Courgette ‘Black Forest’ is a climbing Zucchini; an F1 Hybrid, latin name Cucurbita pepo.
This climbing Courgette is an ideal variety for growing in containers on the patio. As it grows upwards it saves space and is more ‘controlable’.
The long stems are tied onto a trellis or netting to help them grow upwards.
courgette black forest
Courgette Black Forest:
- produces heavy yields
- dark green, smooth, cylindrical 15cm (6”) courgettes
- height: 120cm (48″)
- spread: 60cm (24″)
- sow in April, May or June
- flowers June – August
- likes full sun
Click this link to buy some seed of the climbing Zucchini Courgette Black Forest.
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The strawberry variety Flamenco is ideal for gardeners who are short of space, or use containers, as it produces lots of sweet, juicy strawberries over a long period.
Strawberry-present
Strawberry Flamenco
- fruits June to November – but peak harvest is September
- extend growing season with polytunnel
- ideal for containers on patio
Click this link to buy some Strawberry Flamenco plants, which can be planted out in the vegetable garden or grown in pots & containers on the patio.
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Baby or mini vegetables are what the modern household requires – small, but perfectly formed vegetables.
Mini veg are produced in several ways:
CherryTomatoes
- harvesting vegetables when young – such as carrots
first-carrots
- planting seed close together – such as Leek King Richard, which can be direct sown closer together, without the need to transplant for mini leeks
leek-plants-trimmed
- special mini cultivars produce baby fruit from compact plants
examples include:
Gone are the days when a cabbage or cauliflower lasts a family a week – sections of the head being cut off and cooked each day. Now a baby or mini veg will provide a mature cabbage or cauliflower which is small enough to be eaten by one or two people in one sitting. If the household is larger, the baby mini veg provide the opportunity to present a selection of fresh vegetables, by using several different mini veg for one meal.
Gone are the days when a cabbage or cauliflower lasts a week – with sections being cut off and cooked each day. Now these vegetables have varieties which will mature quickly and produce a very small specimen, just large enough for one or two people to eat in one meal. Or, their compact size means that they can be mixed with other mini veg to provide a selection of fresh veg for one meal.
Baby or mini vegetables are becoming very popular and there are good reasons for growing them:
- space saving ideal for window box, containers,patios or raised bed
- easily grown – vigorous & quick growing
- fast to mature – encouraging to harvest within a few weeks!
- great introduction to vegetable growing – easy to see results
- grow closer together – more production & less weeds
- provide regular supply – sow little & often every 3 weeks
- early harvesting – mini veg mature early so extending the season
- provide small portions – ideal for contributing to a selection of veg or for small households
- appeal to children – because small & perfectly formed! Good for kids to grow and eat
- pests & diseases reduced – most mini veg grow quickly and have a short growing season
pulled-carrots
The list of baby mini vegetables is growing every year as new mini cultivars are developed. Some examples are:
Have you tried any varieties of mini veg that we could add to this list?
This book from Amazon discusses growing vegetables in pots:
There are many good reasons to grow a few baby mini veg this year.
So many vegetables can be grown on the patio, balcony or window box.
- Very little space is needed to produce a regular supply of fresh, healthy salad leaves, and one courgette plant will produce plenty of fruit, without causing a glut.
- We have a friend who lives in a fourth floor flat, with a small west facing balcony, who grows tomatoes, salad leaves, courgettes and french beans.
- A great variety of vegetables can be grown in containers, but it is important to select a small or mini-variety.
radish-growing-in-pot
Examples of vegetables which can be grown on a patio or window box are:
Thompson & Morgan have a great offer for a patio vegetable collection for £9.99 comprising:
- 2 x Tomato Vilma plants
- 1 x Pepper Mohawk plant
- 1 x Courgette Black Forest plant
- 1 x Cucumber Fanfare plant
Plus FREE seed worth £5.28! Runner Bean Summer Medley (16 seeds) & Niche Salad Leaves Blend (400 seeds).
patio veg collection
Click this link to buy this patio vegetable collection for £9.99 which is also suitable for a balcony or window box.
Click this link to buy this book about growing vegetables in containers:
