The great courgette flood

In May I planted three courgette plants "just in case". Just in case of what, I couldn't tell you now.

By late July I was picking four or five a day. By August they were turning into marrows overnight if I looked away for even a weekend. I made courgette soup, courgette cake, courgette fritters, and then I started leaving bags of them on neighbours' doorsteps and running away.

The plants themselves were wonderful. Healthy, huge, and completely unstoppable. It's just that one plant is plenty for one person, and I'd planted enough for a small village.

What I'd do differently

• One plant. Two at the very most.
• Pick them small, around the length of a hand. They taste better and the plant keeps going.
• Use the spare space for something I actually run out of, like salad leaves.

If you're reading this and you'd like a courgette, I may have one.