Here’s a lesson in the wisdom of choosing exactly the right variety. So many of the veg gardeners I’ve known over the years just glaze over when faced with a page and half of different courgette varieties in a catalogue or two rows of varieties on the garden centre seed rack. At least the colour of the British-bred ‘Sunstripe’ stands out – and that’s not all.
But that colour is unique: the golden yellow fruits are brightly striped in white. The flavour and texture are both excellent, the yield is good too, though perhaps not up to the best of the green-fruited types, and you can sow from May to July for cropping from July to October. The good people at Which? Gardening tested ‘Sunstripe’ last year and harvested an average of 24 fruits from each plant. So you don’t need many plants, and the rest of the seed will keep in the back of the fridge till next year.
Here’s another good thing: the plants are bushy, so they won’t take over the garden as some older varieties do. They’re also completely spine free, so no scratches when you’re picking them. And all the fruits are pretty much the same shape which is very helpful for some dishes.
One final point: even the leaves have yellow markings and although some people find this disconcerting, I like a little brightness in the veg plot.
Courgette ‘Sunstripe’ is available from Thompson & Morgan.
Source: RHS – Courgette ‘Sunstripe’: New Attractive Yellow Striped Variety
