Top Gardening Books of 2017

If you’re looking for a British perspective on the best gardening books of 2017, we’ve compiled a list of their top choices from Gardens Illustrated, the Evening Standard, the Telegraph and the Times.

Only one book made the list of all four publications: “Head Gardeners” by Ambra Edwards. “This book explores the lives, vision, and achievements of 12 very special head gardeners, and, through a series of profiles, examines the various roles of the head gardener today—project manager, conservationist, artist, designer, engineer, historian, scientific investigator, social worker, and PR.”

Edwards’ book was also the winner of the Garden Media Guild’s Best Inspirational Book Award for 2017.

Beyond “Head Gardeners,” several books made the lists of at least two of the publications:

• Natural Selection: A Year in the Garden by Dan Pearson

• My Life With Plants by Roy Lancaster

• Secret Gardens of East Anglia by Barbara Segall

• The Secret Gardeners: Britain’s Creatives Reveal Their Private Sanctuaries by Victoria Summerley

• Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively

• The Thoughtful Gardener: An Intelligent Approach to Garden Design by Jinny Blom

• Down to Earth: Gardening Wisdom by Monty Don

• Plant Love: How to Care for Your Houseplants by Alys Fowler

• Sowing Beauty: Designing Flowering Meadows from Seed by James Hitchmough

OTHER TOP CHOICES

These books each received one nomination as among the best of the year.

• The Almanac: A Season Guide to 2018 by Lia Leendertz

• Essential Pruning Techniques: Trees, Shrubs, Conifers by George Brown and Tony Kirkham

• Hedera: The Complete Guide by Hugh McAllister and Rosalyn Marshall

• Herbs: Delicious Recipes and Growing Tips to Transform Your Food by Judith Hann

• The Japanese Garden by Sophie Walker

• Making for Home: A Tale of the Scottish Borders by Alan Tait

• Moon Gardening by John Harris and Jim Rickards

• My Garden is a Car Park and Other Design Dilemmas by Kendra Wilson

• No Dig Organic Home and Garden: Grow, Cook, Use and Store Your Harvest by Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty

• Place-making: The Art of Capability Brown by John Phibbs

• Prick by Gynelle Leon

• Shade Garden: Shade-Loving Plants for Year-Round Interest by Beth Chatto

• Weeds: An Organic, Earth-Friendly Guide to Their Identification, Use and Control by John Walker

• Winter Gardens: Reinventing the Season by Frances Lincoln

MORE READING

For another best-of-the-year lists, make sure to check out Gardenista.