Garden Variety

by Christy Wilhelmi

If you thought community gardening was nothing but pulling weeds and planting seeds think again. In this fresh and delightful debut, Christy Wilhelmi shows that there’s more to gardening than merely keeping pests at bay ...

Each time Lizzie steps through the gates of the Vista Mar Community Gardens, she knows she’s left the chaos of the outside world behind. Here, the rows are even, tools are properly stored, and each season brings new life. But even the shiniest apple can hide a worm, and behind the leafy green façade there is hidden heartbreak, tomato hornworms, and inter-garden political powerplays.

And to make things worse—a long forgotten loophole enacted by a nasty neighbor brings the outside world crashing in. The members are feuding, Lizzie’s budding romance is wilting on the vine, and the very existence of Vista Mar is threatened. Can Lizzie and her fellow gardeners fight to save their urban oasis while they struggle to stay grounded in this chaotic city 

Garden Variety is as much about growing food and flowers as it is about life’s growing pains, and how a community rallies and comes together to save their own.

Big news! The sequel is coming in spring 2026. Check the author's recent post for details.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Gardening, Chick Lit, Humor

368 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2022

About the author

Christy Wilhelmi empowers people to grow their own food, to be more self-reliant, and to reduce pollution and waste, one garden at a time.

Christy is founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes newsletters, her popular blog, and podcasts. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design and consulting. She holds regular organic gardening classes in California, and was a board member of Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden in Mar Vista, California for over 20 years. Between 50-70 percent of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 300 square feet.

She is author of Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden (Cool Springs Press); High Yield Small Space Organic Gardening (the updated version of Gardening for Geeks (Fox Chapel)); 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success: A Decade of Tricks, Tools, Recipes, and Resources from Gardenerd.com (Amazon Kindle); and her debut novel, Garden Variety (William Morrow). The sequel to Garden Variety is coming in Spring 2026.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Fiction book. This book takes place in a community garden, and there is a lot about gardening. I love gardening, and I really love growing my own food. I think you really need to enjoy garden, or you will want to read a lot about gardening to read this book. I personally have never used a community garden because I own a lot of land, so I just grow on my own land. I have friends that use a community garden to grow their plants in, and the stories they have told me is a lot like this book. I love the characters in this book, and they really grow on me like their plants grow. There is a lot going on in this book, and I think the community garden is like a family. With any family there is a lot of drama, but they still have love for each other. This book made me want to get my garden planted and going, but it is not time in my area to do that...LOL. The ending of this book really touched my heart. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (William Morrow & Company) or author (Christy Wilhelmi) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Randi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway and have an uncorrected proof, so there will be no quotes in this review as the final product could be altered.

Firstly, I myself enjoy gardening, which is why I was excited for this book, but I'm in the Midwest, so most of the "subtle" gardening advice in this book is moot and takes away from the story. Speaking of the story, it was rather . . . boring? The villain reminds me of my grandma when she talks about her HOA, of which she's on the board. Most characters feel more like caricatures than people; "angry old ladies", "chill garden dude", "quiet nerd boy", "ult-left feminist but actually an emotionally repressed woman", "hot guy who knows carpentry". Granted, Lizzie is probably the most fleshed-out character, but she is so UNLIKEABLE.

I want to take a moment to shame the publishers for trying to skew this story as some kind of romance, where the garden issues are sub-plot to the romance plot, when it's actually the opposite. Lizzie isn't even the main character - and thank God for small mercies. The romantic sub-plot was the worst part of the book. Lizzie in no way shape or form should be in a relationship; she's cold, distant, obsessive, panicky, and will literally run away from a man who can cook decently because she assumes it means he has A WIFE. But she attends one funeral and suddenly she sees the light? Idk man. She didn't even know the guy.

Also the curry fever undertones at the beginning? Please tell me that was edited out. So creepy.

