A new crop of gardening books is appearing in stores:

Gardening at the Dragon's Gate by Wendy Johnson (Bantam, 2008). This book enchants from the first chapter, where the author recounts her first time in the garden intently planting a row of corn -- only to look up and find that a blue jay had eaten every seed.

One of the founders of the organic farm and garden program at Green Gulch Zen Center in Marin County, Calif., Ms. Johnson is currently at the forefront of the local foods movement, and she obviously believes the relationship between gardeners and their land should be nontoxic and deep-rooted.

But she never preaches the organic gospel. Rather, she gently exhorts the reader not to hurry through chores and to be observant, paying attention to the clues that nature provides rather than to rigid, formal rules. For instance, a section on watering has a perfect koan: 'Water so that the soil can dry out" -- meaning to watch how the surface of the soil shifts when there's a hot wind or a downpour, and to "aim for the Middle Way between drought and deluge, and keep alert." Busy weekend gardeners may well benefit from such reminders to be mindful.

The Garden Primer (Second Edition) by Barbara Damrosch (Workman Publishing, 2008). This revised version of a 22-year-old gardening classic is practical, straightforward and above all -- at 820 pages -- comprehensive. Nothing is deemed too insignificant to explain, from the proper way to tie a tomato to the best way to dig out a rock.

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But buried among rather basic information about what tools one should buy for raking, weeding and watering, and what one should wear while doing it, are some intriguing ideas, based on the author's personal experiences, such as why it may be better to plant a small garden than a large one, and how laziness -- at least in the case of not mowing, spraying or tilling -- may be both the greenest and most effective way to garden. Her admirable goal: to "make peace with nature rather than fighting her all the way."

Landscape Planning: Practical Techniques for the Home Gardener (Second Edition) by Judith Adam (Firefly Books, 2008). A Canadian best seller since 2002, this revised and expanded how-to book includes new information on low-maintenance and dry-land gardening -- both timely topics given concerns over global warming. But low maintenance doesn't mean no work, at least in the beginning, which is why several chapters are devoted, wisely, to planning -- beginning with evaluating yourself as you consider how much you want to spend, how much work you want to do and how much time you want to devote to keeping up the yard.

Step-by-step illustrations for measuring a grade, drawing a landscape plan, building steps and retaining walls, terracing a slope and other projects give a clear idea of just how much time, treasure and labor is involved to realize your outdoor dreams. (Although after finishing this book, you may decide just to sit back and watch the gardening channel instead.)

Write to June Fletcher at june.fletcher@wsj.com

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