Call me old fashioned, but once the Halloween skeletons and black cats are packed away, I like to bask in the cozy colors of autumn before moving onto the glitter of Christmas. Colorful, cheap and compostable, ornamental gourds are a fun way to celebrate the autumn season, indoors and out. For less than the cost of a bouquet of flowers, you can pick up some gourds at a local market for bringing pops of color to late fall season.
The little gourds under discussion here are Cucurbita gourds, commonly called ornamental or decorative gourds. They are of the same species as summer squash, and the two will cross pollinate freely. Indeed, yellow crookneck or pattypan squash can be allowed to mature into mid-size ornamental gourds.
The rinds of ornamental gourds harden into a thin, brittle shell that becomes more fragile over time. Lagenaria or birdhouse gourds are preferred for crafting because they have harder, thicker shells, but long, warm summers are needed to grow a good crop. In comparison, a mixture of ornamental gourds can be grown from seed to maturity in about twelve weeks. Harvesting and curing ornamental gourds is a piece of cake.
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A weatherproof display of gourds becomes an instant focal point
Outdoor Decorating with Ornamental Gourds
When the last flowers on your deck or patio lose their looks, replace them with a bright gaggle of gourds. Ornamental gourds don’t mind wind and rain when used in outdoor displays, but bringing them in when hard freezes threaten will make them last longer.
You need not be fancy here, because the gourds themselves provide variations in color, shape and texture. Assorted gourds look great arranged in a simple basket, stacked into a pyramid, or lined up like soldiers on a fence railing.
To bring height to an outdoor arrangement, you can thread small gourds onto a wood or metal skewer to create a gourd tower. Use fishing line to hang tiny gourds from tree branches at eye level, or to tie them to a rustic wreath. Gourds also look great in window boxes, tucked in with greenery borrowed from evergreen shrubs.
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Bright little gourds fill a glass brick vase
Indoor Decorating with Ornamental Gourds
Like cut flowers you never need to trim or water, ornamental gourds make great accents for indoor spaces. A simple trio of gourds in a rustic bowl makes a fine table centerpiece, and you can’t go wrong arranging gourds on windowsills, mantels and side tables. If you want a large arrangement, get out the two-tiered sandwich dish you got from your grandmother, or display your gourds in a glass cake dome.
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A votive holder made from an ornamental gourd
Serious crafting with ornamental gourds requires power tools for cutting the rinds or boring holes, but you can make do with hand tools for small projects. To make a votive holder, use a stout serrated knife to rasp and chip away enough thin rind from the side of a gourd to make the soft inside accessible with a paring knife. To access the top of a gourd, use pruning shears to cut off the stem, and do additional trimming until you hit soft flesh.
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Stick-on google-eyes turn gourds into a companionable group
Gourd Crafts for Kids
Kids of all ages can have a bit of rainy day fun decorating gourds. Stick-on google-eyes give gourds instant personality, yarn or string can be tied to the stems for hair, and cloth mouths and ears can be glued on with water-based glue. Small buttons, cloth pompoms and stick-on jewels can be added to the materials mix. Washable markers show well on light-colored gourds, but acrylic paints give better results on dark rinds. Keep in mind that kids may see a fish, cat or dinosaur where you see a person, but whatever. Yes they can paint the warts on a gourd purple, and ten google-eyes may be better than two.
Regardless of how you use them, ornamental gourds don’t last forever. They stay quite moist inside, and eventually the rinds develop cracks and rot spots. At this point they can be tossed onto the compost pile, with their shells cracked open so winter birds can gather the seeds.
