Gourds 'Birdhouse' (Gourds)

Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria, Cucurbita spp.
Lagenaria siceraria, Cucurbita spp.
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Type:
vine
USDA hardiness zones:
-
Days to maturity:
125 - 125

Large, hard-skinned gourds can be made into birdhouses. Fruits are 10- to 12-inch by 14- to 16-inch, and tapered toward stem end with tan, smooth, hard shell. Also known as Dipper.

  • Medium

There are several genera in the cucumber family whose fruit will form a thick, dry shell and which can be used for storage, decorations, instruments and utensils. These plants are among the oldest in cultivation, grown around the world by various cultures for ornamental purposes.

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Groundskeeper replied over 2 years ago
Useful, beautiful, fun, weird. Gourds have been grown for thousands of years, mainly because the fruits can be made into containers for food and water, thanks to their dense skins that dry and harden to something very like wood. The fruits come in many shapes - some are long, curving tubes, some are narrow at one end, globe-shaped at the other end (the “birdhouse” and “dipper” gourds), and some have sharp bumps and ridges that could be dragon hide.
Groundskeeper replied over 2 years ago
The plant is in the cucumber family and its parentage is complicated and includes several species, but current varieties have been bred to come true from seeds. No matter the variety, the plant is a vigorous annual vine with hairy, scratchy stems, somewhat like a cucumber vine. It blooms with small five-petalled flowers that are white, hairy, veined and ruffled. It needs warm soil and hot weather to grow at full speed, to bloom and to mature its fruits.
Groundskeeper replied over 2 years ago
A mature fruit will dry naturally if given a warm spot and rotated once in a while. The skin hardens, the flesh and seeds inside dry out, and the gourd can be varnished, carved, and painted to make craft pieces, or pierced and emptied to make a birdhouse. Here’s a website featuring some good examples of craft gourds. For instructions on making a special gourd birdhouse, here’s a site featuring loads of craft gourds by Amish folks.
lfin replied over 2 years ago
We saw this painted gourd ona visit to a community garden at Alpharetta GA.  They were not only good gardeners -- they were good artists! 
We were the guests of the very cool  organization, American Community Garden Association.

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