Gourds are to me one of the most productive and useful plants that one can grow. They are often thought to be inedible, however they can be eaten when very young. Often eaten in a similar way as squash.
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Gourds are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, the same family as cucumbers, melons and squash. They are thought to be the first plant to be adapted to domestic use by humans. Gourds are most commonly made into bottles and bowls, however they can also be made into musical instruments, lamp shades, utensils and various artistic pieces.
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And I bet you didn't know that gourds have even been used as penis sheath. Most commonly in New Guinea, but also Africa and South America. The purpose of such a sheath is still unknown, however they are thought to be used as a social tool.
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Gourds are absolutely enthralling!! There are an immense range of varieties of gourds including:
* Apple.
o Larger than a softball and shaped exactly like a apple.
* Banana.
o About the size and shape of the tropical fruit. Good for rattles, sculpture, jewelry, Christmas tree ornaments.
* Basketball.
o About the size and shape of a basketball. Used for bowls and baskets, lamps and lamp shades, permanent jack-o'lanterns, globes.
* Birdhouse or Purple Martin.
o Probably the most commonly grown hardshell.
* Bottle.
o Sometimes called lady gourd or dumb bell because of its shape, this is the traditional water bottle because a thong can be tied around its "waist" makes carrying easy. Craft uses include lamps, dolls and vases.
* Bushel.
o Also nine-gallon. Real giants, these gourds are often one metre plus in diameter. Used for bowls, baskets, and bragging.
* Calabash.
o True calabashes grow on trees where the ground never freezes.
* Canteen.
o Also sugar bowl or sugar trough. Decorated gourd canteens were a popular 19th-centurey souvenir from French beaches, and were used for wheels for toy wheelbarrows in Mexico, when wheels were not commonly used for carrying loads.
* Club.
o Also caveman's club.
* Dipper.
o A long neck with a bulb is this gourd's characteristic shape. The traditional use is as a dipper, for drinking and cooking.
* Long.
o Also baton, snake, longissima.
* Maranka.
o Also dolphin. Like a short-handled dipper with a large bowl, the maranka has a unique, distinct ridge pattern on the bowl.
* Penguin-Powderhorn-Calabash.
o When a crafter adds eyes and a painted tuxedo, this gourd is a perfect penguin. Its older use was to hold gunpowder.
* Snake.
o A uniformly cylindrical gourd. A hardshell snake gourd exists, but many seed catalogues use the name for edible cucumbers.
* Warty.
o A pear-shaped gourd, larger than either the fruit or the pear gourd, this is covered with sturdy warts, making cleaning a worse chore than usual. Few craft uses: owl and sheep figures.
And that's just the hard-shelled gourds!!! I've been chasing down some rare gourd seeds over the past few years and am yet to find any. I picked up a few spaggetti squash seeds a few months back.
But I have only been able to get my hands on what eden seeds call 'Ancient Gourds' which to me are a spoon gourd. Oh heres my gourd vine at home. Its growing from my aquaponics system.
