The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents: by Terry Hewitt- (ISBN-10: 0789416573)

Written in 1997, this was one of the very first books I got on the subject of Cacti and Succulents when I was really getting serious about horticulture. It is by no means an encyclopedia, one that covers that much information would require being a very large book. However, it is thorough, and an excellent book for beginners. It covers hundreds of different cactus and succulent plants, with full color photographs. Mr. Hewitt discusses where the plants came from, propagation, planting techniques, and even has a list that is good for beginners to move to flower. Even if you are a seasoned pro, this book should be on every grower’s shelf of these unusual, but easy to care for plants.

Crockett’s Indoor Garden: by James Underwood Crockett – (ISBN-10: 0316161268)

I would be remiss if I did not include this book in my list. I grew up in New Jersey and would watch Crockett’s Victory Garden whenever it was on TV. Already, I was into growing plants at this time, I was 12, and had a nice collection of indoor plants. My mother bought this book for when it came out in 1978, and it became my plant bible. 325 pages crammed full of beautiful pictures, difficulty ratings for beginners to veterans, and month-by-month care instructions. He covers everything very thoroughly from pests to repotting and sunlight to watering. If you are into houseplants, this book is pretty much all you need.

The Pepper Garden: by Dave DeWitt – (ISBN-10: 0898155541)

This 240-page book was written by a man that is, not only food historian, but one of the foremost authorities in the world on Chile peppers and spicy foods. He and his co-author Paul W. Bosland, cover everything that you would need to know about the world of hot peppers, such as how to select good seeds, picking out the cultivars for your desired results, as well as discussing what a Scoville unit is. They cover, in full detail, tips on harvesting the pods; drying and roasting peppers, and even how to make a festival strand of red peppers, known as a Ristra. If you have ever wanted to grow peppers or are an official “Chili-Head”, this book will certainly heat up your garden.

An Encyclopedia of Garden Plants & Techniques: by Andrew Mikolajski –

(ISBN- 13: 9780681280151)

For every serious gardener in your life, THIS is the Mother of all books! It is a very comprehensive illustrated guide to creating the ideal garden. It is packed with 3000 plant entries and over 1000 photographs. Additionally, it has 512 pages, which cover all kinds of plants from conifers to grasses and fruit trees to flowering shrubs, in excellent detail. There are chapters on propagation, soil preparation, site selection, as well as what plant get along well with each other. If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only have one gardening book, this would be it, hands down!