Grow exotic fruit on urban plots You'll need a bit of space for a kiwi, or rather kiwis - some varieties require both male and female for pollination. But in a sheltered sun trap they'll stretch out and interlock arms and, if you're lucky, produce plenty of delicious fruit. They ripen late, often well into winter, hanging from the bare branches like Christmas decorations. Throughout the summer, they'll justify their place in the garden with their large and lightly downy leaves and the branches themselves, with their soft red/pink bristles. 'Jenny" and 'Solo" are self-fertile varieties but both fruit more prolifically with a male. Hardy to -15C (5F). Kiwifruit (ALAMY) Dwarf kiwis, growing to 2.5m (8ft) or so, may suit a small space better. Often sold as hardy kiwis, their fruit is about the size of a large grape and, if anything, even tastier than the full-sized version. 'Anna," 'Jumbo" and 'Geneva" are self-fertile and delicious. Chocolate vine A.k.a. Akebia quinata. A beautiful, twining climber, with oblong leaves held in five leaflets. In very early spring, it produces gorgeous, chocolate-vanilla-scented flowers that are cream, white, and/or purple depending on the variety. With two varieties and a glorious summer, fruit is possible, but akebias are worth it for the semi-evergreen foliage and flowers alone. Almonds Other than hazels, nuts have been the preserve of those with a large garden and plenty of time. Almonds are different. Fairly new varieties such as 'Ingrid" have better resistance to leaf curl (a fungal infection that also affects peaches and nectarines). They also produce delicious nuts on small trees without a long wait. You should be able to find a tree on a semi-dwarfing rootstock that will grow to 4m (13ft) high and wide, or a genetically dwarf almond that will reach only 1.5m (5ft) or so in height and spread. 'Ingrid" and 'Robijn" (self-fertile and sometimes available as a true dwarf) are your best bets. Loquats The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a small tree popular in town gardens for its dramatic foliage. What some lucky gardeners may discover after a good summer is that its sweetly scented flowers are followed by apricot-sized fruit that make a delicious salsa. 'Baffico" and 'Ottaviana" are early season varieties that are more likely to produce ripe fruit. A loquat tree in an urban garden (MARIANNE MAJERUS) Peaches and nectarines Both of these delicious stone fruit are much more viable in a city garden than they are out in the open. Even in a year such as this, there is still enough sunshine to ripen the fruit - their pinch point is earlier. Spring rains can bring leaf curl, causing their leaves to blister and fall, leaving the plant vulnerable to other diseases. Late frosts and/or chilly winds can also damage spring blossom and with it goes any chance of fruit. Pick a spot in your garden that's south-facing and sheltered from the worst of the prevailing rains and wind. If you can do that, and also cover your tree in early spring (much easier to do when grown as a fan or true dwarf) you've every chance of avoiding trouble. Available as semi-dwarfing (4m/13ft), fan-trained for a wall or fence, or fully dwarfing (1.5m/5ft). Peregrine" may be an old variety but is the best white peach there is. The white-fleshed, doughnut peach 'Paraguayoor" or the yellow-fleshed 'Mountain Gold" would be my choice of the true dwarfs. Persimmons You may be familiar with sharon fruit from the supermarket - they look like large, squat, orange tomatoes and usually taste like a tennis ball. The sharon fruit is a type of persimmon, grown in the valley in Israel that carries its name, and a fresh one can be marvellous. I have some growing in a fairly exposed orchard and they are reasonably discouraging with their slow progress. But I visited an allotment in Tottenham last month that opens as part of the National Garden Scheme (ngs.org.uk; search for "94 Marsh Lane") and found, among many other treasures, a persimmon covered in fruit. Even without fruit, the glossy leaves are a treat. 'Fuyu," 'Kostata" or 'Mazelli" are excellent, self-fertile varieties. Figs Along with peaches and nectarines, figs illustrate the fact that growing slow-ripening fruit outside can make a vast difference to taste and texture. Pick a fig at its soft, perfectly ripe peak and it will be as near to those you buy in the shops as a house brick is to an ocelot. In an urban garden, you can afford to choose a variety with flavour uppermost rather than solely for hardiness. I'd recommend the white-fleshed 'White Marseilles" and the dark 'Noir de Carombe." The 'Robijn" almond (GAP PHOTOS) Yacon Like the potato, yacon is a South American tuber, bulking up over the growing season to produce fat, edible tubers underground. Unlike the potato, the tubers are sweet - like early apples with a hint of pear, they sweeten (rather than turn green) in the sun and they are immune to blight. The foliage is also particularly lovely - tall, fleshy and strangely elegant, with beautiful yellow flowers carried in good summers. Feijoa A.k.a. pineapple guava, a.k.a. Acca sellowiana. A beautiful plant, widely grown in New Zealand and South Africa. Too brittle and tender to thrive out in the open (heaven knows, I've tried), feijoas do really well with shelter and warmth. You'll certainly get fibre-optic-like flowers and, if you have two varieties, a racing chance of their avocado-shaped fruit that taste of strawberries and kiwi. 'Triumph" and 'Mammoth" are fine varieties. Lemon verbena Very possibly my desert island herb, lemon verbena's long, thin leaves smell like lemons, only better. I know this sounds strange but there's a fizz, almost a sherbetiness, about their smell, and added to cocktails (both fruit and alcoholic), as a herb tea, and in many puddings, they are fabulous. The leaves also make an excellent syrup. Most grow lemon verbena in a container, bringing it undercover for the winter - or even treat it as an annual and buy a new plant every year. In an urban garden you have every chance of it growing perfectly happily, year after year. It can even reach a few metres high. Growing tips Pair your plants to the micro-conditions, e.g. shade-tolerant morello cherries can be fan-trained along a north-facing wall, whereas nectarines will thrive on a south-facing wall. Maximise the area of your best site - extend a south-facing wall upwards with trellising, for example. Look to improve favourable locations - painting a wall white can boost the light levels and help fruit to ripen. Shelter can make a huge difference to getting fruit from marginally tender plants - cut out the harshest winds with hedging or a fence. Small positives accumulate - feed your plants with potassium-rich feed from flowering through fruiting, keep them free of weeds, aid pollination with a brush if needs be - these small actions can make all the difference. Grow plants that attract early pollinators. Plant in tiers to take advantage of the sunniest spots - e.g. a peach, with a kiwi climbing through it, with comfrey grown underneath. Look for varieties that suit your conditions best - e.g. some apricots flower and fruit later than others. Where to buy Reads Nursery (01986 895555; readsnursery.co.uk) Burncoose Nurseries (01209 860316; burncoose.co.uk) Otter Farm (otterfarm.co.uk) Agroforestry Research Trust (agroforestry.co.uk)