growing birdhouse gourds

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Brown is the New Green

In most gardens green is good.  Brown, not so much. That old saw gets turned on its ear, however when you’re drying birdhouse gourds.

I planted these gourds from seed for the first time last summer. Adorable green mini-gourds came and went, but in the end only two grew to full size. Then the cold weather set in and that was that.

green birdhouse gourds

The Birdhouse Gourds Twins

I brought ‘the gourd twins’ inside thinking the forced-air heating would speed up the drying process. You can’t rush nature so I did the next best thing: I dressed them up in scarves, moved them around as household decor, and eventually set them on top of a cabinet to dry undisturbed.

birdhouse gourds with scarves

Cozy gourds settling in for the winter

A few weeks ago, my son came to me and said “Mom, I don’t think you’re going to like this.”  He assumed they had gone bad.  In this case, brown is good.  It means the gourds are finally dry and ready for crafting.

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Of course, now I’m afraid to make my move.  I want to use one of the twins for its intended purpose: a birdhouse.  To do that, I need to drill a hole.

What if it cracks?

What if it snaps?

What if “I” make the hole too big?

Truth be told, my husband is the power tool guy around here, so he’ll be doing the drilling with me hovering nearby like the nervous new mom that I am.  Let’s face it: I’ve waited nine months for these twins.  I don’t want to mess this up.

The second gourd, if all goes well, will be welcoming garden fairies.  I don’t really have an heir and a spare. I’ll be pressing both gourds into service.  That’s a lot of pressure resting on their sloping shoulders.  Let’s hope we are all up to the task.

 

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Waiting for ‘DaGourds

a pair of birdhouse gourds

Keeping cozy

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot was required reading during my college days.  It’s summarized as an absurdest play, with two men waiting in vain for the arrival of someone named Godot.  Interpretations of the play vary widely.

I’m waiting for the gourds to turn brown. How’s that for absurd?  I waited months for the birdhouse gourds to turn green.  Now I’ll wait even longer for them to turn brown.

My wait isn’t political, psychological, Freudian or existential. It’s craft-based. I’m waiting for the gourds to turn brown so I can carve them into birdhouses.

I’ve bundled them up to keep them warm and dry.  I give them a spin now and again to be sure they’re drying evenly. Today I wrapped them in scarves and set them on a chair where they sit mocking me. They seem determined to remain ever-green.

Waiting for Godot is “a tragicomedy in two acts.”  Waiting for the gourds is just silly.

Birdhouse Gourds in Scarves

Birdhouse Gourds Staying Dry and Warm

 

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Harvesting the Gourds: I Grew a Pair

It’s pouring today. (I love it). Good thing I cleaned the garden box when I did. After a midweek frost, the birdhouse gourd vines shriveled up. I cut down the last of them and brought the pair of gourds indoors for drying.

Tidied Garden

Tidied Garden

I have a good giggle whenever I pass them. They look exactly like a pair of bowling pins.

two birdhouse gourds

Lindy keeps an eye on the “bowling pins.”

Earlier in the year, one of the vines grew up and over the telephone line. Eventually one of the two large gourds took hold, putting weight on the lines. I came up with a quick fix using garden twine and a mesh bag, pictured below.

Birdhouse Gourd: In the Bag

birdhouse gourd in the bag

It worked really well, allowing the gourd to grow unhampered and at the same time it kept my internet up and running. I have my priorities.

What I didn’t expect was the honeycomb pattern the bag left on the gourd. It’s not imprinted but rather faded from the lack of sun. Isn’t that interesting?

Honeycomb Patterned Gourd

Honeycomb Patterned Gourd

Now we wait.  While the gourds are drying, I’ll be dreaming of a way to decorate each one. Here are a few ideas:

Debbie Almond: Birdsmiths

Linseed Oil finish from Fun In The Making

Natural Finish (from my ever changing garden)

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Birdhouse Gourd: Numbered Days?

The watched pot never boils, and the watched gourd never grows.  Or so it seems…

birdhouse gourds on trellis

Christmas lights in September?

Now that I’ve filled one of the planting beds with an assortment of winter vegetables, I’ve turned my attention to the runaway birdhouse vines (Lagenaria siceraria).  I have just two, 4 x 4 planting beds, so space is at a premium. The vines are occupying one of them.

birdhouse gourd buds

Still growing…

I read the fine print inside the seed packet today, and learned that some gardeners let the gourds harden on the vine all winter. I just assumed the plant would die off and we would harvest them much like the pumpkins. So…it’s decision time. Do I leave well enough alone and sacrifice the extra winter planting space? Will I face my disappointment gracefully if the vines die off a month from now, too late to use the beds till spring? Do I need to get a grip?

birdhouse gourd drying flower

Shriveled flower and otherworldly baby gourd

Mini hard-shelled gourds are forming along the vine, but before today, none of them seemed viable. I finally spotted one, twice the size of the others. I got excited all over again.

bridhouse garden large

How slow can you grow?

birdhouse gourd tendrils

Nature’s twine: super-strong vine tendrils

Should they stay or should they go? What do you think?

Resources:

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Birdhouse Gourd: Found a Peanut?

I’ve encountered more surprises from our Birdhouse Gourd vine. The early fruit looks just like a peanut!  Aren’t they cute?

Bird House Gourd Fruit

Bird House Gourd Emerging Fruit

The first budding fruit was round, but the newer ones are all shaped like a miniature version of things to come.

Also surprising are the leaves. I’ve been carefully avoiding them, assuming they were rough like the pumpkins but learned as I brushed against one they are as soft as peach fuzz.  What a fun plant!

bird house gourd leaves

Peach Fuzz Texture on the Gourd’s Leaves

bird house gourd flower bud

Budding Flower

bird house gourd flower

Birdhouse Gourd in Full Bloom

bird house gourd tendril

Curling Tendril

Do you have any new discoveries in your garden this season? Please share in the comments, below.

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Birdhouse Gourd: First Snow

 

Okay, not really snow per se, but the birdhouse gourd flower is snow-white. I’m sure the seed packet said something about white flowers, but I’ve been so focused on the gourds to come, that it took me by surprise. I just assumed it would flower yellow, like the pumpkins, zucchini and other members of the squash family.

Not all the garden surprises have been good this past week, but this one’s a gem. I love the delicate petals and the beautiful contrast to the plants green arrow-head leaves. I’ll be keeping a close watch over the next two weeks for signs of emerging gourds.

Have you found any surprises in your garden this week? Please share in the comments below.

White Birdhouse Gourd Flower

Flowering Gourd