‘Be as diverse as possible!’: a gardening pioneer’s guide to growing on a warming planet

The gardening pioneer Joy Larkcom changed how we grow veg and championed rocket, salad bags and pak choi. What is she growing now?

Joy Larkcom at Dunamore Farm house in West Cork. File picture: Des Barry 

Joy Larkcom is singing the praises of sugarloaf chicory. “It’s got deep roots, its leaves form a dense, crisp heart, and it withstands drought better than lettuce,” she says. “Sadly, these rarely find their way into the seed catalogues for amateur gardeners.”

Her love for this unsung salad leaf sums up Larkcom’s lifelong passion: to bring more variety to our kitchen tables and preserve genetic diversity.