[New shoot]

I worry myself on a regular basis, but yesterday about takes the biscuit.  We all know about gluts, we all know what everyone is trying to palm off every year, so someone please explain why I thought it was a good idea to exclaim 'Oh I only have1 courgette to pick' at the plot yesterday. 

Ears pricked up, grins broke out on the faces of those around me and guess who was smiling offered courgettes by all and sundry.  When I said I had plenty now thanks, someone else sparked up about taking them for the chickens    Cue even bigger grins and more of them, even the monsters people were trying to pretend they hadn't seen and then they didn't have to worry about them.

OH rolled his eyes when I got home, the chickens are gorged and won't look at more and I still have several lurking under the sink.  Me and my big mouth 

[sunshineband]

    You let yourself in for it there alright. didn't you? 

At least the chickens are happy. The ones on our site are full to bursting as those gargantuan "lurkers" seem to find their way to their enclosure from far and wide. We have a new family arrived on a plot near mine so I welcomed them with a small gift.. yes, courgettes. They were very happy to have them  Wonder how long that will last??

[mumofstig]

  Silly billy 

[New shoot]

We have a new family arrived on a plot near mine so I welcomed them with a small gift.. yes, courgettes. They were very happy to have them  Wonder how long that will last??

Give it a week or two and they will be running away screaming     

[mrs bouquet]

And why did they all have more Courgettes than you anyway  (More plants ?)     Mrs Bouquet

[8doubles]

Courgettes in supermarkets have a strange effect on me !
They make me laugh !
Some people actually buy them !

[8doubles]

Removed the dead leaves from the Courg this morning , coiled the 3 metre runner around the pot (so Polestar is not as compact as advertised) reckon another three or four fruit and it will be off to the heap !

Luckily none of my neighbours grow them!
And no thankyou i do not want any posted to me !

[Lardman]

I managed just 1 courgette this year before the plants gave notice and it was 6" if that.  That's 1 courgette from 4 defender F1 plants.  It would have been significantly cheaper for me to buy them rather than the seeds.

I am aware that when you can't grow courgettes it's time to hang up the fork and hoe and find another pass time. 

Perhaps pushing boulders up hills?

[mumofstig]

It's been a funny old year, weather wise - so I'm blaming that.
Of my 2 courgette plants, only one is producing a few 'gettes now and again. T'other plant has had not a single female flower so far 

So I've not been overrun with them, and have enjoyed all I've picked - it's made a nice change tbh 

[JayG]

If I'm out in the garden and hear my neighbour's car pull up I dash into the greenhouse to pick a handful or two of tomatoes (absolutely inundated with them this year, and getting sick of making tomato sauces already.)

When I hand them over I always ask 'and would you like a courgette or two with them?' 

The answer has always been yes up to now (being veggies helps but their little girl claims to only like eating spaghetti!  )

[New shoot]

And no thankyou i do not want any posted to me !

... and another fine plan is dashed before it starts    Oh well, sounds like MoS could be on the mailing list and Larders too 

but their little girl claims to only like eating spaghetti!  )

Self defence I reckon  Sees kindly orangutan from next door approaching, knows his smile disguises the fact he has courgettes about his person and takes evasive action.  Smart kid 

[JayG]

but their little girl claims to only like eating spaghetti!  )

Self defence I reckon  Sees kindly orangutan from next door approaching, knows his smile disguises the fact he has courgettes about his person and takes evasive action.  Smart kid 

Maybe not that smart - seem to remember seeing a recipe for courgette spaghetti somewhere! 

[Aidy]

If my chooks could kill they probably would of killed me by now, I slipped up and said I feed mine with the odd overgrown one, turned up after hols to a box full of overgrown courgettes  and more keep appearing, fortunatley my compost bin is always hungry 

[New shoot]

Well you are all safe for the moment as I made a huge batch of courgette and tomato sauce yesterday.  The chickens will speak to me again and the evidence is all hidden in the freezer, except for 1 tub which is on the menu later.

I still have no answer to the poor soul on our site who has planted several pattypans.  They are getting plaintive as we all dodge them and lurking spaceships slowly but surely take over.  I did take one home for the chooks, but they refused to even look at it 

[snow white]

Courgettes are quite dear in the shops.  About 50p each.