Here are some gift ideas for people who love nature, being outdoors, or even just pottering around in the garden…

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THE HUMAN, THE ORCHID, AND THE OCTOPUS: Exploring and Conserving Our Natural World b y Jacques Cousteau and Susan Schiefelbein (Bloomsbury USA).

Ten years after his death, the words of iconic explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau are brought to life in THE HUMAN, THE ORCHID, AND THE OCTOPUS. An environmentalist ahead of his time, Cousteau remarks on the impact of human activity on the world’s oceans and highlights our responsibility to protect the earth.

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BIRD SONGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD by Les Beletsky, with audio from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (Chronicle Books).

Birders, listen up! BIRD SONGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD not only includes information and illustrations of 200 birds, it also houses built-in digital audio that plays 200 individual bird songs (20 seconds each). This book was immediately a favourite in-house here at Raincoast. ("Hey, is there a Kookaburra in the office?")

If you want to hear what the sounds are like, check out The Macaulay Library bird sounds page.

Also check out the original BIRD SONG: 250 North American Birds in Song.

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THE GARDEN AT NIGHT: Private Views of Public Edens by Linda Rutenberg (Chronicle Books).

Easily ones of the most beautiful coffee table books of the year, THE GARDEN AT NIGHT is not your typical photography book about flowers and plants. Montreal photographer Linda Rutenberg visited 20 public and botanical gardens across North America AT NIGHT (!), and captured hauntingly beautiful portraits of flora surrounded by darkness.

To see some images from the book, visit the author’s website.

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JEKKA’S COMPLETE HERB BOOK: Revised Edition by Jekka McVicar (Raincoast Books).

If you’re more hands-on about the garden, take a look at JEKKA’S COMPLETE HERB BOOK. Crowned the “queen of herbs” by Jamie Oliver, Jekka McVicar includes eveything you need to know about herbs—from history and cultivation, to their many uses.

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For more book suggestions, check out our other Raincoast Gift Guides.