I have tried several varieties of Curcurbits this year but still haven’t got around to Cucumbers and Melons.

Courgettes

• I have planted one in half a grow bag cut across and stood on its end to keep it free of slugs (I hope) and make it easy to jeep watered.
• The last bucketful from my old compost heap has gone under another ‘Green Bush’ courgette as they are voracious feeders and need some water retention within the soil.
• An old trick was to grow courgettes on the top of a mound (of old compost) so the leaves did not become water logged and start rotting.
• Courgettes are a family favourite vegetable when picked small and fresh and you can even eat the flowers.
• Courgettes are of course young Marrows and if left to grow they will swell and eventually produce seed. In many varieties the flavour and texture suffers so I pick mine young.
• Courgette seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Gourds & Pumpkins

• As a child I wanted to grow the exotic shapes colours and textures of the gourd family but seldom achieved a good crop.
• In many cultures the fruit of the Gourd is used as a container or vessel.
• Plant the seeds on their side so water runs away from the flat centre.
• Some varieties to try include ‘Autumn Glory’ an attractive climbing/spreading variety, ‘Dinosaur’ a bottle-shaped gourd with wrinkled green skin, ‘Speckled Swans’ Intriguing gourds with lifelike crooked necks that can be dried and painted or  ‘Russian Dolls’ that can be harvested at various sizes, dried and painted.