You don’t have to be knee deep in cow dung to embrace your green thumb (and frankly, just the thought of embracing a green thumb covered in cow dung makes us a little queasy).

Whether you’re embracing Spring and getting ready for Summer in the land down under or harvesting your Autumnal bounty and prepping for a snowy Winter in the States, there is something ripe for you in this week’s Seasonal Selections.

Home Sweet Homegrown by Robyn Jasko is the one book you must get if you want to live off your own land (or even if you just want to fantasize about it).

Jasko begins by planning what seeds to plant, how to take care of your seedlings and help them flourish into bountiful plants by using recycled materials to create the essentials. Also included are recipes for organic plant sprays, growing guides for fruits and veggies and a breakdown of how much money you can save by growing your own food. Sustainable living in a book—brilliant!

The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen: Speaking of city dwellers, not everyone has a plot of land to work with BUT you can still have an urban garden on your patio. Growing food on balconies and guerrilla style in public parks never hurt anyone. Who doesn’t want to raise city chickens?

In addition, this neat little gem tells us how to preserve, ferment and compost with worms. Written by people living in a city just for you, the NY Times calls The Urban Homestead “…the contemporary bible on the subject.”

Get Your Pitchfork On! by Kristy Athens is a tale of the author and her husband’s journey from city dwelling to farm living.

This book doesn’t hold back, and addresses everything from the basics of farming, social life on the farm—or lack thereof, schools, firearms and hiring migrant workers. After the couple purchased seven acres in Washington’s Columbia River Gorge, they found out a great deal about living in a rural environment. They also realized they were in way over their heads.

A nice change from the standard how to, this book may be more of a how not to, but proves equally effective.

Fall and Winter Gardening by R.J. Ruppenthal highlights the right foods that you can plant late and harvest even later.

If you already miss your summer squash, and long for lengthened lifespans of your lettuces, look no further! Some veggies have a short growing season, and others can be stored in winter weather until needed; some can even be left in the ground and covered with mulch—who knew. Check out this guide to Fall and Winter gardening and keep your produce smile all year round.

The Looking Glass Garden by Peter Thompson is part travelogue, part what to grow on the other side of the equator.

Focusing on the climes of South Africa, New Zealand and Chile to name a few, Thompson explores how to utilize the unique gardening palettes that can’t be found in the Northern half of the world. No worries though, there are also suggestions for comparable plantings in the upper regions. Thompson also highlights gardens that blow away the onlooker and the book is full of gorgeous photography.

Flower Gardening with Spring Bulbs by Douglas Green will be your essential guide if planting bulbs.

Green explores how to keep your garden growing for the price of just a few tulips…for years. Reviewing the dos and don’ts for gardening with bulbs, Green is a go-to man for avoiding common errors, taking care to plant just deep enough and how to water and maintain. Green has grown and sold over 1600 varieties of perennial flowers and 6-800 varieties of annuals in his nursery. Why wouldn’t we take his advice?

Container Gardening by Jane Steven takes a look at the obvious question that we have when we don’t live on a farm: where would I even put a garden? Why in containers of course!

Even if you only have a little bit of room to squeeze your garden into…never fear, container gardening is done worldwide and can effectively work in myriad climates. Instead of thinking that we don’t have enough space, we can now accentuate the cozy atmosphere in which we reside. Doesn’t that sound better now? Steven illustrates what to do with small spaces like balconies, patios and even herb gardens in a window box. Everyone can grow a container of something—what will you grow?

No matter where you live, enjoy these titles and embrace the seasons as they surround you. Bring along your gardening gloves, a big floppy hat and your most ambitious planting stance. Ready, set, grow!