GARDENING BOOKS

Whether you’re completely new to gardening or simply looking to up your game, your bookshelf can offer all sorts of help. Two of the books on this list are great for newbies and experienced gardeners alike. The third is a graphic novel-style guide to gardening for beginners — and it’s a total charmer.

“THE VEGETABLE GARDENER’S BIBLE”

The title says it all. Edward C. Smith’s bestselling book (Storey Publishing, $27) is all about high-yield gardening methods, based on Smith’s 30-plus years of experience living off the grid in Vermont. He and his wife, Sylvia, grow more than 100 varieties of produce in a 2,000-square-foot garden. The goal, he says, is “growing more in less space with less work” via wide vegetable beds, raised beds, deep soil and constant questioning of common lore. Why do we plant carrots like that?

“WESTERN GARDEN BOOK OF EDIBLES: THE COMPLETE A-Z GUIDE TO GROWING YOUR OWN VEGETABLES, HERBS AND FRUITS”

Compiled by the editors of Sunset Magazine, this one-stop book (Sunset, $26) delves into the howtos for growing more than 190 vegetables, herbs, fruit, berries and other edible delights. It includes tips on composting, DIY raised beds and planting kitchen gardens, large and small — and it’s all West Coast focused.

“THE COMIC BOOK GUIDE TO GROWING FOOD”

This comic bookstyle approach to gardening, which hails from writer and horticulturist Joseph Tychonievich and comic artist Liz Kozik, was published earlier this month, just in time for garden planning. And unlike the typical weighty garden tome — so many pages, so much jargon! — this book (Ten Speed Press, $19) is light, bright and welcoming, the very opposite of intimidating.

This graphic novel-ish volume stars Mia, a young coder, and her tech-challenged, gardening-gifted neighbor George, who needs help with his laptop. What begins with a quid pro quo — tech help for homegrown veggies — soon blossoms into a friendship that unspools across pages of delightfully illustrated, practical step-bysteps on how to create a garden of your own and change your life.

It’s enough to inspire even the most garden-challenged among us to pick up a spade and give it a go.