5 beautiful books about homes, gardens, plants and pets
In a year that so many have spent at home, the variety of home and garden books released in 2020 is more than welcome. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a houseplant novice, there are books that will inspire you to make your home a little greener. For those interested in sustainably redecorating your bedroom or making your living room a little cozier for your pet, there are books available for you, too. And if you’re just looking for a good read or a lovely collection of photos, there are plenty out there. Below, we’ve noted five recent home and garden book releases that will capture your imagination and perhaps pique your own creativity.
“Windcliff: A Story of People, Plants and Gardens” by Daniel J. Hinkley ( Timber/ Workman). Hinkley is a renowned plant collector and horticulturist, best known for creating the popular botanical garden and nursery Heronswood in Washington state. His latest book offers a peek inside his home garden on Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula. “Windcliff” is part garden tour, part- memoir, where seemingly every plant has a backstory, many involving farflung travels and fascinating people. Hinkley has surrounded his home with an international array of plants with roots that stem from Chile to Nepal, but he also offers some very practical advice for home gardeners, from a fertilizer recipe used in his vegetable garden to tips for incorporating vines in your yard. Hinkley’s writing is very visual, but the garden is further brought to life with exquisite photography from Claire Takacs.
“Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again” by Page Dickey ( Timber/ Workman). Gardener and author Dickey thought that Duck Hill, her upstate New
York house and garden, which was the subject of the books “Duck Hill Journal” and “Embroidered
Ground: Revisiting the Garden,” would be her last home. However, circumstances prompted Dickey and her husband to move to Connecticut, where they renovated a former church and Dickey began work on a new garden. “Uprooted” is the story of a major life change and how that manifests in the nature that Dickey chooses for her new surroundings. It’s a beautifully written memoir about starting over later in life that also offers plenty of insight for seasoned gardeners to apply in their own yards.
“Cool Dogs, Cool Homes: Living in Style with Your Dog” by Geraldine James ( Hardie Grant). The British author (“# shelfie,” “Flea Market Secrets”) has an eye for design and, in her latest book, she sets her gaze on chic, caninefriendly homes. James steps inside the inner world of British creatives, documenting hip urban pads, cozy cottages and stately manors. In “Cool Dogs, Cool Homes,” the pups take center stage. Their stories, particularly those of several who were rescued, are heartwarming, James Gardiner’s photos of dogs lounging on sofas and roaming through gardens are delightful. This would certainly be a perfect gift for the fashion- forward dog lover.
“Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home with Happy Plants” by Danae Horst ( Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Horst was a photographer and photo stylist whose longtime love of plants was tempered by a belief that she didn’t have a green thumb. Then she learned that anyone can work with plants to create the environments that will help them thrive. Now the owner of popular Los Angeles plant shop Folia Collective, Horst has written a guide that’s accessible to even the newest converts to houseplants. In “Houseplants for All,” Horst distills indoor gardening to its most basic and takes readers step- by- step through the home to figure out which plants will be best suited for your environment. Horst stresses the importance of selecting the right plants to work in your home by understanding light and humidity conditions as well as the fundamentals of plant care.
“Home for the Soul: Sustainable and Thoughtful Decorating and Design” by Sara Bird and Dan Duchars. As The CONTENTed Nest, stylist/ art director Bird and photographer Duchars take followers inside stylish homes, and for this book, they show you how these varied looks can inspire your own home. Better yet, Bird and Duchars take an Earth- friendly approach to DIY home improvement. They champion environmentally- sound paint for upcycling projects, vintage textiles and collections that grow slowly and thoughtfully. Bird and Duchars break down the basics of home decoration, provide gorgeous examples of people who have introduced these principles into their own homes and include a few crafting projects to get readers started.