As my gourd crops continue to grow my mind goes to what I can create from my gourd crops, once they dry.

I am hoping for the bushel gourds to grow large enough for gourd end tables and for the canteen and dipper gourds to work for gourd instruments. That is what attracts me to growing gourds; you just never know what will happen and how the gourds will dry.

Below is a gourd video with some wonderful ideas and designs. I Woodburn paint or dye my gourds and add gourd pieces wood or other found objects to gourds, so this video gives me some wonderful ideas.

When working with gourds you are only limited by your imagination

Garden lighting can add atmosphere and create a wonderful place to relax after the sunsets. By using lighting you can emphasis certain areas of the gardens and make wandering around the yard safer. Its also seems that by lighting a garden you extend your living space to the outdoors. And if you live in a Zone 5 climate like I do, you want to enjoy all the warm weather you can.

Here are a few suggestions to make lighting the yard successful, fun and easy.

• Use the minimum amount of light so that you can enjoy the special qualities of nighttime. If you supply too much light you will ruin the enchanting feel that the evening brings to gardens. One of the best ways to create this feeling to try and simulate the light level of a bright, moonlit night.

• Light the pathways in your garden. Even if you don’t have defined paths you probably have a route or two through the yard or gardens that you will want illuminated for safety. Use path lights or create a series of pools of light that lead through the garden.

• It’s best to hide the sources of the lights. It adds to the natural look. If you use any lamps choose a softer non-glaring bulb for a more natural look.

• Garden torches and small hanging lanterns from trees add a welcoming look to yards. I make garden lanterns from small glass jars and older teacups. I hang them or from wire and varying heights or sit them around the yard on rocks or old stumps.

• You can also accent the most dramatic trees in the garden. The lighting emphasizes their natural beauty and adds much light to the yard.

• By planting flowers that reflect the night light and bloom at night you can add more color and fragrance to your yard. Moonlight Theme Gardens are very popular.

As with any garden art or added fixtures, use them with in moderation to to accent your yard and gardens.

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Many people ask me why I garden and why the outdoors calls to me.

The answer is realt very simple. There is a beauty that appears with each sunrise and sunset. Even in the rain, which we have had too much of lately, there is a peace and the promise of drier weather and hope for better days. The simple work of digging in the soil and watching a new plant grow reminds me that there is more to life than schedules and a fast paced life.

This video reminds me of the morings in my back yard as the fog lifts off the creek and the sun promises us a new day. We find comfort in the things in our lives that are consistant but find joy in change. And the scenery around us is varied and beautiful throughout the year.

Gardening offers both the beauty and wonder of plants and the color and change they go through in their short growing season. It’s always amazing. Happy gardening to all, Denise