Garden Design Online

Blame the economy or blame a new generation of gardeners who are into the "green" movement, but publishers of garden books are going whole hog in one direction:  books on vegetable gardening.  Books on design and books on blooms are simply not in fashion this year.

The latest survey from Publishers Weekly on garden books includes interviews with principals at more than 10 publishing houses, and nearly all of them are putting their efforts into books on veggies. Editorial director Deborah Balmuth at Storey told PW that many people are so new to gardening that they don't even consider themselves gardeners. "Growing food is an extension of their efforts to be more independent and self-sufficient," she said. 

At Gibbs Smith, gardening category manager Madge Baird said the economy has definitely boosted vegetable gardening. "If they [people] hadn't previously been gardeners," she said, "they're at least nursing a couple of tomato plants and maybe a cucumber in the flower garden or on the patio." 

And at Reader's Digest, how about a title like Grow Your Own Drugs? Actually, it's a book by ethnobotanist James Wong, and it includes recipes you can make yourself — natural remedies and beauty aids. 

But maybe not all is lost for those of us who prefer books on design and horticulture in general. Storey COO Dan Reynolds told PW that people whose first gardens are vegetable gardens eventually shift their focus to flower and perennial gardens.  And at Mitchell Beazley/Octopus Books, associate publisher Jonathan Stolper predicts that in future years, "a full range of gardening titles (everything from planning, creating, and maintaining all types of gardens) will be critical as this category's popularity continues to grow."  And that's good news. 

Not every single book in the gardening category, of course, is on vegetable gardening.  From Timber Press, there'll be a new book from Stephanie Cohen and Jennifer Benner on plant choices for four-season landscapes; a book on gardening as you grow older by Sydney Eddison, and a book on how to get started as a landscape designer by Love Albrecht Howard.

Here are some of the new titles listed by PW:

Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens by Barbara Pleasant

Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail

Talking Dirt: The Dirt Diva's Down-to-Earth Guide to Organic Gardening by Annie Spiegelman

Grow Your Own Drugs: Easy Recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty Fixes by James Wong

Western Garden Book of Edibles: The Complete A-Z Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruits

The Victorian Fern Craze (Shire Library) by Sarah Whittingham

Becoming Elizabeth Lawrence: Discovered Letters of a Southern Gardener ed Emily Herring Wilson

Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older by Sydney Eddison

So You Want to Be a Garden Designer: How to Get Started, Grow, and Thrive in the Landscape Design Business by Love Albrecht Howard

The Nonstop Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide to Smart Plant Choices and Four-Season Designs by Stephanie Cohen and Jennifer Benner