My friend Alene was traveling in Cherokee, NC, when she spotted what appeared to be a huge apple. It was at least 4 inches in diameter! Of course she was amazed – and of course she had to get a closer look.
Whether plain, decorated with sunflowers or painted to look like an apple, these gourds make really attractive – and interesting – birdhouses!
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
The apple-shaped gourds were grown on a trellis to keep them off the ground.
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
If you harvest two different kinds of gourds, be careful to keep the seeds separated.
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
As she approached the large fruit, she realized it wasn’t an apple at all. But it was something nearly as amazing – a birdhouse. And not one made of ceramic or other “typical” material as Alene had expected – this one was made from a gourd! Being no stranger to crafts or gardening, she wanted to get to the bottom of this gourd apple and learn how to grow and paint her own. So she asked the birdhouse-gourd owner – whom she made friends with – for some seed.
Come springtime, Alene’s husband, Lewis, set out eight gourd plants they’d sprouted from the seed. He gave them a trellis to vine on and to help keep the gourds from growing directly on the soil. From those eight plants, they harvested 40-50 gourds in late summer. And bonus – Alene had gotten seeds from two different gourd varieties: Some were shaped like apples, and the others looked like pears.
Because this was the first time Alene and Lewis tried to dry gourds, they experimented with various locations in hopes that at least some of them would dry out well. They knew there was a risk that the gourds would rot or wrinkle, so they stored some in their basement; others in an enclosed, outdoor shed; and some in a covered, but open, outdoor shelter.
The duo let the gourds dry out for about five months. (Gourds are considered dry when they’re extremely lightweight and the seeds inside rattle when the gourd is shaken.) Alene and Lewis were pleased with the results from all three locations. In fact, they couldn’t see a noticeable difference among the gourds.
Next came the most difficult task: cleaning the gourds. During the drying process, mildew grew on their surfaces, and other natural aging occurred. Lewis used a Brillo® pad, soap and water to spiff them up, and then set them in the sun to dry.
Once the gourds were dry, Lewis drilled out a hole for the birdhouse door (which also served as an entry point for Alene to clean out the gourds’ innards). Fortunately, much of the insides had dried up, leaving mostly seeds to clean out. (Lewis had welded Alene a special tool to scrape out the seeds, but a bent wire hanger can be just as effective). After Alene detached the seeds from the gourd shell, she simply shook them out of the birdhouse hole. (She was careful to keep the pear-shaped gourd seeds separate from the apple-shaped gourd seeds for planting next year.)
Alene thought the natural tan color of the gourd would be suitable for a fall arrangement, but she was eager to paint one just like an apple – her inspiration for the craft to begin with. She painted one gourd with red spray paint and another with acrylic craft paint, followed by three coats of lacquer finish. (The spray paint method was faster, but the craft paint allowed Alene to add more detail to the final design.)
While it took some time to do the birdhouse project from start to finish, Alene and Lewis agree that it was well-worth the effort. Not only was growing the gourds a great gardening experience, my friends got to experiment with a new craft – and wound up with some unique birdhouses to boot!
