I've owned this book a long time and although I had long had a vegetable garden, at the time I bought the book and first read it I was entering a fallow period. At that time my reading was more about imaginary garden. It was a joy to rediscover this book as I unpacked my gardening books following a move because it is filled with information and inspiration for my new garden. It was pretty easy, design wise, to have a separate fenced vegetable garden, apart from the rest of my yard but that is not a possibility now in this new home. The book has really helped me refine my ideas, and it is full of useful bits that will help as my garden evolves. ( )

This book takes on too much material, and is less successful than it could have been.

Since it went out of its way to be comprehensive, it would have benefitted by being split in two. Volume 1 should have been the general education and design essentials. Volume 2 should have been the edible plants directory itself. There is plenty to learn here, but the crowding makes it harder to keep clarity.

Some good info on everbearing varieties. A good index of sources at the back. ( )