And the ending of the book! Talk about Dues ex Machina Ned being loaded AF to just end all of the 'plot tension' (I mean was anyone REALLY worried the garden would be bought out? No. Don't lie to me.). And then to never hear from the villain again or how everyone's miniscule sub-plots were tied up with a big red ribbon in the last three pages? It was so unfulfilling.

I'm on Team Bernice-Was-The-Best-Character-And-Should've-Been-The-Main-Character.

[JANELLE · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to keep interested in. It's a good storyline, just wasn't super exciting. It's about a community garden, all the politics inside their group, dealing with someone wanting to buy the garden and making them leave it. There is a bit of romance when a new guy gets a section of the garden.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew so much could happen inside the gates of a community garden? So many characters, interwoven with one another, create a rich and diverse culture. The community as well as each individual share a fully lived story arc. A few characters I loved. One person I loved to hate...until I grew to fall for. My heart was with them all in different ways. I found the storytelling captivating, from cover to cover.

I also didn't expect to pick up on so many gardening tips. I am not a gardener, but I totally appreciated how many practical takeaways there are. While reading the book, I was inspired to repot my patio plants. A total bonus.

It was a fun and fulfilling read. I totally recommend. I feel lucky to have been sent an advanced copy.

[Beverlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this debut book by Christy Wilhelmi because I am a garden nerd who loves a little bit of drama in life and this books offers a heavy dose of gardening with just the right notes of drama and people development.

The story takes place in Southern California in a community garden where the characters are all about control, keeping to themselves and trying to heal themselves through the garden. But new gardeners and old enemies will change the dynamics of the relationships much as the way the seasons change the dynamics of our gardening!

A fun read for those of us that love to get our hands into the dirt and fight the elements to reap the rewards of the effort in home grown fruits, flowers and vegetables.

Thanks William Morrow and Net Galley for chance to read!

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars, rounded up. Will Goodreads never man up about the stars?

I never thought that a community garden could have so much going on besides gardening!

I'm not much of a gardener-if I garden at all, it is in pots on my deck, but this book made me want to go and really get my hands into the dirt and make some new friends. I did get a tad annoyed with the moaning about global warming, but I did find it fascinating to find out how gardening/planting differs throughout the country.

Don't get me wrong; this book is more than just gardening advice (tho you do get a lot of that); it is a romance, a bit of a mystery, a laughing and crying book. It is a book about strong characters and shy characters---it just seems to have everything that pushed my buttons and allowed me to love it.

*My thanks to William Morrow, NetGalley, and Ms. Wilhelmi.

[Katy O.]

DNF at 17%. I couldn’t bring myself to like or connect with the main character at ALL at the beginning of this book. Maybe if I had given it more of a chance I would have come around but no time for that.

Free review copy from Edelweiss

[Colby Devitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consumed this novel in one weekend. I'm not a gardener, and don't know much about community gardens, but by the end of this book I was sad to leave the cast of characters and wished I could keep coming back to their vibrant and intriguing world. Lizzie, the main character is relatable, funny, and has just the right amount of self-awareness that makes me root for her wholeheartedly. There's a juicy love story at the center of this book between Lizzie and a fellow gardener. What makes this book unique though are the robust love stories between the characters and their gardens. Such drama! The author's choice to set her community garden tale within the greater context of urban Los Angeles with its issues of development, real estate and antagonistic forces that want to quash the efforts of a resilient and optimistic band of gardeners elevates this novel into the realm of brilliance.

[Asheley T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

I loved this book, start to finish. A community garden is such a fun place to highlight relationships and drama! The best part of the story for me was the amount of garden talk--talk of things like veggies, plants, soil pH, heirloom varieties, composting, gardening methods, garden implements, everything. Anybody can enjoy this story but I believe gardening enthusiasts will really gobble it up.

Plus, there's a really fun map of the garden in the book, showing each character's plot in relation to the other characters, where the compost piles are, etc. SO FUN.

