First fruit in 20 years . . . that’s just bananas!
AFTER 20 years of not producing a single fruit, even the most dedicated of gardeners could be forgiven for giving up on a plant.
But now Jason Hedges’ banana tree has finally begun to come up with the goods.
The rather late blooming tree is an heirloom – Mr Hedges’ father, Walter, planted it at the family home in Rochford, Essex, 20 years ago.
He believes the fruit may be a ‘sign’ from his late father, who died a year ago aged 82.
The self-employed gardener, 44, said he was amazed when he first saw the fruit growing. It is especially unusual considering father and son did little to cultivate the plant.
‘We’ve never done anything to the tree,’ said Mr Hedges. ‘It’s quite big. When I used the driveway it used to hit my truck so every year we cut it down with a chainsaw. We used to cut it down in the winter to a stump but nothing ever happened. We’ve never fed it, or watered it or anything. I can’t believe it.’
Around 30 bananas, each about an inch in size, are growing on the tree – which now seems to have got the hang of growing in the British climate.