Some of My Favourite Botanical Books

While I’m not part of any book club, nor am I getting through endless novels weekly (I am in fact rubbish at this kind of reading) - give me a reference book and I’ll be lost for hours. There’s nothing I love more than a coffee table wedge. Reference books that have a thread running through them or a perspective. And while a novel would likely gather dust on my bookshelf, if it's about art, interior design, travel - I’ll be reading it cover to cover.

Botanical books are no different, and over the Winter is when I generally try to consume as many as I can in order to keep me motivated, learning and filling my cup with fresh ideas.

So, I thought I’d share some of the books that are on the top of my pile in general, and what makes them so great. It’s a varied selection from a very big collection and I will likely share more in the future. But for now these are the top 6 to keep it fairly short and sweet.

A disclaimer that quite a few of these are second hand or vintage. So give eBay, Vinted or Oxfam’s online bookshop a try if you can’t be doing with rummaging through charity shops and second hand bookshops. This is where I get a lot of my books because for starters - second hand is sustainable, but also they're generally a fraction of the price. But there is an art to it and it’s mainly patience.

Piet Oudolf - Landscapes in Landscapes

Piet needs no introduction really, his designs have made even the non-gardeners stop and look. His list of gardens resemble some what of a bucket list for me, and I’d really like to try and get to Hauser & Wirth in Menorca to see one in a more Mediterranean climate.

This book is a mixture of plant combinations and colour studies and out of all the books I have of his, this is my most used. I’m generally looking at compositions that you wouldn’t usually consider, so colours and textures that go together. Also year round interest is in abundance and finding that kind of inspiration in the depths of Winter is so helpful.

Piet is a gardener who is so generous with his plant knowledge. Someone who has cultivated such a following, just shares lists of plant types so you can basically replicate something similar in your own garden. I think that's a true sign of someone who loves their craft, knowing that people will copy you so giving the information freely because its nature at the end of the day.

The Observer’s Book of Wild Flowers

There’s something so satisfying about a guide. I’m not sure what it is, but the list style design always gets me whether its about flowers or not. This little pocket guide is part of The Observers collection, published by Frederick Warne.

Probably the easiest book to pick up second hand. I’ve seen one almost every time I’ve been into a charity shop or vintage market. Lots of people like to sell them as collections, as there are so many. We stayed in an Airbnb recently that had the full collection and I looked through them all.

This one is my favourite and given to me by my husband’s Grandfather. Sometimes all you need is a pocket guide. Wild flowers are something I’m trying to learn more about, and whether its adding diversity into your garden, or spotting things when you’re out in nature. This is such a great guide to learn about characteristics and where you might find things. Plus excellent illustrations.

English Country Gardens

This one I’ve found in quite a few second hand places online, unfortunately not for the price of one English pound - which is what I paid. But still very cheap.

Original imagery is hard to come by these days. You think you’ve found something you’ve not seen before, but lo and behold you go to add it onto a board and Pinterest is like ‘this pin is already here’. The cure for this is books. Catalogues and garden books for the late 1980s to mid 1990s are where the good stuff really is. Martha Stewart imagery from this era is everywhere, and it’s all from her books.

What I love about this particular gem is that it’s basically like having a nosy in someones garden that you don’t know. And despite it being published in 1985, its fair to say garden trends and the plants people like in their gardens - has certainly not changed much. There is so much relevance in it all. Even if English gardens are not to your taste, it covers allotments or vegetable patch layouts as well.

The book shows beautiful images of gardens across England through early - late Summer. The extension of people’s homes and I love the sentence in the introduction that says ‘There are few things of more interest to a gardener than another’s garden’.

Barbara Hepworth - Carvings and Drawings

Ok this one isn’t technically botanical but it’s a huge source of inspiration for me. And a reminder that inspiration can be drawn from lots of different places.

Shape and structure is a bit part of floral design, and creating organic shapes with flowers is all about the right balance. Barbara Hepworth’s sculptural work is an example of how to do it well. Her work gives me inspiration for shapes I’d not considered before. Natural, but thought out. The same can be said for floral design, things shouldn’t feel too manicured, it needs a sense of flow.

This is an incredibly special limited edition book that my husband gave me for Christmas many years ago - as she’s one of my favourite artists. However, there are so many good books about Barbara Hepworth available. And if you’ve not been to her studio in St Ives then I highly recommend it. The garden is really special.

Why Women Grow - Alice Vincent

Alice Vincent covers numerous stories of women who have turned to gardens when they needed them the most. Whether it’s identity, loss or healing, each woman shares how working with horticulture has helped them. They aren’t all their own gardens either, some are public and private spaces, but the stories remain honest and brave.

This isn’t a guide, or an information book, and it’s not full of gardening tips. What I love is that it’s people’s stories and real life accounts. So if you’re looking for something that leans more into the reasoning behind why people garden, then this is a really nice book to add into your collection.

Reader’s Digest Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants & Flowers

This book is excellent. If you want to learn about flower types not just for gardening but also floristry. Look no further. I look at this almost every time I put an Edit together because honestly learning about what’s in season is a constant learning curve.

And back to the point I made earlier about guides - it’s alphabetically ordered, with images - need I say more. Even tips of growing, stem length and propagation. Knowledge is power in this game of making flowers grow, last and sourcing varieties, so this book has really helped me.

I’ve also found this on numerous second hand book websites for an eye-watering £5. I joke, this is obviously ridiculously cheap for a book with this much information. Mine came with about 6 invoices for flowers dating from 1998 - which as a sentimental soul, I found incredibly sweet that someone had sat there making a shopping list (don’t get me started on when I find letters or notes…).

I hope this has been inspiring or helpful. I personally love when people recommend books - particularly old books. Any source of original inspiration or knowledge is worth the effort of searching for in my opinion.

There are two other books I’ve already shared on Sow Notes Library, so if you’d like to add some more to your list make sure to take a look.