His most influential books were The Wild Garden, which made his reputation and allowed him to start his magazine The Garden; and The English Flower Garden, 1883, which he revised in edition after edition and included contributions from his lifelong friend Gertrude Jekyll, among others.
Hans mest indflydelsesrige bøger var The Wild Garden, der skabte hans ry og gjorde det muligt at udgive tidsskriftet The Garden, og The English Flower Garden fra 1883, som han reviderede i udgave efter udgave, og som bl.a. indeholdt bidrag fra hans livslange veninde, Gertrude Jekyll.