Love Letter to a Garden by Debbie Millman, Reviewed

 

I adored Love Letter to a Garden by Debbie Millman (scheduled for release on April 15^th). It’s a tender, beautifully crafted tribute to the slow, messy, and deeply personal act of gardening—and it hit me right in the heart. Millman’s story of evolving from a self-proclaimed “bad gardener” to someone who nurtures a living, breathing space resonated with me in ways I didn’t expect. Her journey reminded me so much of myself growing up, fumbling through my own attempts to coax life from the earth. Like Millman, I’ve carried plants—and their stories—across thresholds of my life. When she writes about digging up her neighbor’s rhododendron after they passed away to bring it into her own yard, I felt a pang of recognition. I did the same thing when I had to sell my parents’ house. I couldn’t bear to leave everything behind, so I unearthed one of their lilies, its roots tangled with memories, and replanted it in my own soil. That act was less about gardening and more about holding onto something precious—a thread connecting past and present.Millman’s book also stirred up vivid childhood memories for me. As a little girl, I’d pluck seeds from the fruit my mother fed me—peaches, apples, whatever I could get my hands on—and plant them in Tupperware containers filled with sticky clay soil from our backyard. I’d line them up on my bedroom windowsill, much to my mother’s dismay. The mess was undeniable—smudges of dirt on the glass, a snaggled chaos of sprouting attempts—and the view from the street was far from picturesque. But to me, those containers were tiny worlds of possibility. Reading Millman’s reflections brought that scrappy, determined little gardener back to life in my mind.

  

What I love most about this book is how it captures gardening as a philosophy, not just a task. It’s about patience, persistence, and the quiet joy of watching something grow alongside you. The simple recipes from Roxane Gay, using ingredients from Millman’s garden, add a delicious warmth to the story, while the visual beauty of the book itself makes it a treasure to hold. Love Letter to a Garden is a gem—small, sparkling, and meant to be shared. It’s the kind of book that plants a seed in you, one I know will keep growing in my own heart.

Preorder here.

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 Many thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this delightful book.