The best gardening books to gift – and read – this Christmas
Whether gifting or looking for inspiration, here’s the best new titles for gardeners
A host of new gardening books has arrived in book shops, just in time for Christmas.
This is perfect for those seeking a last-minute gift or fresh inspiration for how to make their green space the best it can be.
Whether you’re looking for help with a garden project, or practical planting techniques, these titles offer plenty to help cultivate a space to truly savour in the New Year.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. The Preserver’s Garden by Staci and Jeremy Hill (Cool Springs Press, Dec 18, £22)
If you’re interested in pickling, fermenting, freeze-drying, salting and canning your home-grown produce, this book is for you. The authors explain that when growing for preservation, your efforts need to be focused on the promotion of uniform ripening, high yields, and flavour that remains stable through the preservation process. Plus, there’s information on how much to plant, best varieties of fruit and veg, and which preservation methods suit particular produce.
2. RHS: The Garden Almanac 2026, illustrated by Annie Soudain (Frances Lincoln, £14.99)
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a budding enthusiast, this colourful compendium is an essential companion for 2026 from the Royal Horticultural Society. Beautifully illustrated in full colour, it includes artworks by Annie Soudain, photographs and advice from RHS experts, including chief horticulturist Guy Barter.
It offers monthly seasonal ideas, projects and advice and a detailed task list, providing inspiration throughout the year, as well as guidance on sustainable gardening practices and budget-friendly strategies. Learn from the RHS masters about best pruning techniques, new ways with lawns and natural plant protection.
3. The New Beautiful, foreword by Piet Oudolf (Rizzoli International, £65)
Editors of leading magazine Gardens Illustrated select the best new gardens from around the world to demonstrate irresistible plants and clever designs, from small city spaces to country estates, with a focus on ecology and sustainability. Explore loose, waving gardens that support wildlife in small urban backyards, pleached hornbeams that act as a living fence and gardens that show the best new ideas for hardscape, pathways, fountains, and pergolas, plus ideas on incorporating successful plant combinations and other design elements into your own garden.
4. A Wildflower Year by Frances Tophill (Kyle Books, £18.99)
Wildflower enthusiasts will love this offering from Gardeners’ World presenter Frances Tophill who has collected and documented 60 beautiful wildflowers over a year, explaining their unique features and habitat and what else you might expect to find nearby. She also explains whether they are edible and their possible medicinal uses. It’s both a month-by-month ode to wildflowers with illustrations by Julia McKenzie, and a useful tool for identifying and growing your own.
5. A Year Of Garden-Inspired Living by Linda Vater (Cool Springs Press, £22)
This highly giftable book from the garden lifestyle expert focuses on seasonal living with a big slice of community spirit, with garden-themed ideas to bring joy to your family, friends and neighbours – and of course, yourself. Ideas include creating herbal bouquets for cooking, welcoming friends and neighbours to cut bouquets from your garden and having a ‘ladybug party’ for the children in your life.
6. The New Romantic Garden by Jo Thompson (Rizzoli International, £38.95)
Who said romance is dead? Award-winning designer Jo Thompson would disagree, as she reveals 30 exquisitely planted gardens which demonstrate how to adapt traditional garden design elements for todays more ecologically-based aesthetics. Known for her timeless planting, with looser formality but just as much romance as English gardens of the past, Thompson features case studies of individual gardens designed around various themes, illustrated with hundreds of beautiful colour photos.
7. The Gardener And The Moth by Susie White (Saraband, £8.99)
Anyone who wants to encourage moths and butterflies into their open space both day and night should bag a copy of naturalist and gardener Susie White’s compact volume, which describes in detail how to create a garden that attracts and sustains moths and butterflies both day and night, helping flora and fauna to thrive. Moths are a crucial but forgotten pollinator, overlooked in favour of their brighter cousin, the butterfly. But, by ignoring moths, we are missing out on gardens that could be alive with joy, movement and biodiversity, she says.
8. Colour In The Garden by Lucy Bellamy (Mitchell Beazley, £22)
Gardening writer Lucy Bellamy offers a completely modern approach to colour, exploring how to choose plants and use them creatively and inventively. She wants jam red and acid yellow, violet blue and caterpillar green, cinnamon orange with scorched yellow and a myriad colours in between. Her new book features inspirational planting schemes and plant lists, ideas for containers, tiny back gardens and small front gardens, to show how even the smallest space can incorporate a great pop of colour.
And in 2026 watch out for…
My Gardening Life by Mary Berry (DK, Feb 26, £25): The queen of baking is also a dab hand at gardening and looks back from her horticultural beginnings to creating beautiful gardens, offering many top gardening tips along the way … The Money-Saving Gardener Containers by Anya Lautenbach (DK, Jan 29, £16.99): The social media star and garden expert offers more budget-friendly tips on container planting… You’re Overwatering It!: A Plant Guru’s Guide To Houseplants by Jonny Balchandani (Ebury, Feb 19, £25): Better known as @thebeardedplantaholic, the plant enthusiast and expert offers simple secrets to help your house plants thrive.