gourds are just plain cool... Yes, it is January and I am still writing about my gourds from last season's garden. I just think that it is so cool that these pretty little objects are still kicking around these many months later. Though I did finally have to release the majority to a new compost bin after Christmas, I kept a handful around just to enjoy their ever changing hues. I'm simply fascinated by the slow evolution of these things. Just check out the shot below... that is the same gourd that is shown above, just a few months earlier.
Gourds are not the most practical item for your garden in the fact that you can't eat them, but they really do provide so much visual enjoyment. Just when the majority of the garden begins to die back, the tangling vines of the gourds grow and fill the emptying spaces adding a punch of much needed color back into the garden.
My boys and I have kept track of the changing hues of the different varieties... some went from white to a soft blue, others transformed from a quiet yellow to a screaming orange. Each is different, unique, and full of personality. This is yet another crop that will be a must-have in my garden for many years to come.
2 comments:
Allison, how do you dry your gourds, or at least prevent them from rotting? I've tried bird house gourds and loofahs, and I always screw up the preservation part!
hi JP! i think my success has been pure luck and dry cool winters. with the woodstove cranking each day, it's sucking the moisture out of the air and i think that is creating ideal curing environment. they're in a room that stays in the 60s too.
i've always wanted to grow loofahs! aside from the curing part, how did they grow for you?
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