Feijoa Sellowiana

– Position: full sun – Soil: light, well-drained soil (or a loam-base potting compost such as John Innes no. 3 for container-grown specimens) – Rate of growth: average – Flowering period: July – Hardiness: frost tender (will need winter protection)

This exotic-looking evergreen shrub produces attractive, purple-pink flowers with long, prominent red stamens in midsummer – and if grown in an environment where the temperatures do not drop below 5°C, it will often go on to produce edible fruits. As the grey-green leaves (which have a white-woolly reverse) suggest, this pineapple guava copes well with drought and salt-laden air, and this makes it a valuable specimen or hedging plant for a sheltered coastal garden. If grown for its fruit, it’s a safer bet to keep it a large pot and overwinter it in a cool greenhouse.

– Garden care: During the growing season water container-grown specimens regularly, applying a balanced liquid fertiliser every 4 weeks. Water sparingly in winter.