Gardeners’ Question Time
Christine Walkden
Garden writer Christine appears on BBC1’s The One Show. She is also a lecturer and tour leader.
James Wong
Botanist, broadcaster and writer, James loves to grow unusual, edible and medicinal plants from around the world.
Bob Flowerdew
Bob is an organic gardener and has designed his garden to produce lots of veg, fruit and cut flowers.
Q Which edibles can I grow in my mini greenhouse?
Dick Vhillips, by email
A BOB SAYS The shelving in a mini polythene greenhouse means you can’t grow anything too tall, so how about dwarf chilli plants? You have lots of fruit shapes, colours and levels of heat to choose from. There are also dwarf tomato varieties, or hanging-basket types that could simply tumble out.
For something larger, how about a melon? The fruits are so delicious fully ripened on the vine. It could be grown inside and allowed to cascade out. Watermelons are similarly possible, but not easy, as even under plastic they require a long hot summer. Both types of melon must be planted in tubs or large pots, so you may need to reinforce those shelves.
Another exotic option is ginger – just buy a piece of root with a fat live bud and it should grow well in a pot. Oregano and basil are both
