Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
A SUCCESSFUL courgette plant can take up a fair amount of space on the vegetable patch by midsummer, so if you’re short of room you could try growing them vertically instead of horizontally.
This approach involves a bit more intervention than growing them on the flat does, and some cultivars of courgette respond better to the treatment than others — one called Black Forest, for instance, is particularly recommended as a climber.
But if you don’t mind the extra labour, it can be a useful way of getting more food per square foot of ground as well as minimising the risk of a rampant courg smothering neighbouring crops.
MAT COWARD takes a look at some of the options for keen gardeners as we enter 2026
Commiserations if you failed this year, MAT COWARD offers six points which, if followed religiously, will ensure you succeed next year
MAT COWARD sings the praises of the Giant Winter’s full-depth, earthy and ferrous flavour perfect for rich meals in the dark months
MAT COWARD presents a peculiar cabbage that will only do its bodybuilding once the summer dies down


