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Courgette glut in Richmond gardens: what to do with them all

Courgette glut in Richmond gardens arrives when you least expect it. One day you have two modest fruits. Two days later, you have seventeen. The bees working the lavender this week seem to know something you don’t.

The trouble starts when courgettes hide. They camouflage themselves under big leaves, swelling to marrow size overnight. You discover them too late, baseball bats with seeds the size of almonds.

Neighbours stop answering the door. The food bank already has a hundred kilos. Friends see you coming with a carrier bag and suddenly remember an urgent appointment.

Here is what actually works. Grate them raw into fritters with feta and dill. Slice them thin, griddle with olive oil, layer into a jar with mint and vinegar. They keep for weeks. Dice and freeze in sandwich bags for winter soups. You can add them frozen straight to the pan.

The really enormous ones make decent boats for stuffing with rice, tomato, and herbs. Hollow them out, fill them, bake at 180. They soften into submission.

Or accept defeat gracefully. Compost them. The heap won’t judge you. Next year, plant one fewer.

How do you use up your courgette mountain? Share your methods below.

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The garden in Richmond at midsummer

The garden in Richmond at midsummer

The garden in Richmond reaches its peak in July, when the air thickens with heat and the borders crowd with colour. Lavender spikes stand tall along paths, their purple blooms humming with bees. Roses sag under their own weight. The lawn, if you have kept it watered, glows a defiant green. This is the moment […]

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The lavender is out in Richmond gardens and the bees are everywhere

The lavender is out in Richmond gardens and the bees are everywhere

The lavender is out in Richmond gardens and the bees are everywhere. You can hear them before you see them: a steady hum rising from the purple spikes. They work the flowers in a kind of methodical frenzy, dusted yellow with pollen. The scent thickens in the heat. It hangs in the air around benches […]

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The shady corner in Richmond gardens where lavender meets old walls

The shady corner in Richmond gardens where lavender meets old walls

The shady corner in Richmond gardens becomes a refuge when the sun is at its worst. You find it behind the south-facing wall, where lavender spills over brick and the air smells sharp and sweet. Bees work the purple stems with a low hum. You sit on a bench that has been there longer than […]

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What survives a heatwave in Richmond gardens and what doesn't

What survives a heatwave in Richmond gardens and what doesn’t

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The first tomatoes in Richmond gardens

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The first tomatoes in Richmond gardens are ripening now. You notice them one morning, a flush of orange breaking through the green. The smell hits you when you pinch out the side shoots: sharp, green, faintly chemical. It clings to your fingers for hours. This is the moment gardeners wait for. The fruit has been […]

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