The best gardening books you can buy

"The Garden Primer" by Barbara Damrosch helps novice gardeners get to know the basics without getting too overwhelmed.

"The Garden Primer" is just what the name describes. It's a beginner's resource designed to teach the basics. It also works really well as a reference book where you can look things up even after you've got your garden going.

The book starts with the ABC's of "What Plants Need," then covers everything from what kind of tools you'll want when you're just starting out, to how to buy plants at the store, to how to keep your soil fertile year after year.

There are also chapters on each general type of plant, i.e. bulbs, vegetables, ground cover, houseplants, you name it, so even experts might find out new things perusing the pages. It's a terrific way to get the facts on how to garden, but I also loved the author's style which makes you feel like you're reading for pleasure, not just for information.

As a reviewer from the Seattle Times said, "Barbara Damrosch's writing has the snap of a good snow pea and the spice of an old rose." And as one Amazon reader wrote, "This is easily one of the best gardening books ever written."

Pros: This book covers the essentials in a way that makes gardening feel accessible, even to novices

Cons: The book is labeled 100% organic, but the instructions sometimes say to use treated wood, which would make your garden technically non-organic

Buy "The Garden Primer" on Amazon for $19

"The Vegetable Gardener's Bible Ed. 2" by Edward C. Smith is a glossy guide to growing your veggies that manages to cover a wide range of topics with depth, while being accessible.

The well-organized structure and detailed glossary of "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" allows readers to jump right in anywhere in the book to learn about just one topic, or can start from the beginning to get a full education in edible gardening.

As one of several hundred five-star reviewers wrote on Amazon, "Each page [of the glossary] includes: the name of the vegetable, information about it, where they like to been sown and grown, seed depth, germination soil temperature, days to germination, when to sow indoors…when to sow outdoors…growing pH, growing soil temperature, spacing in beds, watering, light needed, nutrient requirements, rotation considerations, and seed longevity."

Those on the newbie end of gardening will love the "easy step-by-step directions on planting," combined with "lots of great pictures," as Amazon user, Lynn G. explains. But if you'd like to read more broadly into basic concepts of gardening, some sections of the book cater to that desire as well. I really liked the sections on "good" and "bad" garden bugs, and how to get away with less weeding.

As the number one bestseller in Amazon's Vegetable Gardening category, you won't be surprised that it's an all-around great resource for home growers of edible gardens. It's also the number six overall bestseller in Amazon's Gardening and Landscape Design category, which includes thousands of texts.

The author, Edward C. Smith, has reportedly spent decades with his wife living on a self-sufficient, off-grid property, where they feed themselves all year round from their garden. It's easy to trust a source that has such success when they walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.

Pros: A comprehensive guide to growing your own food geared to get the highest yield with the least work

Cons: The scope is mostly for middle-range gardeners, so experts and complete novices may not find what they need

Buy "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" at Amazon for $16.52

Even if you only have a few feet to work with, you can still score a bountiful harvest with "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew.

Working in a garden and enjoying its rewards is both therapeutic and tons of fun. So why should the joy of gardening be restricted to country and suburban dwellers with tons of open space? Answer: it shouldn't! "All New Square Foot Gardening" is an Amazon number one best seller in the 'urban gardening' category that's well-known by experts everywhere.

The author, Mel Bartholomew, is the inventor of the raised bed grid system of gardening designed as a "revolutionary way to grow more in less space." Notable gardening expert, Mike McGrath recommends the book, saying the original version is "said to be the best-selling gardening book of all time." And that this second edition is even better and more comprehensive.

He also explains that where the raised bed and grid planting system made the book famous, "the real benefit of his technique is rooted in his emphasis on … excavating your rotten local soil and replacing it with "Mel's mix"— essentially a combination of a light soil free mix and high-quality compost."

This legendary bestseller contains the absolute go-to advice for people who are serious about growing tons of productive, beautiful plants in a limited space. I also loved the glossy photographs showing step-by-step instructions for some of the more complicated processes. And that's my only real caveat in recommending this book — that you do need to be prepared to invest lots of time and effort up-front with this process, as you'll have to overhaul your soil.

That said, his system means I have more tomatoes and kale than I know what to do with all summer.

Pros: The advice in this book has become the go-to method for small space home gardeners, and will be sure to net you lots of produce to share with friends and neighbors

Cons: Things are a bit more complicated than seeds, soil and water, you have to invest some effort into following instructions precisely

Buy "All New Square Foot Gardening" on Amazon for $13.86

"Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening" by Fern Marshall Bradley is an exhaustive and practical resource with beautiful pictures.

Rodale has been a leading publisher in the organic gardening world for more than 50 years, so the current edition of the "Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening," edited by Fern Marshall Bradley, has just gotten better over the years. Although many of the texts on this list deal with organic gardening, this one has a particularly robust selection of new and updated organic methods and trends.

The newer edition also has a brand-new section that specifically covers "earth-friendly techniques for gardening in a changing climate, covering wise water management, creating backyard habitats, managing invasive plants and insects, reducing energy use and recycling, and understanding biotechnology."

There are sections on vegetables, fruit trees, and all kinds of botanical curiosities, as well as material on community gardening and the wildlife your garden may attract. The encyclopedia format makes the text easy to use as a shelf reference for experienced gardeners, as well as a how-to read-through text for beginning growers.

I also think this book makes for a great coffee-table book with its impressive collection of full-color, glossy images. I would definitely say this is the most attractive of our best gardening book picks. Even if I wasn't interested in all the how-to knowledge and theory, I would still buy this book just to flip through the pictures.

Pros: You'll love the easy-to-use and comprehensive structure, as well as the striking images

Cons: Like many encyclopedias, this book covers tons of topics, but doesn't go overly deeply into any one subject

Buy "Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening" on Amazon for $18.16

The best gardening tools you can buy

Having the essential gardening tools ready in your shed or garage makes the work even more of a joy, instead of a chore.

That's why we've gathered up a collection of the best tools for a variety of gardening needs.

• Best pruners: Felco F-2 Classic Hand Pruner and Fiskars Pruning Snip
• Best gloves: Exemplary Gardens Rose Pruning Gloves
• Best thorn stripper: Barnel Thorn Stripper
• Best toolsets: Master Craft Indoor Garden Tool Set and Fiskars 3- Piece Tool Set
• Best watering can: Plastec Indoor Watering Can
• Best gardening hoe: Bond Culti-Hoe with Telescoping Handle
• Best shovel and spade: Fiskars Shovel and Fiskars Spade
• Best lopper and shears: Tabor Tools Bypass Loppers and Fiskars Pruning Shears
• Best pruning saw: Corona RazorTOOTH Pruning Saw
• Best coiled hose: Water Right Professional Coil Hose
• Best edge chopper and weeder: Garden Weasel Edge Chopperand Fiskars Weeder
• Best rake and leaf scoops: Gardenite Lawn Rake and ReLeaf Leaf Scoops