I am in love with these picture books about gardening

I was really looking for something magical. The pictures of the little girl gardening in this year's Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog reminded me so much of my own niece. She will be turning 4 this spring, and I would love to inspire her to share my passion for gardening.

I began my quest for the perfect picture book a few weeks ago and sorted through hundreds of titles that lacked that perfect spark. And then, there it was. The book I had been dreaming of -- How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry. There is nothing I don't love about this book. The artwork is exquisite; the text is poetic. The book is inspiring. Groundhog learns how to plant a vegetable garden and tend to it throughout the seasons. The story chronicles the garden's growth from seed to harvest.

I was only planning to purchase one book, but I also discovered the Color & Garden Vegetables coloring book by Monica Wellington. The book features darling black and white pictures of young children tending a vegetable garden, complete with a lovely story explaining how to plant and care for a garden. I love that this is not just a standard coloring book -- the addition of a cute and educational story line makes it really special.

I know these are children's books, but I am seriously contemplating buying copies for myself!