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Life Begins the Day You Start a Garden (Chinese Proverb)

Shirley Jones

/ Aug 31, 2021

We can gain so many benefits from growing a garden and being in a garden.

With days becoming warmer and longer, it is much more enticing to be outside. Working in the fresh air and putting your hands in the soil keeps us grounded. Growing food for yourself and your family/friends is good for your body and the planet. Creating something beautiful for all to enjoy is very satisfying and uplifting. The simple pleasure of enjoying the fragrance of plants in the contemplative space of a garden is so good for our mental health - and this includes indoor plants as well.

We all love a good gardening book to give us inspiration. Some are beautiful to look at, others give us practical advice on all aspects of gardening, and others are memoirs or biographies of gardening people. I have chosen some of my favourites, but there are many more to savour in your library. And there are a number of gardening e-books in our collection you can access, even when the libraries are closed.

New Zealand Gardening:

Botanica: The Illustrated A-Z of over 10,000 Garden Plants for New Zealand Gardens and How To Cultivate Them. Geoff Bryant

The Coastal Garden: Design Inspiration from Wild New Zealand. Isobel Gabites

Common Ground: Garden Histories of Aoteroa. Matt Morris

The Good Dirt: Improving Soil Health for More Successful Gardening. Xanthe White

Private Gardens of Aotearoa. Suzanne Turley

Indoor Plants:

Home Forest: Interior Micro Gardens. Francesc Zamora Mola

Plant Therapy: How an Indoor Green Oasis Can Improve your Mental and Emotional Wellbeing. Katie Cooper

Garden Design:

Fearless Gardening: Be Bold, Break the Rules, Grow What You Love. Loree Bohl

Green: Simple Ideas for Small Outdoor Spaces. Ula Maria