Edible plants to grow that you can’t buy in the shops

[Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight]

I picked a large handful of tiny wild strawberries from my garden to add to my porridge this morning and it got me thinking, are there any other lovely unbuyable fruit and veg that anyone grows in their garden?

If so, what sort of conditions does it need to thrive? My strawberries do brilliantly in very free draining soil and in partial shade.

Not just “rhubarb” - there are several varieties, eg Champagne, Glaskin’s Perpetual.

It’s always worth researching when purchasing any fruit or veg, because the familiar variety will be grown primarily because it’s heavy cropping, crops all at once rather than over a period, is easy to pick, has even sized fruit, is a convenient shape for machinery, etc, etc. Taste will be a long way down the list. Whereas for home growing, taste is near the top of the list, and cropping all at once is a positive disadvantage.

Try the seeds when they are young, really spicy. When older they are ferocious but can be pickled.

Just because a plant is useless doesn't mean that it shouldn't be grown. I used to grow Cucurbita ficifolia, also know as Sharkfin Melon or the Malabar Gourd. It has beautiful leaves and an enormous fruit that looks like a watermelon. No flavour to it but I suppose you could say that about marrows.

I did grow an unusual but tasty pumpkin called Marina di Chioggia. It was a lot starchier than the usual pumpkin I think so it tasted a bit like bread or potatoes. Interesting to look at too.

I thought of another one. Mirabelle's. They are tiny very sweet plums.

Oh and kiwi berries. Tiny kiwi that you just eat without peeling