Now I love a good book, and finding good fiction can be hit or miss. But in all honestly you’re never too disappointed when you read bad fiction, it’s a story nonetheless. The same cannot be said about gardening books.

There is nothing more disappointing than a useless gardening book – no matter how good the pictures are...

Gayla Trail, known for her blog YOU GROW GIRL has written two books. I have them both. While her first book YOU GROW GIRL The Ground Breaking Guide to Gardening is cutesy and fun, there isn’t much to it. In fact, if you have ever successfully grown anything from seed you might find a bit amateurish. That being said, if you have a teen that’s new to gardening and looking for a gift idea it would be great, the illustrations are hip and fun, and it has all the basics written in a fun carefree style. All the instructions are very simple to follow with a few little crafts and recipes sprinkled throughout.

That being said, her latest book Grow Great Grub is wonderful. Not only are the pictures amazing, but it is a wonderful resource for any backyard gardener. The book is easy to read, filled to the brim with useful information and I use it constantly as a resource and inspired my current container pumpkin patch. While it is perfect for the beginner gardener any season pro will agree it’s a great starting point if you’re thinking about getting your hands dirty.