A good vegetable garden book for ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS?

[amazonianwoman]

Can anyone recommend one??

We're talking complete novices. No idea where to start. The gardening books we have at home (admittedly only 2) seem to imply some existing knowledge is required.

And I know it is very late, but can you start planting/sowing anything now? We moved last year and have 4 big raised beds ready to go, but have spent all our free time so far sorting out the inside of the house LOL. It would be fab to try and grow SOMETHING this year!

Thanks in anticipation.

Just read the post below on beginners, and have just purchased the Pippa book off Ebay. Any advice still gratefully received!

I am a complete novice and only have a small patch (at the moment ) but one thing I can strongly recommend is rocket. Its very easy to grow (I just followed the instructions on the packet), doesn't need much attention, and grows quickly and abundantly. The DCs love it because they can actually pick it out of the garden and see it growing (on that basis, the carrots are a bit of a disappointment!).

We had a big rocket salad yesterday and I felt just like Laura Ingalls Wilder out of Little House on the Prairie (smug self-sufficient emoticon).

You can't go far wrong with \link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0903505460/026-3594764-4207651\The Vegetable and Herb Expert} by D G Hessayon - it's full of good advice, very clear instructions and is excellent for beginners.

It isn't too late to sow stuff at all - french beans, runner beans, braod beans (well broad beans should be sown by end of May but because of cold Spring, theu should catch up if you plant them now). You can also sow sweetcorn, winter squash (pumpkins) and cougettes.

Probably lots of other stuff too that I can't think of.

joy larkham's vegetable gardening. verycomprehensive.

or delia's kitchen garden for aspiration.

Thx all - have acquired that book too and am about to go into the garden now and plant some beans. Wish me luck...