[Aashna Moorjani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rom-coms are an art whose genre and medium spanning genericness has the potential to be its worst or most redeeming quality. The reasons why genericness are the worst are rather obvious. The serotonin-fueled machine pumps out stories that feel boring, predictable, cliché. However, In the hands of a deft creator—in this case, author—the redeeming quality of the genericness is brought out with so much sincerity, so much personality that the lethargy of the genre can be made affirming. What was once boring is comfortable. What was once predictable is the result of well-stretched tension. And what was once cliché is charming. Rom-coms prove to their consumer that—yes!—love is possible. People in “real world” situations have whirlwind, fairytale romances with neat conflicts and assured happy endings. Escapism at its finest.

This balance between the expected and the inventive is exactly what Wilhelmi accomplishes with her novel, Garden Variety. It succeeds in following the basic template of its genre, while also providing a distinct sense of personality and freshness in the form of its main topic: gardening. Wilhelmi doesn’t shy away from getting into the weeds (pun intended) of the process, including details that demystify the process, even for the completely ignorant like me. This sets a new, unique setting for the two leads to fall in love.

If you want to read a love story, want to know more about gardening, are already an experienced gardener, or just plain need to be comfort, you should take the time to check out Garden Variety. You won’t be disappointed.

[Sharon Redfern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew that a collaborative garden could be such a hotspot of intrigue! This story has it all- feuding gardeners, dishonest gardeners, cranky neighbor sabotage, and even a little hint of romance.
When Lizzie, a section leader of the Vista Mar Community garden, meets Jared, she thinks he's just a gardening dilettante. Lizzie takes the rules seriously both in the garden and her personal life. She is just one of several quirky characters at the community garden.
I enjoyed reading the ways they fought each other but banded together when the fate of the garden was on the line. Lots of interesting information about gardening sprinkled in the story of Lizzie and her friends. A fun read!

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received my copy free through Goodreads Giveaways.

Sweet summer romance based in a garden.

[Fransy Guerrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

2'5/5: La rabia que tengo encima no es ni medio normal y es que tenía las expectativas por las nubes con esta novela. La tenía en el punto de mira porque me gustan las novelas corales, pero esta me ha resultado muy aburrida por la densidad de la información sobre horticultura que da.
El escenario de la historia es el huerto comunitario Vista Mar, un huerto que lleva más de 30 años y con casi 800 socios de diferentes parte del sur de California. Cada persona que va allí tiene una motivación diferente y es un sitio muy heterogéneo, aunque hay que cumplir ciertas reglas para que el lugar tenga una coordinación.
Vamos a conocer a diferentes personajes (Ned, Sharalyn, Mary...) y sus historias de vida: chico muy tímido y retraido, señoras mayores cabreadas con el mundo, el amante de la comida fresca, etc. Aunque la voz cantante de la novela la lleva Lizzie, la jefa de sección super metódica, muy centrada en su huerto y que, a mí personalmente, me ha puesto de los nervios. Es tan cuadriculada que no es ni normal, con algo que es un hobbie para ella. Vendrá un compi nuevo, Jared, y la verdad que empezarán a tontear, pero ella es que no quiere comprometerse con nada ni nadie. Lizzie me ha parecido antipática y no me ha gustado nada. La relación amorosa la veo incomprensible.
El problema en común de todos es Kurt, un anciano que está harto del trasiego que tiene el huerto y de que muchos árboles le tapen las vistas. Tiene una campaña de desprestigio activa y él quiere que lo dejen vivir sin los malos olores del compost y los bichos campando a sus anchas.
La narración no ha sido el fuerte de la historia por lo descriptiva que es. Me he liado muchísimas veces porque no deja claro de quien habla y además, al mostrar tanto contenido del campo de la jardinería, no tenía ni idea de lo que decía.
Ha sido una fusión entre un manual para cultivar hortalizas con una novela, y todo se ha quedado a medio gas.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was, overall, a fun read. The characters were likeable and I enjoyed the gardening anecdotes sprinkled throughout the text. It read to me like it could be a movie, but I'm not sure there are enough garden nerds in the world to make it a blockbuster. :)

