January Garden Book Club: The Garden Within 

It’s Time for the January Garden Book Club Selection: The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips

Each Tuesday around 7:15PM EST starting January 14, I’ll be chatting about one section of the book on Instastories and then saving them all to a highlight so you can visit them whenever you’re ready.

DISCLAIMER: this book blends faith through a Christian lens with neurobiology, gardening, and the author’s research as a therapist. While the faith aspect isn’t overt, it includes Bible verses and mentions the Creator and Jesus in a respectful way. Some people may not prefer those topics &  wanted to ensure everyone is aware!

Book Club Schedule

15 Chapters/198 pages

• Week 1: Read Chapters 1–4 
• Week 2: Read Chapters 5–8: Discuss chapters 1-8 Tuesday January 14
• Week 3: Read Chapters 9–12 Discuss Tuesday January 21
• Week 4: Read Chapters 13–15 Tuesday January 28

You can read all about how our 2025 Garden Book Club works in this post and see the full list here for the rest of the month’s selections.

Our January book selection shows how embracing your emotions can unlock your most powerful life in this transformative book by trauma therapist Dr. Anita Phillips. Combining faith, neurobiology, and practical tools, Dr. Phillips reveals how emotional well-being heals trauma, calms anxiety, and renews the mind. Just as gardens thrive in good soil, your heart flourishes when nurtured. 

I’m excited for you to join me!

Where to find the book

You can find it at your local library, Abe Books, Thrift Books, or Amazon.

How to Participate in The Garden Book Club

• Join me every Tuesday at ~7pm on Instagram Stories for discussions. I’ll save each story to a Book Club Highlight so you can go back and watch later if you miss it on Tuesdays.
• Discussion: Each week I’ll be discussing the book of the month, sharing insights, and diving into the themes, gardening tips, and reflections.
• Engage by sending voice or written messages via Instagram DMs with your thoughts and key takeaways! I’ll share your messages throughout the following days, though I won’t be taking questions or comments in real-time.
• Stay on track: To help you stay on track, I’ll post weekly reminders on Instagram Stories with a book club graphic.

About the Author

Michelle is a self-taught kitchen gardener whose goal is to help everyone find resources, guidance, and inspiration to rediscover or discover for the first time how fun and rewarding gardening can be. 

Through her blog and social media, Michelle’s Garden Grows, she offers practical tips, educational content, and inspiration to support and encourage others on their gardening journeys.

With an RN, BSN degree, Michelle blends her faith and nursing background with gardening, showing how the garden can be a place of healing, growth, and renewal. You can learn more about Michelle’s Garden Grows here.