Courgettes....Ground or Pot?

I've always been a bit worried about planting my courgette plants in the ground, prefering instead to grow them in a pot. The whole slug/snail thing made me think that somehow they were safer slightly raised off the ground, well I've changed my mind!

As I had run out of pots, I decided that rather than waste the plant (even though it wasn't doing too well) I would plant it in the garden and this is the result....

Compared to the courgette grown on the patio in the pot......

OK, I admit I am completely rubbish at feeding my potted plants, but that's still a hell of a difference. So added to my 'things to remember for next year' is Plant out all courgettes in the ground and not in pots!