They are gorgeous! Did you get any fruits on them?

Absolutely - I will get several basketfuls - there are quite a few forming in the jungle. :)

These are the ornamental small types - my favorite.

Oh, Mrs. Robert Brydon is so lovely!
I want one of those!

I grew gourds for years, but haven't lately. I love hw you grew them against your house. Never thought of that. I grew mine on a lean-to-trellis against the hen house one year. Grew Luffa gourds on that one. Grew ornamentals on the dog pen fence when we had a dog pen for our Damnatian dog, Benny. He barked at the gourds hanging on his fence. Thought they were critters. (Goofy dog was so cute). Then I built two 20 ft. tall teepees that stood for a few years and grew birdhouse gourds on those. Still have lots of cured gourds. I love them. My grandkids loved playing under the gourd teepees until the vines got so thick they couldn't get under there. But in the Fall, they were awesome with all the dry vines and leaves and gourds hanging down. They had a ball.

I have some Bushel Basket Gourd seed I want to try next year. I want to make Cherokee Indian baskets with them.

I LOVE GOURDS!
(and creating gourd artwork too.)

BTW - Your house (what I can see of it) is lovely.
Beautiful pictures. Show more!
~Annie

We went out tonight to the vegetable garden to check out my pumpkins - they are that warted variety called "Knuckle Head" and they are incredibly kewl! I probably have 8-10 of them all together - will get them harvested in the next few days, some are already very orange.

I love the whole thing with fall decorating and it is rather pleasant to have nothing edible to deal with - sheer pleasure like flowers.

Years ago I played with the larger goard varieties - giggling at the dogs and kiddies and the dangling goards...I did grow the luffa one year but never really managed them right to make the sponges.

It's rather fun to have this fall stuff to look forward to.

I think people pass by the gourd seeds thinking they will have a bunch of gourds and no leaves, wrong! I think gourd plants are better than my clematis! just put the seeds in mounds of 3 to 5 and watch them go. No fuss.......

I think you all have inspired me to try gourds. I love how ornamental the vine looks! Do you have any suggestions for how to get started? And any particular types you can recommend that won't be TOO huge? (I've filled up most of our yard already, but have a ridiculous vine obsession, so I can always fine a little more room)

I just pick up packages of small ornamental goards. The larger ones are fun, too but the fruit get so heavy. I just direct sow them but it needs to be warm.

I used to pull the peas in the vegetable garden and plant goards to replace them - left the pea fence and let them wander all over it.

I had a very small condo garden when I worked out of town and I grew the tiny mini-pumpkin goards on my trellis there one year. Always a big hit.

I have done this for years but I was reading an English gardening blog and they were using them in the middle of the garden on obelisks or various supports.

I just think it's nice to be able to have something different and they are nice as other things fade and the foliage is really lovely.

Gourds, winter squash and pumpkins are lovely in the garden. They are beautiful as table decorations with vases of Marigolds, Salvia, grasses and Mums. Tuck in some cattails and Lotus seed pods and if you are lucky enough to obtain them, Pheasant feathers or Peacock feathers. Mossy or lichen encrusted logs and fall leaves...sunflowers too.
Tied with a bunch of India corn using raffia, they make lovely Fall door decorations.
I just love the Autumn.

I tie my dried gourds in strings and hang them on the porch or by a doorway - year round, I love them.

They make beautiful Gourd Art creations using a woodburning set and a woodcarving set. Birdhouses, bowls, baskets...you are only limited in what you can create by your imagination. Then I rub them with lemon oil which brings out their natural beauty and gives them a nice protective soft glow.

In the garden and in your home, Gourds are a wonderful addition to the cottage garden.

~Annie