As you can see, the plants are not yet very big, and could easily have stayed in their pots for another couple of weeks, but you know how it is - we gardeners are often impatient people! Anyway, my excuse was that I wanted to get them well established before we go away on holiday next month...
The three little plants have all gone into the same container, but it's a big container, about 50cm in diameter:
That container is half of an old water-butt, which serves the required purpose very well. I have grown cucurbits in it for several years now, but I refresh the soil every year with a load of home-made compost and a couple of handfuls of pelleted chicken manure. The soil is now very dark, rich and crumbly.
The courgette is a "Defender" and the cucumbers are "Diva" and "Passandra". For now I have covered them with a big plastic bell-cloche, to keep them warm and protect them from wind and rain (+ animals) until such time as they are able to fend for themselves. This is why I have put the plants quite close together, so that the one cloche covers all three.
In due course, when the plants outgrow the cloche, I will support the cucumbers with some tall canes, but I will leave the courgette to do its own thing.
Being honest, I have to say that Jane and I are not particularly fond of courgettes as a vegetable. They are all too often served overcooked and sloppy, and the skins can be tough and bitter. However, a few months ago I had some very lightly steamed courgettes served as part of a "seasonal vegetables" accompaniment to a restaurant dish, and I thought they were excellent. I plan therefore to try growing my own and cooking them in that way. Cucumbers on the other hand, we both love - and so too do the grandchildren.
