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The gourd plant has been described as one of nature’s greatest gifts to mankind. Of all the known plants, the gourd is the only one experts believe spanned the entire globe in prehistoric times. Gourds probably were growing in this hemisphere long before humans began to arrive around 12,000 BC. Gourds played an
important role in our evolution as humans began to use tools. Indications are that gourds were used as
containers long before baskets or pottery.
Every part of the plant was used.
The seeds were consumed for their protein and high oil content, and the
fruit is often eaten while the gourd was still quite small. Most primitive cultures found medicinal uses
for the gourd root, leaf, stem, flower and fruit. Clothing, currency, musical instruments and
masks, as well as containers for storage, eating and drinking were all common
uses of the gourd. Because gourds played
such an essential role in daily life, they also became important in religious
and ceremonial rituals and were often believed to possess mystical properties. Gourds are members of
the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes pumpkins, melons, zucchini and
cucumbers – to name a few. Most of the
gourds I use were grown in my back yard.
Even though I grow my gourds using a trellis, it still requires quite a
bit of room to cultivate a plant, so I supplement my collection by purchasing
locally grown gourds. It takes at least
four months to grow a gourd, although I have had gourds require up to ten
months on the vine before I was able to harvest them. After reaching maturity, the gourd is removed
from the vine and left to dry for six months to a year. The outer layer of the gourd dries rough and
scaly and must be removed by soaking, scraping and lots of elbow grease! Once the smooth under-layer of the gourd is
exposed, it is ready for my designs. I hope you enjoy my
gourds as much as I have in creating them for you. |
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