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful read. This is a book about a community garden and the gardeners. In today's world community is sometimes lacking. We all want to bond with people. Each member of the garden has a plot and the garden governs itself. The members help each other with gardening tips and help each other through the joys and sorrows of life. It was a refreshing read.
We all wish to be part of a caring community and maybe gardening is one of the ways to foster community. More community gardens are needed.
I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to #goodreads, @ChristyWilhelmi, and @WilliamMorrowBooks.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

80% niche gardening talk, 20% story but I’m not mad about it. A fun way to learn more about something the author was very obviously passionate about and a cute story interwoven

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long time gardener I was thrilled to hear that Christy had a book coming out and it did NOT disappoint. Christy's writing did what it was supposed to do - it left me wanting the next book. There was just enough edge to the characters to keep me engaged. The main character Lizzie has an edge to her that kept me engaged in the book and sometimes had me disliking her. For me the author did a great job of creating the like/dislike edge that kept me engaged! Good job Christy!

[B.]

I received an ARC of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. My first warning that something would have been amiss was the letter from the publisher that came from it - complete with a quote from Milla Jovavich, of all people (great actress, just questioning why the quote would be in the publisher's letter) that said both that a person didn't have to be a gardner to enjoy the book and then went on to counteract her second sentence to say that the book helped her understand why her carrots were not as sweet as they'd like.

Now, that's a couple flags right off the bat, but I figured I would try it anyway, because Abbi Waxman's The Garden of Small Beginnings was phenomenal - love Waxman - and it too was about a community garden. And then I read chapter 1.

And it immediately became a DNF.
Lizzie comes across as a judgmental bitch who judges people based on stereotypes and her own preconceived notions of what other people should do - Lizzie's a fuckin' Karen. There's no way in hell - and I don't care if she gets a redemption arc or not - I want to read a book in which some judgy bitch rants on in her inner monologue while being rude to every person she meets via dialogue. I'm sure it may appeal to someone - early reviews suggest that the gardening crowd enjoys it. It's just not for me.

[Susan • BryantParkBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved Garden Variety! As someone who lives in a major city and wishes she could have her own garden, this was the perfect book to live vicariously through.

Lizzie lives in LA and is a member of the Vista Mar Community Gardens. It’s very difficult to get into this club and it’s very difficult to stay a member! They have lots of rules and regulations that are strictly enforced. But the people are friendly and they all have their quirks.

I loved the relationship between Lizzie and Jarod and their slow burn romance was just fun to follow. I like that neither expected much, but really grew to love and appreciate each other.

I always enjoy reading something that so unlike anything else. I didn’t know I needed a garden club romance, but I would absolutely read more!

Thank you so much to @bibliolifestyle and @williammorrowbooks for my gifted copy.

[Sherilyn Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fun little ride. Set in Los Angeles in a semi-fictional community garden overlooking the Pacific, this is a story of community. The protagonist is a young woman with relationship issues who takes a journey of trust and love. The garden is threatened by a wealthy homeowner who resents the garden blocking his view of the ocean - someone anyone who lived in a beach community in Southern California will recognize. The gardeners ban together to fight to save their much needed green space against this well-connected villain. Major takeaways: even the villain is a well rounded character who the reader can find some pit for, the main protagonist is a flawed figure who I related to as she reaches a conflict moment where she has to choose between being safely isolated or taking a leap of faith for love, the ancillary characters all have arcs that I found myself invested in and all in a very easy read that I gobbled up in a bout 3 days. And as an added bonus, the author gives great garden tips throughout the book for anyone trying to garden in the changing climate of Southern California coastal regions. I loved it.

