This extensive revision of The Salad Garden, nearly 15 years after the previous edition, has only been possible with the help of friends in the gardening world.
First and foremost, my thanks to Mike Day, formerly head of Vegetable Trials at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, for the countless hours he spent updating the recommended varieties, bringing his experience to bear on many variety trial results, as well as highlighting recent changes in vegetable growing. Very big thank yous to fellow garden writers and gardeners who generously shared their knowledge with me: Sue Stickland, Sarah Wain of West Dean Gardens, John Walker, Pauline Pears, Mike Michaud of Sea Spring Seeds, (with renewed thanks for the accolade of naming The Salad Garden your ‘food book of the century’ on the Radio 4 Food Programme at the close of the 20th century), and Peter Bauwens of de Niewe Tuin in Belgium. Another special thank you to Karen Austin of Lettercollum Kitchen Project for her culinary wisdom and help in updating the recipes. Thanks to Sally McKenna for her tip on keeping salads fresh.
As ever seedsmen and plant suppliers are a great resource for us garden writers. Thank you to Charles Seddon of CN Seeds, for his expertise on microgreens and less well known vegetables, to Jill Vaughan of Delfland Nurseries, and to Trials Officer Debbie Roe and the many people involved in the Royal Horticultural Society Vegetable variety trials. Thank you, also, to CN Seeds and Mr. Fothergill Seeds for generously supplying seeds used in growing material for the new photography.
Which brings me to a second thankyou to Sue Stickland and Sarah Wain, for their enthusiasm and hard work, often with the odds against them, preparing features for the additional photography for this edition, so ably undertaken by Jason Ingram. And thank you to Peter Bauwens and Richard Johnston, for their exceptional photographic contributions.
Once again, thank you to my husband Don who has to put up with so much while I’m engrossed in writing.
At publishers Frances Lincoln, thank you to designer Sarah Allberrey for her enthusiastic and exceptionally skilful work, to Zena Alkayat for commissioning this new edition, and finally, yes, another special thank you, to Laura Nicolson, who has been the most supportive, constructive, perceptive editor one could wish for: a real joy to work with.
If I have overlooked anyone, forgive me. Please take as read my thanks to the many people involved in work on the earlier editions of The Salad Garden.