Our favourite gardening books

Need inspiration or tips on how to get the best from your garden, or just fancy a great read? Then look no further than the GW team’s favourite gardening books – from cut flowers to planting plans, there’s something for everyone

The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith RRP £20 Harper Collins UK

Gardening has never been so vital for our wellbeing and here, psychiatrist Sue Stuart-Smith demonstrates the transformative effect of nature and gardening on our health.

Lucy Hall, Editor

Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen RRP £20 Frances Lincoln

I read this after visiting New York’s High Line garden and it was such a pleasure to revisit Piet Oudolf’s work. Both authors write with zeal – it’s inspiring. Adam Duxbury, Acting Features Editor

Losing Eden by Lucy Jones RRP £20 Allen Lane

Lucy meticulously explores the role the natural world plays in our lives; explaining how we need nature and gardening, and how it aids mental health. It’s a crucial book for our times and one I’ll keep referring to. Kate Bradbury, Wildlife Editor

A Pocketful of Herbs: An A-Z by Jekka McVicar RRP £12.99 Bloomsbury

This explains the conditions each plant needs to be grown well, and tips on how to use herbs for cooking and wellbeing. Keys throughout make the book a quick and easy reference guide. Miranda Janatka, Editorial and Content Assistant

The Dry Garden by Beth Chatto RRP £9.99 Orion Publishing

I live in a really dry corner of Essex, not far from Beth Chatto’s famous Dry Garden, and this book has been invaluable in understanding my garden and the plants that will thrive in it. It’s beautifully written, too. Kevin Smith, Deputy Editor

The Cut Flower Patch by Louise Curley RRP £22 Frances Lincoln

Inspiring and full of practical information, this book makes growing cut flowers – all year round – feel achievable in any garden. And the gorgeous photos are a real treat to flick through on dull days.

Cat Mansley, Features Editor

Modern Nature by Derek Jarman RRP £9.99 Vintage Classics

Not a conventional ‘gardening book’, but a snapshot of the late filmmaker Derek Jarman’s life, with tales of his battle to raise plants on the exposed shingle of his Kent coast plot. An inspiring diary of a life well lived. Daniel Haynes, Web Editor

Grow Your Own Vegetables by Joy Larkom RRP £9.99 Frances Lincoln

This is a brilliant book for everyone who loves growing their own food, whether for the first time or the hundredth. It’s full of practical info on more than 100 types of veg. Kay Maguire, Reviews Editor

New Vegetable Garden Techniques by Joyce Russell RRP £18.99 White Lion Publishing

This is a brilliant, practical guide to growing veg organically, from seed sowing to preserving. I loved the step-by-step guides. Good for both beginners and veteran veg growers wanting to expand their knowledge. Sarah Edwards, Picture Editor

How Do Worms Work? by Guy Barter RRP £14.99 Octopus

This is a beautifully written question-and-answer-style book that resolves many common gardening conundrums in a way that is very easy to read.

Emma Crawforth, Gardening Editor