For the 18th time, the German and European Garden Book Prize was awarded at Dennenlohe Castle in Franconia: On March 10, 2023, a jury of experts chose the best books on garden art and landscape culture as well as garden blogs, podcasts and photographs.
Every year, the German Garden Book Prize and the European Garden Photo Award honor authors who “convey their green knowledge in a special way and point out that plants, animals, people, garden culture and landscape form an indivisible unit”. The literary works of art that won in the various categories are listed below.
The most beautiful garden books: The winners
Best Advisor
The book “Self-sufficiency: Grow your own vegetables, snuggle with chickens, bite into homemade bread.” from Marie Diederich (Wurzlwerk) was voted first place by the jury as “Best Advisor”. In it, the well-known blogger clearly shows how you can support yourself with vegetable beds, goats and preserving jars.
Best beginner’s guide
Time is rare, as the author of “No time to garden – a flower paradise with little effort: With bed plans, professional tips and plant portraits of perennials, grasses and annuals” knows that too: The beginner’s guide from Sonja Di Leo was rewarded with first place because he gives valuable tips on how to run a versatile garden despite lack of time.
Best Garden or Plant Portrait
The title “Arable plants and crops” (Quelle & Meyer) also made it onto the winner’s podium as the best garden or plant portrait: In it, Margot Spohn and Roland Spohn illustrate how the transitions between plant cultures, weeds and garden plants are smooth. Informative texts and helpful illustrations go hand in hand in this book Hand.
Best book on garden history
“Lost Gardens: Gardens that have disappeared and found again” by the garden historian and journalist Antje Peters-Reimann was also awarded the German Garden Book Prize 2023 in the category “Best Book on Garden History”: First place was secured for the reading with historical gardens from 2,500 years – from antiquity to the 20th century.
Best Gardening Cookbook
As best gardening cookbook “Peppermint pesto and lilac couscous: delicacies from the meadow, forest and garden. 90 sophisticated recipes and 30 plant portraits” was awarded: Judith Gmür-Stalder, Kathrin Fritz and Maurice K. Grünig once again managed to create a total work of art. Especially nice: All recipes should be easy to cook.
Best book about animals in the garden
Cynthia Nagel’s reading about “The World in My Garden: Understanding the Fascinating Garden Ecosystem” also took first place as the best Book about animals in the garden. In it, the complex ecological relationships between flora and fauna in the garden are examined more closely and illustrated on 408 pages.
Best gardening book for kids
As in the previous year, the German Garden Book Prize for the best garden book for children was awarded in 2023: First place went to “The Big Book of the Apple Tree” by Holger Haag (author) and Lars Baus (illustrator) for young readers from the age of five. On 56 pages, everything revolves around the long life of an apple tree – and the animals that live around it or on it.
Best Gardening Poetry or Prose Book
The detective novel “Gardens, poison and dead men” by the Germanist and poisonous plant expert Claudia Blasl inspired the jury so much that her book took another first place: The story revolves around two retired amateur gardeners who are on the hunt for mole crickets, a murderer and the man for life.
Best Garden Ebook
As best garden ebook “The cherries in the murderer’s garden: an allotment garden thriller” by Inka Stein were awarded. What is it about? In the midst of the typical allotment garden idyll in the well-known allotment garden association “Am Pappelwäldchen”, a likeable heroine goes on a murder hunt after the body of a young woman has been found on the nearby bank of the Rhine.
European Garden Book Awards
With the European Garden Book Awards This year the book “Orchids: An illustrated botany with works from the Natural History Museum in London” by the author and botanist Sandra Knapp was awarded. It’s all about Germany’s most popular window sill plant, with impressive illustrations from the Natural History Museum in London.
Best Garden Illustrated Book
Despite the English title “Gardens of Now” everything revolves around German private gardens in Rainer Elstermann’s photo book. The photographs clearly made an impression on the jury, so it is hardly surprising why this edition came in first place and was awarded the German Garden Book Prize 2023.
