Ideas for unusual greenhouse plants

[More basil]

My brother in law would like seeds for Christmas for something a little unusual to grow in his greenhouse. He gardens in Denmark- climate is a bit like North Yorkshire but with more sun. My mind has gone into hibernation and is completely blank so I have come to the forum for help for ideas... He's a very experienced gardener so can take on a challenge as long as it isn't plants of triffid like proportions. And the plant should preferably be tasty!

Thanks!

[Newt]

Has he tried growing ginger or turmeric?

They like a somewhat warmer climate than we get up here, but can do very well in large pots in greenhouses as I understand it. Unusual, very attractive foliage, and at the end of the year you can harvest a bumper crop of fresh spice from the roots and break off a few pieces to start over with.

I believe you can also use the ginger and turmeric shoots and young leaves to flavour cooking.

[veggiechicken]

Lemon grass?
A selection of unusual coloured tomatoes or peppers?
Physalis/Cape gooseberry or tomatillo?

[Jay-ell]

Morelle De Balbis - in the corner farthest from the door
I grew them outside this year - lots of fruits but only a few ripened. Next year I think they would do alot better in the greenhouse.

[the big lebowski]

have you thought about chillis ? there are lots of dif types and if he has abit of a silly sense of humour you could get him some peter peppers aka "chilly willies " cheers

[Guest]

tea, coffee and wasabi (wasabi is not seed grown) - not sure about size to greenhouse but definitely on the challenge list. They are still on my one day I will have a bash. I am trying cotton next year but it is ornamental.

Melon, okra, tomatillo, melon pear/ pepino, chillies and carosello.

[Jay-ell]

He could have a dudi in the greenhouse.

What type of food does he like, e.g Chinese, Indian, South American Caribbean fusion?

[SelkirkAlex]

I would be and am tempted to try grenadilla/ passion fruit, it is suprisingly frost resistant, just not sure how they would handle the limited sun. any fruit grower hasn't lived until they have tasted a grenadilla picked fresh from the vine.

[Jay-ell]

Garden Huckleberries are a relative of the tomato - small black berries with a sweet/slightly sour flavour and underlying liquorice tones. May need to have a cage of large holed fence wire to keep in in it's space though as it can sprawl.

[More basil]

Blimey everyone, thank you! I have just had an great time looking up some of your fantastic suggestions, quite a few of which I had never even heard of.

Apart from giving me lots of ideas, it has put a smile on my face on a dank Sunday morning to think of all those greenhouses out there full of interesting, fun stuff- and that goes for the gardeners too!

I shall never be able to give him socks again after this Christmas...

[veggiechicken]

Buy some for yourself too, MBasil, then you can compare notes with each other

[Jay-ell]

I haven't even mentioned Carosello - a melon that thinks it's a cucumber (or is it a cucumber that thinks it's a melon? No, I think the first one is right.)

[DannyK]

I haven't even mentioned Carosello - a melon that thinks it's a cucumber (or is it a cucumber that thinks it's a melon? No, I think the first one is right.)

But what does it taste like please?