of course you could also go for
- litchee tomato
- Chayote
- Kiwano
- Tomatillo
- Chocolate vine
- Melon pear (very delicious!)
- Lemon or apple cucumber (very delicious too)
- Szechuan buttons, an edible flower which was the weirdest flavor sensation I've ever experienced. You should at least have tried it once :0) It also has a lot of medicinal uses.
Click to enlarge
Have you tried Brussel sprouts? Really great tasting edible buds!
Unfortunately some insects around here in northern Norway like them very well too, but I usually manage to grow a few of them in between tobacco plants, wich repel the insects.
I’m Belgian, so growing Brussel sprouts is very common here. Last year, I planted them early in the season (like in April, whereas you normally plant them later so you can eat them in the fall) and I didn't have a lot of bugs eating them. The ones I planted later, were completely digested by caterpillars.
I use several herbs to plant around them to keep the bugs a away, and I think this year I will protect my cabbages with an insect net...
I thought I answered the post directly.. I understand they are familiar to you yes :)
Worst thing here is some mites covering these plants, and they are too small for any net unfortunately.
I'm itching to start gardening now, but it is still below zero here and garden is filled with snow :(
@aisu, do you find my answer, or do I need to repost it?
Sorry, I didn't see this until now. I did grow some brussel sprouts last year. They were attacked by a lot of insects but I will be trying again this year. Hopefully, they will do better this time.
Large insects are easier to deal with than small mites, is my experience.
The only plants I have grown not mentioned in here then must be coffee arabicum and Aloe vera. Both useful plants IMO, but I'm an coffee addict too :)
Never had beans on them, but make coffee tea
Wow, I never would have thought I could grow a coffee plant. I see that it does pretty well as a houseplant but isn't likely to produce a lot of beans. I haven't tried coffee tea.
Aloe vera is good option. It is a very useful plant.
I need to take them in for the winther so I keep the coffee bushes in buckets. Snipping them from the 5th leaves so they become bushy. I have had them for two years now, but don't think the season is long enough for any beans to mature here as I'm at 63 deg north, zone 8a.
Those all look like interesting plants, especially the szechuan buttons. I'll have to read more about these.