5 Must-Read Vegetable Gardening Books For Canadian Gardeners (2025)
There’s few things I love more than cozying up with a good gardening book during the off season. Especially over the Christmas holidays. And who doesn’t want a must-read gardening book gifted to them either! Whether you’re giving or receiving, this list of my 5 must-read vegetable gardening books for Canadian gardeners should have something for all skill levels.
TLDR: Here’s my list of the 5 must-read vegetable gardening books for Canadian gardeners (keep reading for a summary on each book).
- Veggie Garden Remix by Niki Jabbour
- Plant, Grow, Harvest Repeat by Meg Cowden
- Epic Tomatoes by Craig LeHoullier
- High-Yield Vegetable Gardening by Colin McCrate and Brad Halm
- Growing Under Cover by Niki Jabbour
By the way, the reason this gardening book list is considered a must-read for Canadian gardeners is because these books are cold-climate specific.
Though only a few are from Canadian authors (shout out to East-coaster, Niki Jabbour) all these gardening books touch on Northern gardening topics. Things like succession planting, short seasons and extending your season.
So all this to say. If you’re a Canadian gardener these are books that should speak to you!
You’ll also find links throughout to shop for new and used copies of these books on Amazon. However I encourage you to visit your local independent bookstores first! They need our support.
5 Must-Read Vegetable Gardening Books For Canadian Gardeners (2025)
Veggie Garden Remix by Niki Jabbour
Veggie Garden Remix is from one of my Canadian gardening queens, Niki Jabbour.
This is just one of her many fantastic gardening books (the others linked here!). It covers over 200 different vegetable varieties…many of which you’ve probably never heard of!
Niki invites gardeners to “shake up” their vegetable garden by growing plants from around the world. Think chickpeas, okra, Chinese peppers, gooseberries and more.
One of my favourite things about this book are the sections where Niki says “Like This, Remix It Instead.” She shares a commonly grown vegetable and then several variations to choose instead.
Find it new or used here on Amazon.
Plant, Grow, Harvest Repeat by Meg McAndrews Cowden
Author Meg Cowden is based in Minnesota so no stranger to cold climate gardening. In fact, her experience is similar to most Canadian gardeners.
Plant, Grow, Harvest, Repeat is a book I absolutely adore. It’s taught me so much (maybe everything I know really) about succession planting.
Consider it your gardening guide on planning and planting in a way that you get a continuous, abundant harvest from Spring through Fall (and even beyond!).
Meg covers a mix of perennial and annual vegetable, fruit and edible flowers. This is a must-read!
Find it new or used here on Amazon.
Epic Tomatoes by Craig LeHoullier
If you’re looking to gift or own a gorgeous coffee-table style gardening book, Epic Tomatoes is it.
Author, Craig LeHoullier (often referred to as the ‘Tomato Man’) covers more than 200 tomato varietie, including many heirlooms! He describes their traits, flavors, growth habits and suitability for different climates in great detail.
I’ve discovered many new tomato varieties thanks to Craig and this book. And the full-page photos are glossy and will have you dreaming of summer.
Tomato growing enthusiasts will absolutely love this book.
Find it new or used here on Amazon.
High-Yield Vegetable Gardening by Colin McCrate and Brad Halm
This may be my vegetable gardening bible. I’ve owned it for years and still come back to it at least once a season.
Authors Brad Halm and Colin McCrate from Seattle Urban Farm Co. wrote this book as a “food production guide” for home gardeners.
The focus is on growing more food following their urban gardening practices.
I love how it’s structured to be practical and actionable. This book is full of charts, tables, schedules, worksheets, and planning tools.
I consider it a bit of a workbook for serious gardeners.
Find it new or used here on Amazon.
Growing Under Cover by Niki Jabbour
Introducing a fun, playful book covering DIY structures to extend your growing season, once again by the wonderful Niki Jabbour.
As a greenhouse gardener myself, I have loved drawing inspiration from this book.
Niki explains how to use a variety of protective systems — cloches, row covers, shade cloth, cold frames, mini-hoops/low tunnels, hoophouses, polytunnels, greenhouses and more.
This book is a great choice for new and experienced gardeners who want to level up their existing garden space.
Find it new or used here on Amazon.
And there you have it!
Those are my 5 must-read gardening books for Canadian gardeners (2025).
Comment below letting me know other must-read gardening books you love. I love hearing from you and respond to all comments.
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Nice list, Maggie! I think gardeners would also enjoy “The World Ending Fire” by Wendell Berry. It’s a more literary look at gardening, the land, and a community-oriented perspective…one of my favourite books ever.