Gourds have been used by people for many years and my husband and I have found a use for them. We became interested in them about four years ago. At that time gourds caught my attention because I am always looking for something new to paint. I have been hooked ever since.
We became so interested in gourds that we began to plant seeds to see if we could raise them. We love to watch our gourds grow. The vines wander wherever they want unless you head them in another direction. We have to plant the seeds far enough apart that they have room to grow. The leaves cover most of the gourds while they are growing, so you never know how many gourds are hiding among the leaves. Gourds require a long growing season. We leave them on the vine until it frosts and the leaves and vine turn brown.
After the vines die, we finally get to see the fruits of our labor. At this time the gourds are green and heavy. We pick them and take them into our barn to dry. As they dry they begin to turn brown. When they completely dry, they are very light in weight. They are now ready to be cleaned.
The gourds have to be washed to get the mold off, and then dried again. After this my husband sands them and bores the hole to make them into a birdhouse. The gourds are full of seeds and these are cleaned out. This is probably the hardest job of all.
Gourds come in many shapes and sizes. That is one thing that makes them so interesting to paint. Each one is painted according to the shape and size of the gourd. After I hand paint the gourd, we put a clear exterior finish on it to protect it from the weather.
