Any time of the year is great for starting those garden quilt projects. Here are some books that will inspire gardeners.

“Appliqué Jubilee” by the editors and contributors of McCall’s Quilting was released by C & T Publishing. This features 16 quilt projects, most of which are based on garden-related themes. Among the garden motifs are ferns, vines, foliage, and flower baskets along with many kinds of flowers.

The designs include everything from traditional Baltimore album quilt blocks to contemporary wool felts. Some of the projects are of seasonal interest, such as oak leaf appliqués for fall and an exquisite poinsettia wreath quilt for December. This has quilts in various sizes as well as other projects, including tea cozies.

The projects are suitable for a range of skill levels. For each project, there is a color photo of the quilt, a cutting chart, and step by step, color illustrated instructions, including a color layout.

This covers all the different types of appliqué along with all of the basic quilting techniques. There is a 16 page pullout with over 110 full size appliqué and patchwork templates.

“Quilt This-Practical Patterns for Everyday Quilting” by Lynda Smith was published by the American Quilter’s Society. This has over 80 designs in all. Garden and plant themed patterns take up nearly half of the book. This title has quilting patterns to suit every situation.

Choices include everything from classical and elegant motifs to repeating geometrical themes and whimsical patterns for children. These quilting patterns are suitable for filling quilting blocks, backgrounds, and quilt borders. They can be done by hand or machine.

This also has basic instructions for using the patterns. This title features full size patterns along with sample layouts and color photos of the completed quilt showing the quilted design.

“Blendable Curves” by Peggy J. Barkle was released by C & T Publishing. This features ten quilt projects, including the beloved log cabin and nine patch. These include a range of sizes. Easy enough for beginners, a number of these projects feature flower and garden themes, such as sunflowers.

With the author’s easy piecing method, you never have to worry about matching seams or points or even pinning for that matter. She gives new life to traditional patchwork by taking the competed blocks and slicing them into pieces, which are reassembled to create pleasing curves.

For each quilt, there are lush color photos, color illustrated, easy to follow, step by step directions and templates along with a list of fabrics, a cutting chart, and a suggested quilting pattern. The author provides in-depth details on all the basic quilt techniques.

“Fat Quarter Friendly” from Fons and Porter’s For the Love of Quilting Magazine was published by Leisure Arts. This features 30 of the most popular fat quarter designs that have appeared in the magazine. Among the garden-themed quilts are ones with oak leaves, sunflowers, flower baskets, whimsical pink flamingos, and nosegays.

For each of the quilts, there are color photos of the completed quilt, color layouts, color-illustrated, step by step instructions from start to finish, templates, a list of fabrics, and a cutting chart. In addition, this covers all of the basic quilt techniques, including the different methods of appliqué.

Very suitable for novices, this also explains how to make templates, use rubber stamps on fabrics, and use computers to print quilt blocks and labels.