the best garden hack book for flourishing gardens that bloom all season long. The book addresses everything from how to pick the best growing site to tips on prolonging the life of your plants.
The Good
This book is helpful for both beginners and advanced gardeners and contains lots of good information and resources to help you identify various types of flowers. On top of that, you’ll get to learn how to grow 261 different plants. This guide details essential information such as the type, potential diseases, beneficial insects, and propagation.
The Bad
This book is an important resource for most gardeners; however, make sure you buy a physical copy since the Kindle version is poorly formatted.
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The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition

Would you like to learn how to make fresh salads using produce from your homegrown garden? Edward Smith’s The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible provides the complete guide on this topic. You’ll learn how to grow almost all kinds of vegetables under the sun, from simple ones like tomatoes and carrots to the more advanced produce.
Product Highlights
This book is based on Ed Smith’s W-O-R-D gardening system, which stands for wide rows, organic methods, raised beds, and deep soil. These four gardening strategies will help increase your harvest when used accurately. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible includes thorough profiles of popular vegetables, giving you all the insights you need to grow them at home successfully.
The Good
One thing we like about this book is the valuable information that not only benefits beginners but the experienced ones as well. This book contains everything you could need to know about vegetables, and even more, professional gardeners say they still use The Vegetable Gardener's Bible for reference. Overall, this book is a must-have if you're planning on putting up an impressive vegetable garden.
The Bad
The physical version of the book might be a bit expensive compared to the other books on this list. If you must, purchase the downloadable version instead.
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The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual

If you're into the idea of keeping houseplants but struggle to care for them, you'll find invaluable advice in this complete guide from expert gardener Barbara Pleasant. Even seasoned houseplant enthusiasts will benefit from the expansive content of this book about indoor gardening.
Product Highlights
Not all gardening takes place outdoors. Many people enjoy growing houseplants, but if you’re struggling to keep an indoor plant alive, you can refer to The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual to figure out the best ways on how to grow more than 150 flourishing houseplants. This book also includes profiles, growing needs, and troubleshooting tips for 160 blooming and plant varieties.
The Good
The book is divided up into three sections: two directories with in-depth plant profiles, and a third that takes about the proper care of indoor greenery. You’ll find answers to all your urgent questions, including important topics like acclimatization, watering, fertilizing, and more.
The Bad
The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual is the best reference for common houseplants. However, it might not contain all information pertaining to many varieties and types.
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All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
Not everyone has a spacious yard to grow an array of different foliage. However, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your gardening dreams. The popular gardening guide, All New Square Foot Gardening II, will guide you on how to create an amazing garden even with just a limited space.
Product Highlights
The gardening methods in this book have been used since the 1980s, and they’re still very much relevant today. The updated guide explains the best garden hacks on how to create a small garden using vertical gardening techniques. What’s unique about the techniques in this book is that there are no complicated tools required. You just need the basics, which makes it an ideal resource for beginners.
The Good
Most gardeners say that this book by Mel Bartholomew has methods that really do work and are best for novice gardeners. The book is also easy to understand and that it has a lot of beneficial information. It reminds us that you don’t need a large farm to enjoy gardening. With specific gardening techniques, you can optimize your small space and grow as many plants as you want.
The Bad
One downside mentioned by several gardeners is that the suggested soil mixture in this book can be pretty expensive, depending on where you shop. So try to opt for a cheaper alternative if you can.
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Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
Reconnecting with children through gardening is the core of Sharon Lovejoy's Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots book. This guide presents 12 spirited, easy-to-make ideas for theme gardens that parents and kids can grow together. Illustrated by the author's own lyrical watercolors, each garden includes a plan, the planting recipe, and growing instructions spelled out in step-by-step fun activities.
Product Highlights
Getting your kids involved in gardening peels them away from the TV. If you're looking for fun ways to boost your children's interest in gardening, you should consider Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children. This kid-friendly gardening book will help you teach your kids the basics of plants while presenting innovative ideas for fun outdoor projects.
The Good
This book includes a lot of fun ideas you can do with your kids. For instance, a “Pizza Patch,” where you create a wheel-shaped garden and each “slice” is utilized to grow different pizza ingredients, such as tomatoes or basil. Another one is a “Moon Garden” for night-blooming flowers. The book also covers care instructions, as well as a list of kid-friendly plants that are simple to care for.
The Bad
Although this book talks about basic gardening techniques, a few gardeners, however, noted that you’d need at least some basic gardening knowledge to maximize the use of this book.
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Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space
If you have limited space or simply don’t want to commit to a huge plot of land, you should read Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space. This gardening guide delves into vertical growing approaches using string supports, trellises, pergolas, and more, helping you to save space while still cultivating healthy plants.
Product Highlights
Vertical gardening might sound overwhelming, but this guide makes it easy for beginners to follow. Vertical Gardening focuses on varieties of climbing plants, which are less prone to insects, diseases, and animal pests, making them more convenient to keep. The various growing approaches use a mix of DIY and commercial supports and incorporate plenty of tips on how you can lessen work, increase yields, and make reaping easier.
The Good
Overall, this book is a hit among gardeners, since it has great ideas that are very much doable. Vertical Gardening provides unique alternatives to traditional planting methods, and most are incredibly satisfied with the results they’ve seen.
The Bad
This popular book also does come with some disadvantages. Some readers mentioned that the instructions are a bit hard to understand. Illustrations and pictures would have been a better alternative instead of poorly written instructions.
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Conclusion
The best gardening books will teach all the fundamentals you need to know to master different gardening methods. Through this, you can maximize the most out of your indoor and outdoor spaces and yield many benefits in the process.
However, it's important to choose the best garden hack book that caters to your specific needs. For instance, if you're passionate about vertical gardening, pick a book with detailed content about this topic. In the end, with a handy and reliable book, you'll sure to enjoy your gardening experience. Find out more about gardening books.