Getting Personal

                Hot Stuff for Green Fingers
            
                Unusual gifts are fantastic things. Not only are they often inexpensive treats with a genuine ability to make someone's day, they also often have the ability to reflect a person's personality or sense of fun in a way that more expensive presents often cannot; which is especially true for those among us who have seriously green fingers. And if the intended recipient of the unusual gift has a taste for chilli peppers, then so much the better.

The humble chilli pepper is a member of the nightshade family of plants, and far hotter than its larger and milder relatives. Indeed, the popular bell pepper would be hard-pressed to generate even a tickle at the back of the throat compared with the chilli, although they are pretty tasty in salads. However, now that deliciously hot chillies are cultivated all over the world – and they have been for some time now - their usage has helped to shape and define the cuisine of many different countries. Indeed, it is worth remembering that, although chilli peppers are not native to Asia – they were introduced by Europeans – the fruit is now a popular ingredient in food from areas as diverse as Szechuan in China, Thailand, Korea and India. Some countries, such as Japan, even go as far as cooking the leaves of the chilli plant.

So, if the object of your unusual gifts is a fan of the aforementioned chilli pepper, why not opt for the Hot Stuff Chilli – Pocket Garden. Packing quite a bit of heat, the chilli pocket garden is an amazingly simple way to grow your own herbs and spices; the seeds will go from germination – which takes 21 days – to fruit production in 16 weeks.

However, anyone growing this unusual gift should bear in mind a few things when cultivating and using chilli's. While the Hot Stuff Chilli – Pocket Garden will produce fruit that is more than acceptable for the western palette, there are a number of fiery monsters out there that can do more than make just your eyes water. 

So, for anyone who isn't familiar with the many different types of chilli out there, Caribbean Red peppers a must. Although hard to cultivate in the UK, Caribbean Red peppers pack quite a fruity flavour, not to mention an intense fiery heat. However, if it's fiery intensity you're looking for, then Habanero chillies are worth getting hold of. Closely related to the scotch bonnet variety of pepper, these bad boys really know how to pack a punch. And for anyone looking for something truly hot, then the Naga is one of the big daddies of the chilli world; it's hot and it will hurt, but it's well worth it. 

The Hot Stuff Chilli – Pocket Garden comes complete with seeds for the Numex Twilight chilli pepper. Based upon the Thai Ornamental pepper, the Numex Twilight was actually developed at New Mexico State University and produces fruit that can shift from a purple colour to yellow and orange, before finally turning red.

Lovers of this unusual gift may be interested to note that the Pocket Garden range is also available with a number of other plants. Whether the green-fingered object of your affections is into Organic Mustard and Cress, or even Catgrass, there is certainly a little something for everyone. The pocket garden range even includes flowers, such as beautiful forget me not's and marigolds; common herbs, such as mint and oregano are also available.

And if these little pocket projects develop into something big, or if the recipient of your unusual gifts has a whole garden they're proud of, then the My Gardening Journal could also be an amazing treat. Perfect for storing notes, planning projects and even for recording hints and tips, the My Garden Journal is ideal for anyone looking to make the most of their green fingers.

Go on – give unusual gifts that can really help somebody blossom!