Welcome to the 2025 Garden Book Club
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Join the 2025 Garden Book Club on Instagram Stories
The Book Club is fully online. We meet Tuesdays at 7PM EST on Instagram Stories to discuss a garden-themed book each month—a mix of fiction and nonfiction. Most books are available at libraries, so you can join for free!
How It Works:
📖 Get the Book – Check your library or find it on my Amazon store (affiliate link).
📅 Follow the Reading Schedule – Posted here and on Instagram Stories.
🎙 Join the Discussion – Share insights via Instagram DMs (written or voice).
Sharing Your Thoughts:
- Leave a written or voice message in my Instagram Dm’s. Keep voice messages under 1 minute.
- Share one or two things that resonated with you or that you found interesting from the weekly reading.
- I’ll feature messages and comments in Stories!
Book List & Schedule
Find the 12-book list and reading schedule below or in my Amazon store. Let’s make 2025 a year of growth, inspiration, and connection!
The Garden Book Club will meet every Tuesday around 7PM on Instagram Stories. This is the first year of the Garden Book Club. We read one book per month, with a mix of garden-themed fiction and non-fiction. Most of the books are easy to find at local libraries, so you can join without spending much.
The 2025 Garden Book Club List
1. January
The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips
This book 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. 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
2. February
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Victoria Jones uses the Victorian art of flower symbolism to communicate emotions she can’t express, shaped by a childhood in the foster-care system. Now 18 and on her own, she discovers a gift for helping others through her floral choices, but an unexpected encounter forces her to confront a painful secret and consider risking everything for a second chance at happiness.
7 Chapters/308 pages
- Week 1: Read Part 1/Common Thistle (Pages 3-87) Discuss Tuesday February 4, 2025
- Week 2: Read Part 2/The Heart Unacquainted (pages 91-189) discuss Tuesday February 11
- Week 3: Read Part 3/ Moss (pages 193-165) Discuss Tuesday February 18
- Week 4: Read Part 4/New Beginnings (pages 269-308) Discuss Tuesday February 25.
3. March
Tea Gardening for Beginners by Julia Dimakos
This is your guide to growing and blending your own tea. Learn to plan your garden, cultivate 25 flavorful plants like lavender and lemongrass, and create custom blends for energy, relaxation, and more. With step-by-step instructions and plant profiles, this book makes it easy to brew tea straight from your garden!
7Chapters/117 pages
- Week 1: Read Intro & Chapter 1 Discussion March 4
- Week 2: Read Chapters 2–3 Discussion March 11
- Week 3: Read Chapters 4–5 Discussion March 18
- Week 4: Read Chapters 6–7 Discussion March 25
4. April
Leaves, Roots, and Fruit by Nicole Johnsey Burke
Do you dream of harvesting fresh, organic food from your own kitchen garden but feel limited by space, time, or experience? Nicole Johnsey Burke, founder of Gardenary, Inc., and author of Kitchen Garden Revival, shows how to match plants’ needs to your resources for year-round gardening success. With her intuitive system—leaves for quick harvests, roots for longevity, and fruits for sweet rewards—Burke provides step-by-step guidance for every level of gardener. No matter where you grow, there’s always a plant you can cultivate right away!
4 Parts/230 pages 4
- Week 1: Read Preface & Part 1 Discuss April 1
- Week 2: Read Part 2 Discuss April 8
- Week 3: Read Part 3 Discuss April 15
- Week 4: Read Part 4 Discuss April 22
5. May
The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart Smith
Gardening connects us to the cycles of life—where decay gives way to renewal—and offers a powerful refuge for the mind. In The Well-Gardened Mind, Sue Stuart-Smith explores the transformative relationship between mental health and gardening, drawing on personal stories, psychoanalytic insights, and groundbreaking research. This thoughtful and inspiring book reminds us how tending a garden can nurture both the soil and the soul.
13 Chapters/288 pages
- Week 1: Read Intro & Chapters 1–3 Discussion May 6
- Week 2: Read Chapters 4–6 Discussion May 13
- Week 3:Read Chapters 7–9 May 20
- Week 4: Read Chapters 10–13 Discussion May 27
6. June
Grow Your Soil
Soil health is gaining attention, even among casual gardeners, as thriving plants depend on rich, life-filled soil. Certified permaculture designer Diane Miessler shares a no-till, no-fertilizer approach to building healthy soil with minimal inputs. In an engaging, practical style, she explains techniques like cover cropping, constant mulching, and a powerful compost tea recipe—methods she used to turn a barren lot into a garden that stops traffic.
7. July
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
“quirky, funny, and deeply thoughtful book” follows widowed single mom Lilian Girvan as she navigates life after loss with her two daughters, supportive sister, and a job illustrating textbooks—complete with odd assignments like drawing whale genitalia. When her boss enrolls her in a vegetable gardening class, Lilian reluctantly attends, but what begins as an awkward Saturday at the Los Angeles botanical garden transforms into a journey of growth and healing, proving that even in the darkest times, a little sunshine can make all the difference.
8. August
The Food Lover’s Garden
This beginner-friendly guide takes foodies and novice gardeners from planting to plate. Learn to grow and cook 20+ popular vegetables and herbs with step-by-step instructions for any space, from balconies to backyards. Includes easy recipes, meal ideas, and preserving tips, all beautifully illustrated for a celebration of fresh, high-quality food. Perfect for urban homesteaders and sustainable living enthusiasts
9. September
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
This modern classic blends memoir and investigative journalism, chronicling Kingsolver’s family’s year of eating locally in rural Appalachia. Updated with new essays from the Kingsolver family, the book reflects on how their commitment to sustainable food has evolved, including a farm-to-table restaurant, training for young farmers, and personal stories of living in harmony with food and nature. A thoughtful exploration of food culture’s impact on health, environment, and community.
10. October
Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell
Few books are as beloved as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and few authors as iconic as Beatrix Potter. In Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, Marta McDowell explores how Potter’s love of gardening shaped her work, featuring a gardener’s biography, a season-by-season look at her gardens, and a traveler’s guide to visiting them today.
11. November
Down to Earth by Monty Don
Monty Don shares 50 years of gardening wisdom in this practical and lyrical guide. Covering nature, seasons, design, pests, and more, he offers month-by-month advice from his own garden, alongside rarely seen photos. Perfect for gardeners seeking inspiration and expert tips for thriving gardens and fulfilling lives.
12. December
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Rediscover this timeless classic with Tasha Tudor’s iconic illustrations, an extended author biography, and fun activities. Follow orphan Mary Lennox as she uncovers the mysteries of her uncle’s estate and transforms a hidden garden into a place of healing and hope. A perfect gift for young readers and collectors alike!
I can’t wait to see how this club grows throughout the year and look forward to hearing from you! Be sure to grab your copy of the book ahead of time so we can get started.
Happy reading—and gardening!
~Michelle
Book Club Facilitator
Michelle is a self-taught home 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.
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