The gardener growing bananas - in Wakefield

Wakefield is more famous for its rhubarb than its bananas - but they are flourishing in a local garden thanks to the recent hot weather.

The "tropical oasis" in Wrenthorpe has become Dave Iveson's passion.

Over the past six years he has transformed it from a patch of grass into something more associated with the West Indies than West Yorkshire.

This summer one of Dave's banana plants has flowered for the first time.

"I'd say it's pretty unusual - I don't know of anyone else who's had one flower," he said proudly.

"I've had these plants for 12 years now and I was hoping for a flower - but up until this point I'd not had one."

He said he hoped the warm weather would help more of his banana plants bloom.

Dave's garden also includes a Chinese rice-paper plant, a Japanese acer, cordylines and tree fern.

Pointing at his flowering banana plant, he warned, however, they were "not properly edible bananas like you get in supermarkets".

He said: "That flower will keep on extending through its life - hopefully we'll get some more bananas."

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) most bananas won't flower or fruit outdoors in the UK, although some may do so in a heated greenhouse or conservatory.

However, the RHS said in very mild parts of the UK and during particularly long, hot summers, it was possible for them to get flowers outdoors.

Their leaves can grow up to two metres (6.5ft) in length and mature plants can grow to three metres (10ft) tall or more.

Dave said he had "always been interested in gardening" and watching gardening programmes - but admitted he was no expert.

"A tropical vibe is really what I'm going for.

"Every morning when you look out of your door and it's like being in a different country - it's a really nice feeling, makes me feel calm," he added.

Jack Ogg is head gardener at York Gate Garden in Adel on the outskirts of Leeds, where they have also created a tropical garden.

He said their banana plant didn't survive the winter.

"It's been frosted to the ground so it's quite special to have one that's survived long enough to flower," the gardener said.

"Here at York Gate we're definitely getting away with more tender plants than we would have have been able to get away with 10 or 20 years ago - the climate is definitely changing", he added.

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