For all of us brought up with parents or grandparents, or older friends who showed us the 'rules' of vegetable gardening, where cabbages were confined to an area out of sight of the neighbours, and onions would under no circumstances be allowed to flower, reading Joy Larkcom's book feels like a rather guilty pleasure. The idea that veg don't have to be grown as single crops in formal rows, and that perhaps a little disorder may be a good thing, feels so wrong and yet so right!
Full of beautiful pictures of vegetables (!), this book qualifies as coffee table material - it's where art and gardening meet - but is also fascinating, inspiring, and written with such unbridled and infectious enthusiasm that it's difficult to decide whether to put the book down and action some of the wonderful ideas, or continue to indulge your creative fantasies, cup of tea in hand!
I haven't rotivated all my lawns yet (though it's tempting), but I have already done some things that would make my poor old grandfather turn in his grave, such as starting to growing runner beans up through the climbing roses (could make picking interesting, we shall see) and sowing brassicas in my flower borders. Ms Larkcom's book makes you feel as if anything is possible and nothing is forbidden.
For anyone starting out with a blank canvas, there are also plenty of planting plans for all kinds of soil and location, and the section on individual vegetables is packed with useful information. Whether you need some creative inspiration, heaps of practical advice or if you just enjoy beautiful pictures, I would strongly recommend this book.