Gourds

Gourds, gourds, and more gourds. I've got apple, pear, snake, bottle, swan, canteen, warty, and minis...just to name a few.

I put one finished gourd in the picture. It is a pine branch,with a couple of pine cones on the side. The top is coiled with downed pine needles that I picked up in Florida. The small one in front with the long stem still on I grew in my own back yard. They have beautiful flowers that are nocturnal, and they are fun to watch grow. Their vines really spread.

Then the fun starts. I put mine in the basement or the garage, but some people leave them right in the field. Some get a terrible mold on them, and they turn real dark, almost black. The plan is to let them dry out. When you can rattle the gourd and hear the seeds....you know it's all dried out. That takes up to 6 months. Then, you pick a nice warm day, soak them in warm water, and rub and rub with a little metal scrubbie until they're cleaned. All the ones pictured have been cleaned. My gourds that are still drying, and my still dirty gourds are elsewhere.

I sold a few a couple years back at our local farmers market, and might return this year. Have'nt yet decided. My wife has said too many times, "He's outta his gourd". Ha-Ha.