Time for some exotic fruits

Help reduce your fruit food miles by growing some more exotic fruits such as citrus, grapevines, figs, olives and melons.

Oranges and lemons love the sunshine and really need to be grown in a conservatory or heated greenhouse. However, in the summer months you can acclimatise them to the outside world and move them to a sunny yet sheltered spot on a patio from May onwards, or once the risk of frost has passed.

Grapevines can grow well in this country and you can eat the fruit they produce, contrary to popular belief they are not just good for British wines. Plant them against a south-facing wall or pergola and they will produce lovely juicy fruits in the summer and survive sub-zero winter temperatures.

Figs need the hottest spot in your garden and are best grown in large pots as they have very strong roots and unless they are confined they can cause structural damage. Depending on which part of the country you live in then they may produce fruit three times a year or just once, and in northern areas you may need to protect them with fleece in the winter months.

Olives love it hot and they can grow outdoors in Britain but tend to only flower and fruit in greenhouses and conservatories, so you could keep them in pots and move them inside in the colder months.

Melons can be grown in this country in a heated greenhouse and if you watched the BBC’s 2014 Big Allotment Challenge then one of the teams also grew some outdoors last year. They need to be kept humid especially in a particularly hot summer and then also, of course, you will not need to heat your greenhouse either. They can do well in unheated polytunnels during sunny summers too.