Spring! It makes even the most city-bitter among us long for a little patch of land to call our very own.

And you can do it, either solo or as part of a community garden: Here are urban gardening books that’ll help you grow some plants even if a sprawling tomato seedling won’t fit in your studio.

Garden Your City by Barbara Hobens Feldt
An NYC-specific book about starting a garden on a fire escape, in a window box, or in public spaces.

Apartment Gardening: Plants, Projects, and Recipes for Growing Food in Your Urban Home by Amy Pennington
Container gardening is a great way to keep your food hyper-local.

Start a Community Food Garden: The Essential Handbook by LaManda Joy
Communal gardens are the best: fighting food deserts, teaching kids where their food really comes from, and bringing neighbors together. This fantastic guide puts it all together.

Hellstrip Gardening: Create a Paradise Between the Sidewalk and the Curb by Evelyn J. Hadden
The title says it all.

The Rooftop Growing Guide by Annie Novak
Head up the stairs to find more space, better light, and fresher air for your soon-to-be thriving plants.

Homegrown: Illustrated Bites from Your Garden to Your Table by Heather Hardison
More container gardening tips here, plus recipes and tips for canning and pickling to make your harvest last longer.

Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City by Hadley Dyer
Kids can be urban gardeners too! This simple, illustrated how-to guide can help the youngest rookies get started.

Jardines Urbanos: Jardinería en Casa by Andi Clevely
A Spanish-language guide to city gardening, including specific information on specific plants, space options, and microclimates .

The Urban Gardener by Matt James
If you do have a bit of outdoor space to call your own, James—a British garden designer and HGTV personality—guides you through some initial steps.

And don’t stop there! You can find urban gardening tips in magazines, too; check out PressReader, which has a whole category of gardening-specific magazines in multiple languages. It also has general magazines, like Martha Stewart Living, that include gardening.  Flip through them just like the print editions at home!

Have trouble reading standard print? Many NYPL titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!