- Potted fruit
Even if you have a yard instead of a garden or a patio area, there are still fruits that can be grown. As long as they can get a bit of sunshine and you make sure they get some water, some of these plants will produce crop after crop for you. - Raspberry
Raspberries actually do really well in pots as long as they have canes or some sort of framework to grow up. They produce their berries from early spring right through until the end of summer and can be used in a multitude of ways, apart from just popping them in your mouth as soon as you’ve picked and washed them. Health wise, they are high in vitamin C, with a single cup of them giving 54% of the recommended daily amount of the vitamin. - Blueberries
The only requirements that blueberries have to thrive in a pot is a compos called ericaceous compost which is quite acidic and that they are watered with rainwater, not that from a tap. Stick to these points and you can grow a health crop of blueberries in late summer as well as enjoying beautiful flowers in the spring and the fiery foliage in the autumn. These berries have essential minerals such as manganese, vitamin C & K and are also really low on the glycaemic scoring so are great for diabetics. - Apples
The old saying about an apple a day isn’t far wrong. Given a good-sized pot to allow for growth, dwarf apple tree varieties can thrive in a yard. Make sure you get a variety which is self-pollinating otherwise you will need two plants (a bit like male and female) to get fruit. Once the apples are appearing, there’s plenty to do with the fruit, as well as the juice and it is packed full of vitamins and dietary fibre. Even the apple peel has been shown to help combat fatty liver disease and obesity. - Figs
To grow figs, all you really need is a pot and a wall to grow them against which gets plenty of sun. These produce fruit in the spring so need to be planted the autumn before. They have plenty of goodness in them including calcium, fibre, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Watch out though, as too many can have a laxative effect. - Window Boxes
Even if you don’t have a yard or a patio area, you can even grow some fruit in a window box. As long as the window you choose gets plenty of light and you can water it, then there are plants that can thrive here. - Strawberry
Strawberries have little or no special requirements so can grow in a window box, just check the particular variety you are buying is okay with this location. The health benefits of strawberries are huge; high in vitamin C, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, source of folate and potassium. Not only that but they taste gorgeous and can be used in jams, puddings, desserts and smoothies in a multitude of different ways. - Currants
Currants come in all different colours but there are particular ones that have been cultivated especially for smaller pots such as a window pot. One of these is a redcurrant called Rovada and the berries from all the bushes are useful in desserts, jams, jellies and in sweet sauces. They have a high content of vitamin C as well as iron and manganese in them, all useful every day minerals the body needs.
Gardening is the purest of human pleasures
