THE idea might sound bananas, but Ian Rothwell has successfully grown the world's favourite fruit in the not-so-tropical environment of his garden in Bearcross.

Ian, a 53-year-old freelance software engineer, has never attempted to grow bananas before but thoroughly enjoys eating the fruit so decided to branch out a few years ago.

His love of tropical plants and desire to fill his large south-facing conservatory is what propelled him towards growing bananas.

Ian said: "I do not have green fingers and most things I try to grow die pretty quickly. Friends have given me chilli plants, and I watch their's flourish and mine die. I'd had reasonable success with palm trees in the past, so I saw the Japanese bananas online and decided it was worth a try.

"Japanese bananas are smaller than their South American cousins and they are not edible. They can withstand temperatures, but not frosts."

Four, six inch banana plants were purchased by Ian three years ago and he has had varying success, with the one of the plants dying as the other two rapidly grew.

During the summer months, the plants were relocated to pots and the next year were planted in three locations in Ian's garden.

Ian added: "Over the winter I cut off the leaves and wrapped them in horticultural fleece and bubble wrap to protect them against potential frosts. The roots of bananas create new baby plants from their shallow roots and I now have around 20 individual plants."

Growing the bananas proved to be relatively easy, as Ian was only required to give the plants plenty of water and sunshine.

Ian said: "The fruit is growing on one plant which is only about two years old. The bananas are small, flattish and green any barely more than an inch long at the moment. I just hope we have sufficient warm weather for them to mature."

Ian's largest plants are around 17 foot high and have a trunk of about eight inches in diameter.