Home & Garden

We are lucky to have some of the most beautiful and diverse gardens in the world here in California. These two new books showcase many of them and are packed with gorgeous photos and creative ideas for the home gardener, garden enthusiast, and garden designer. Let The California Garden Tour be your guide to planning a garden-filled road trip, and keep Private Gardens of the Bay Area on your coffee table for ongoing inspiration. - Natalie

We are lucky to have some of the most beautiful and diverse gardens in the world here in California. These two new books showcase many of them and are packed with gorgeous photos and creative ideas for the home gardener, garden enthusiast, and garden designer. Let The California Garden Tour be your guide to planning a garden-filled road trip, and keep Private Gardens of the Bay Area on your coffee table for ongoing inspiration. - Natalie

Beautiful photography, whimsical staging, and organization solutions! The first Remodelista book was an inspiring design book, and this second volume shows all the organizational tips and tricks you need to know. It’s the younger, hipper, cooler version of Real Simple (which I also love). - Megan

As cannabis legalization advances in California, regular aficionados will need to decide whether they want to go the commercialized route or try going DIY, which allows you to avoid pesticides while saving money and experimenting with your favorite strains. This well designed book is the best introductory guide I’ve seen for the casual backyard grower. - Natalie

This adorable little book is the perfect guide for beginner plant parents. Helpful photos and an uncomplicated layout make it easy to use and it’s so small you can even bring it along to the nursery for reference. It also has lots of suggestions for fun pots to house your new succulent friends. - Jade

This book does a fantastic job of covering nearly every aspect of transferring your life into a tiny home, from the cost of materials to efficient housing plans to codes and regulations on all (government) levels what should actually be in your new home. Part game-plan, part self-help, part reference book, this frames the current tiny house movement. - Ian

Hand-carved housewares not only add function and beauty to a home; they also represent the time, skill, and dedication of the people who crafted them. If you have ever wanted to try making your own, Heirloom Wood is a terrific place to start. This beautiful guide is filled with step-by-step instructions for making simple projects like spoons, spatulas, bowls, and cutting boards from sustainable and reclaimed wood. The contemporary designs in this book don’t even require many tools, but the gorgeous wares can be used and passed down for generations to come. - S.B.

Lloyd Kahn’s previous work (including Tiny Homes) will be familiar to many in here in Santa Cruz. His popular books often focus on simple, small dwellings, and his latest—featuring 65 homes in the 400- to 1200-square-foot range—is a welcome addition. From straightforward designs to ornate constructions, each house showcases something special. - Ian

Whether you’re looking for ideas for your home (or your traveling surf van) or you just need a little ocean inspiration, this gorgeous design book, focused on the nature-drenched aesthetic, has it all. Surf Shack profiles 20 different manifestations of a surfer’s paradise, from bungalows to boat houses, from all around the world. It’s a pleasure to escape into the photos, architectural designs, and essays about the laid-back lifestyle, and even better, to bring its influences into your own living space. - Melinda

Within minutes of opening Succulents, I was already writing down names of plants I want to pick up for my garden. (Luckily for us, author Robin Stockwell has his own nursery in Castroville, so I know where to stock up!) Stockwell believes that “if you present succulents well, you will show off their unique beauty to the fullest,” so it’s no wonder that his book is an ideal mix of information and inspiration. The first part of Succulents is devoted to garden design, and it’s packed with plant pairings for all sizes of spaces, from large ranches to small crevices. Chapters on projects (such as tabletop displays), favorite plants, and getting started follow. If you’re not already a fan of these beautiful, easy-care plants, you will be after reading Succulents. - S.B.