What thrives in a greenhouse — the full range

Tomatoes are the greenhouse royalty, and rightly so. In the UK climate, outdoor tomatoes often fail to ripen fully before blight or cold weather wins. Under glass, you control both. Grow a range: a cherry like Sungold or Black Cherry for sweetness and early ripeness; a salad tomato like Ailsa Craig or Gardener's Delight for everyday slicing; a beefsteak like Brandywine or Costoluto Fiorentino for intense flavour and those ridged, ugly-beautiful fruits; and at least one Italian paste type — San Marzano for sauce, or Roma for drying. If you want something unusual, try a plum tomato like Datterino or San Marzano Lampadina, both dense-fleshed and perfect for roasting whole.

Cucumbers are almost as essential. Outdoor cucumbers are short, thick-skinned, and often bitter. Greenhouse cucumbers — the long, smooth, thin-skinned types — are a different vegetable. Grow them up strings or cane supports; pinch out the tips once they reach the roof; remove male flowers to prevent bitterness. Telegraph varieties like Carmen or Bella are reliable. If you want something different, try Passandra, an all-female F1 that fruits heavily, or a heritage variety like Long White, which produces pale, crisp fruits with an almost melon-like sweetness.

Peppers and chillies are slower but just as rewarding. Sweet peppers need heat to ripen from green to red, which rarely happens outdoors in our climate. Under glass, they ripen reliably. Grow a blocky bell type like California Wonder or Mavras for stuffing, and a thin-walled Italian type like Corno di Toro for frying. Chillies are even more varied: Jalapeño for moderate heat and thick flesh; Hungarian Hot Wax for pickling; Aji Limon for citrus notes; and a Scotch Bonnet or Habanero if you want real fire.

Aubergines want heat and patience. They will not crop well in a cold or under-ventilated greenhouse. Grow them in large pots with rich compost, feed weekly, and expect fruit from late July onward. Black Beauty is the reliable classic. For something different, try the slender, pale Snowy or the striped Italian heirloom Rosa Bianca, which has creamy, mild flesh.

Melons are possible but fussy. They need warmth, consistent watering, and support as the fruits swell. Cantaloupe types like Emir or Sweetheart are most reliable. Harvest when the fruit smells sweet at the stem end and comes away with a gentle twist. One successful melon, sun-warm and fragrant, justifies a summer of attention.