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

This year’s gourd crop has been a challenge. We started out in my zone 5 growing zone with a dry warm April and went into a wet cold May. June seems to be improving but so far my gardens have been challenged with the weather. I have been saved with cold frames, hot beds and other gardening techniques I have picked up over the years.

As in the past I started all my gourds using the Styrofoam cup method. You can read about it here: http://thegardenersrake.com/gourds-a-different-approach-to-growing-them

My gourd crop consists of 12 varieties that include ornamental, small, medium and large gourds. I am also growing the dishrag or luffa gourd.

All the gourds have finally been moved into the gardens and in raised beds with row covers, just in case we have a cold night. The raised beds are near an old swing set so that the gourds will hang and not sit on the ground. This prevents a flat side and even coloring. I use pantyhose as slings for the gourds when they get bigger and heavy. This prevents the gourds from ripping off the vine.

My goals for my gourd crop this year are:

• To have the long handled gourds get very long and to tie a few knots in some of the handles while they are growing. They will need to be three to four foot long to have a nice knot.
• Have several bushel gourds get big enough that I can make nice sized end tables out of them. I have planted the bushel gourds separately and used compost heavy with sheep manure to help them get a good size. It also helps to pick of some of the blossoms and have only one or two gourds per vine.
• Make several different types of instruments out of the gourd crops.
• Have the luffa gourds do well enough that I can try to make a luffa soap from a few of them.

No matter how many years I grow gourds they are always my surprise crop. Gourds add fun to the gardens. And the fun continues six to 12 months later when the gourds are dried and I can create with them. Instruments, wall hanging, two and three dimensional art pieces or birdhouses are only a few ways to use gourds.

Tags: creating with gourds, growing gourds, uses for gourds, ornamental gourds

In many cultures, gourds have been used to create utensils, containers, musical instruments and religious objects.

Masks have also been created from gourds and have been traced back through the centuries from records and drawings that were kept. Masks have been used in special ceremonies by primitive cultures worldwide.

The gourd masks were usually part of an elaborate costume used to invoke or impersonate the spirits.  Thus the mask became a symbol of control when worn by a powerful member of a tribe, such as a shaman. Gourds were used as the foundation of the mask face or as an element such as a beak, mouth, nose, ears or horns.  The shaman would usually create the mask to be worn at a special ceremony.

But in a few tribes the mask would be created by a mask maker who would interpret the Shamans dream. The mask maker was held in high regard for his artistic talent and being able to transform the mask into the meaning of the dream.

Gourds were also used as medicine rattles and in ceremonies. This lead to the gourd becoming a link between the visible and invisible worlds. The gourd was considered a valuable part of culture and beliefs.

Gourds are believed to have originated in Africa. They are thought to have floated along ocean currents and that spread their use to other parts of the world.

In African Mythology, it was said that good spirits were transported to earth within gourds and that evil spirits could be captured within the same vessel.

In West Africa, the Yoruba people of Nigeria would add beads and shells to netting and drape this over the gourd. This popular musical rattle instrument was called the Shekerie. When the gourd is slapped or shaken the beads strike the gourd shell, which makes a pleasing, rhythmic sound. The shekerie’s popularity as a musical instrument spread to many countries around the world and is still used.

Large gourds were also used as cradles and baby baths in Africa.

There is evidence of seeds and gourd fragments found in Peru date that back to 23,000 B.C. The first gourd seeds were unearthed in Aacucho, Peru that date from 10,000 to 7,000 B.C.

In Peru, the Huiro is a rhythm instrument, which contains dried beans that rattle when it is shaken. There is also a row of grooves on one side. These grooves are scraped with a polished eucalyptus wood stick, which creates a unique sound.

In Feng Shui the Wu Lou or gourd could be placed beside the bedside as a symbolic cure, to improve general health as well as hasten recovery

It is considered Good Luck by many Chinese people to have a gourd in your home. The gourd was also believed to have supernatural powers and served to interpret the wishes of the gods.

It’s amazing how a plant that produces a fruit or vegetable has played such an important part in culture and history.