[Cheri Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I have read this book, I am getting ready to reread it. I could hardly put this book down! I would read until my eyes crossed and then take a break. I could smell & visualize the garden and "see" the "we're spoiled" view. Christy Wilhelmi made the characters real, relatable...and sexy, just enough. I enjoyed the references to growing seasons and plants too. I read every single page (including the 10 Takeaways and every page of the P.S. section.) Though I won't say that I have been bitten, I am enticed and will try gardening this year using Christy's advice. Christy is a good writer and I'm looking forward to her next book. Thanks, Christy for the great read!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book centers around a few members of The Vista Mar Community Garden in Southern California. You begin the story with a young woman (Lizzie) who recently broke up with a member of the garden. You watch her slowly grow into a relationship with a new member (Jared) and see her learn to develop friendships with people who she has been gardening with for years. You learn the back story of a few main members as they fight to keep their garden from being purchased from an outside buyer.

I really liked this book. I am excited to see what else Christy Wilhelmi has and will write next. It was an enjoyable book to read that i picked up every spare second i could find.

I won this book as a goodreads giveaway from Morrow marketing at Harper Collins.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was delightful. I'm a huge fan of the author's GardenNerd podcast, and I'm pleased that her fiction writing shows the same enthusiasm as her regular podcasts.

[Tracy Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garden Variety is a must-read for anyone who loves to garden. The descriptions of plants, flowers, and vegetables are luminous. But even more thrilling are the lives and loves, losses and fears, failures and triumphs of the gardeners whose lives revolve around the fictitious Vista Mar Community Garden. The author has a deft ear for dialog, capturing all the nuances of the relationships that develop, month by month, season by season, within the community as the gardeners lovingly tend their garden plots, and strive to protect their bucolic oasis from outside threats. A definite five stars.

[Lauren | TransportedLFL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bibliolifestyle and William Morrow for this book. I was so excited to read it because I love gardening and have a particularly soft spot for community gardens. Lizzie is the section representative for her portion of the community garden. This book especially focuses on her but also on the politics and interactions of all the gardeners and their neighbors. I was grateful for the map of the garden at the beginning of the book, and the opening quote about a garden and a library is one of my favorites.

I was a bit jealous of the year-round gardening that the members of their community garden in southern California could do. But I wasn't as jealous as I might have been because the book pointed out the difficulties in gardening with a changing climate and drought. And I empathized completely with the feeling that the first year gardening is the easiest.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to BiblioLifestyle and William Morrow for a gifted book tour copy!

I'm a terrible gardener, but I still really enjoyed Garden Variety by Christy Wilhelmi. Set in an LA community garden, this story really emphasized the community part of that equation as much as the gardening. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters, and I also wanted to eat a bunch of vegetables- so, win win. Garden Variety came out February 1, 2022, so you can pick this up now!

[Jennifer van der Fluit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! My kind of book! Bought it from the author on Saturday. Finished it on Wednesday! Totally binge-worthy!
I would love to garden with any of the characters!
It was fun to read all of the garden tips woven throughout the story! Unapologetically!
My heart was glad to go on the roller coaster ride!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

This was a fun debut women's fiction/romance story set around a community garden. Taking place over the course of a year, we get to know Lizzie, the Vista Mar Community Gardens manager as she deals with feuding gardeners, her budding romance with the newest member and threats to close down the garden for good. The members have to band together and fight to save their own little piece of oasis in the middle of the city. Heartwarming and perfect for garden lovers. I enjoyed this on audio narrated by Nancy Peterson and definitely recommend it.

[Jessica (readitandquip) H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could have a plot at Vista Mar and now I want to plant my own garden! 🌱

Captivating immersion into the community garden landscape. I loved getting little snippets of each person in Vista Mar and layers were slowly revealed (kind of like buds and plants slowly unfurling with care 😉)

[Maudaevee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was so different than anything I’ve read before and I loved the community garden setting. I think anyone that gardens and/or have taken part in any community centers/projects will enjoy this too. The writing was really nice and drew me in right from the start.