Knowing my love for gardening, years ago, some dear friends presented me with a few gourd seeds and a large, beautiful, unfinished birdhouse gourd that they had found while travelling. This was the beginning of my passion for everything gourds! Each year my gourd garden grows a little larger and I find new uses and methods for crafting the gourds.
Growing Gourds!
The gourd seeds are planted in late Spring, planted about 1/2" deep and a foot apart, and the plants really take off when the hot weather kicks in around late June. If there is adequate rainfall, the vines can grow a foot a day or more. The blossoms appear at dusk and bloom for one night. They are pollinated by bees and moths, although they can also be hand-pollinated for greater production. By late July or early August, I begin to remove the new blossoms so that the plants put more energy into the existing gourds, which seems to result in thicker shells. Before the first hard frost, I cut the mature gourds and put them in a protected outdoor location to cure during the winter. In the Spring, I scrub the gourds clean, dry them thoroughly in the sun and then bring them into my craft room to be turned into birdhouses, bowls, snowmen, etc.
As you can see, each finished gourd is the result of over a year of patient tending and love. I am happy to share my passion and always bring seeds to the craft shows for those that are interested in growing gourds of their own.
Growing Gourds!
The gourd seeds are planted in late Spring, planted about 1/2" deep and a foot apart, and the plants really take off when the hot weather kicks in around late June. If there is adequate rainfall, the vines can grow a foot a day or more. The blossoms appear at dusk and bloom for one night. They are pollinated by bees and moths, although they can also be hand-pollinated for greater production. By late July or early August, I begin to remove the new blossoms so that the plants put more energy into the existing gourds, which seems to result in thicker shells. Before the first hard frost, I cut the mature gourds and put them in a protected outdoor location to cure during the winter. In the Spring, I scrub the gourds clean, dry them thoroughly in the sun and then bring them into my craft room to be turned into birdhouses, bowls, snowmen, etc.
As you can see, each finished gourd is the result of over a year of patient tending and love. I am happy to share my passion and always bring seeds to the craft shows for those that are interested in growing gourds of their own.