Stihl special price
The “Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants – Volume 2: New Plants, Fungi, Bacteria. Application. Cultural History. Botany, Dosage, Cultivation and Effect” by Christian Rätsch and Markus Berger was published this year with the Stihl special price excellent. It presents over 500 new plants, fungi, lichens and bacteria in more than 140 monographs.
Review: These were the winners of 2022
Best beginner’s guide
The book “My City Orchard” (Gräfe und Unzer Verlag) by Elisabeth Mecklenburg was voted the best beginner’s guide. That was decided by a jury of readers of the magazine “Mein schöner Garten” from Burda Verlag. It was published in April 2021 and comprises 160 pages.
Best book on garden history
Stefan Leppert secured first place in the category “Best Book on Garden History” with his book “Gardens for the Desert” (Ulmer Verlag). It is about the German landscape architect Richard Bödeker, who succeeded in greening a desert metropolis in Saudi Arabia.
Best book about animals in the garden
There were three winners in this category: Bärbel Oftring’s book “what are you flying on” (Kosmos Verlag), second place went to Borgit van der Avoorts (Bohem Verlag) with her book “Insects and Co.” and third place went to Claudia Rösen’s book “Hedgehog seeks shelter” (Ulm publishing house).
Best illustrated book
Sebastian Kap’s photo book “Das Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreich” was chosen as the winner in this category. Closely followed by Ferdinand Graf Luckner, Petra Horn and Ulrich Timm, who with their book “Wilman’s Park” (Callwey Verlag) took second place. Martin Stafflers, on the other hand, came third.gardens from above” (Ulm publishing house).
Best gardening book for kids
The “Best Garden Book for Children” was also chosen as part of the German Garden Book Prize 2022: The winner in the category was Bärbel Oftrings with her reading “What lives in the garden?” (Kosmos Verlag) and the runner-up Sanne Duft with her children’s book “Tomato days with Tinka” (Urchhaus Verlag). Third place went to Eliz Simon and Inka Vigh with their work “Green thumb – close to nature and sustainable” (Magellan Publishers).
Best Plant Portrait
His book “The Immigrants’ Blessing” (Gräfe und Unzer Verlag) secured Jürgen Feder first place in the category “Best Plant Portrait”. The jury awarded second place to Regine Ebert and her book “Comfrey” (AT Verlag) and third place to “The hazelnut” (DVG Weimar Verlag) by Brigitte Wachsmuth.
Best Gardening Cookbook
Judith Gmür-Stalder, Kathrin Fritz and Maurice K. Grüning were honored with their work “Dahlia chips and barberry rice” (AT Verlag) in the category “Best Garden Cookbook” was voted first place by the jury. Elisabeth Grindmayer and Stephanie Haßelbeck made it with “farmmade” (Hölker Verlag) in second place and Celia Nentwig with “Small and delicious” (Blooms Verlag) in third place.
Best European Garden Book
In the category “European Garden Book” Hervé Lenain and Barbara de Nicolay were awarded with their book “The Gardens of the Loire Castles” (Ulmer Verlag) chosen as the winner. Closely followed by Fried Nielsen’s “German-Polish Gardens” (second place) and Mark Lanes “Royal Gardens” (Prestel Verlag) in third place.
Best Book of Garden Prose or Poetry
Isabelle van Groeningen won in this category with her literary work “The seven seasons” (Insel Verlag). Sabine Platz was able to get second place with her book “Sabine place in the garden” (Heyne/Ariston/Ludwig Verlag). On the other hand, Antja Peters-Reimann took third place with her title “Tales from Flora’s Kingdom” (Hummelshain Verlag).
Best Advisor
With her book “Shaping wild meadows” (Ulmer Verlag) Katrin Lugerbauer and Joachim Hegmann were able to secure first place in the category “Best Guide”. Dr. Heidi Lorey made it to second place with their work “Vegetables in the flower bed” (Ulmer Verlag) and Ulrike Aufderheide in third place with their title “Small garden close to nature” (Pala Verlag).
Source: German Garden Book Prize
You might also be interested in:
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.