They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. In my case it's a banana. I eat one for breakfast, without fail. And the rest of my family too are banana eaters.

My idea of self sufficiency would be a large garden with a small banana plantation. What a pity I can't really have one in this climate of ours.

Nutritionists recommend the banana for any time of the day. It has no fat or cholesterol, is full of proteins, and its sugar content gives bags of energy to people engaged in sport. On top of this, it contains magnesium, iron, lots of vitamins, and is recommended for salt-free diets.

The banana plant is actually a giant weed of the tropical jungle that grows with incredible speed. Some of the tallest varieties can reach the height of a house in only a few months; the dwarf bananas top out at about two metres!

We can still grow garden bananas for ornamental rather than fruiting reasons. As well as providing the tropical touch, banana plants add height and perspective to borders and patios and conservatory displays. Thompson & Morgan offer four kinds with this in mind. Two are new varieties, banana ensete glaucum and musa lasiocarpa.

The first sports huge decorative green leaves, growing to a height of three metres and performing well in sunny borders. The musa lasiocarpa is both dwarf and hardy, and when established produces unusual yellow globular flowers. It should be planted outside in sun or partial shade or indoors in containers and grows to two metres.

Other varieties are ensete ventricosum, popular as an exotic house plant, and musa sikkimensis which is suitable for large containers. You can also use a mix of banana seeds with the possibility that some might produce mini-fruit under the right conditions. You can get a catalogue from Thompson & Morgan at Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 3BU or call (01473) 695224.