Pictures From This Year's Garden
I tried some new things this year. I planted a few juice bottles about 3 ft. apart with a berm above the ground to keep rain from washing dirt in. These let me get water to the roots without wasting a lot of water on the surface.
I also corrected some mistakes I made last year. I planted my vines farther apart and I separated my hard shell and soft shell gourds because the soft shells grow so fast and will overshadow the hard shells. I built my trellis' taller instead of adding to them 'under the gun' so to speak.
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These are from this year. I got a couple of new varieties. I really like the different shades of yellow on the stripy ones.
I was surprised to get 2 so close together on the same vine. Usually one will prosper and one will wither and fall off the vine. That lower picture is what these two are aspiring to become.
These two were both flowers on the same night. The bigger, green one got fertilized. The smaller, yellowish one did not fertilize and will wither an fall off. Looks like I got some dipper gourds as well as birdhouse gourds this year. Just hope I can manage to dry some of them.
The morning glory flower has nothing to do with gourds. I just really like this picture. The star in the middle of the flower really shows up well.
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Remember those gourds I grew last year? I managed to dry a few of them out. 8 of about 20. There's a learning curve. I'm hoping to do better this year.
On the left are the dried gourds. Last year I washed them with Clorox water, dried them, wiped them down with alcohol and laid them aside for 10 months. On the right are the same gourds after a good soaking in a tub of Clorox water and a good scrubbing with a non-metal brush. The dried gourds only weigh an oz or 2 apiece.
A picture from last year and the same gourds, (those that survived my drying attempt) arranged in the same way.
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I saw a project on one of the gourd sites about painting the dried gourds in pastel colors and using them in fall arrangements. Problem is, there are no craft and hobby shops around here. The nearest one is in Danville and that's 25 miles, one way. Seems like a lot for just a few cans of paint. There are some pretty ambitious projects on those sites but they are beyond my skill level. The pastel thing was actually a kids project but I think I can manage that one.
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So anyway. If any of you remember my picture essay from last year, this is the next chapter.
Well done Wheel. And indeed I do remember last years chapter.
Always good to see additional chapters being added.
Gourd work !
Success! I'm so happy for you!
Watching things grow is so very satisfying... I love your dried gourds! Did you string yours up?
Congratulations!!!
I spread them on cardboard. I may try stringing this year. And piercing with a thin, clean piece of metal. A big needle maybe. That is supposed to aid in drying.
I dried a bunch that way, on a fishing line-- they all dried nicely!!! But what do you do with a dried gourd? I think my husband cleaned out the garage and there they went... I had all kinds of plans, but lacked time and tools... Oh well, some day!
PS-- I used a huge carpet needle to pierce the stem...
There are all kinds of projects on many of the gourd sites. Some of them are really remarkable. If I get a few birdhouse gourds there are definitely a few projects I want to try.
Mine weren't large enough for bird houses, and I'm a complete wash when it comes to decorative painting... I gave up and then they disappeared... Maybe next time!
I try to cut them off with a couple of inches of stem left. But it's easy to break the stem off when they get dry.
Smart! I did too!
Wheel - Your watering technique is brilliant. I can't wait to tell my dad. He's going to think I'm a genius for about 30 seconds until I tell him it wasn't my idea. lol
I wonder whether paint can be delivered if you order it off the internet.........
I can't really take credit for it either. I just realized that those water bulbs that garden stores sell for flowers in pots were essentially delivery systems for water directly to the roots. That got me thinking, how can I use this idea and be really cheap at the same time? We like to drink juice at my house and those bottles are pretty rigid so I gave it a shot. On really hot days I fill them a couple of times in the morning and the evening. It only takes a few minutes for them to run empty. I don't want water sitting in them because of mosquitoes.
I had not really considered buying the paints on the internet. I may look into that. I've been pestering my friends to see if any of them have any paints from any of their projects.
Thanks for an excellent essay and photos to clearly illustrate all aspects!
A+!
Thanks. I was really happy with some of them. The picture of the morning glory was a good one. The contrast between the deep green leaves in the background and the blue of the flower really made it pop. I also really liked the contrast between the yellow shades on the stripped gourds.
I love morning glories!!! They're so pretty!
yes they are. That one morning glory managed to grow up through all of the gourd vines and it was so pretty I just had to take a picture of it.
Impossible to grow in my yard-- but now that several of our trees are gone, maybe not so much... I'll have to try again next year!
I didn't get to see your last year's effort, but I enjoyed this one. Good article.
For some reason that article didn't seem to make the crossover to the new site.
Whoops, just looked again and here it is.
While we're on the topic of pictures, here are the dragonfly pictures I took last year.
Now that I see the original article, I now remember marvelling at the blossoms. I even commented on it.
Wheel,
I have often tried to grow melons and sometimes I run into problems with rot or insects. Your idea with the bottles is fantastic. This is a great photo essay. The gourds you grew look great.
You can get craft paint online. It isn't expensive and they will ship it to your home. I do a lot of crafting and I can't always find what I am looking for, and I have gotten it that way.
Keep us informed on this year's crop. I love gourds and I might attempt a round next year.
You might try putting pallets under your pumpkin vines. Rot can be a problem. I may have to go online to any decent colors.