Thanks to Rod Just Realtor for the photo of Paige with two daikon radishes!

It’s official, Fall is in and Summer is out. As we enter the Fall Equinox, it’s time to harvest some gourds! You may remember from last Fall all the tasty edible squash that we had, from red kuri to delicata, but we have a fun new selection this season: ornamental gourds. Although you may not be able to make a soup with them, you’re able to feed your soul by admiring the whimsical beauty of ornamental gourds. This past week was our first harvest of them, and it was such a giggle to see the different shapes they formed into – I swear that one looked exactly like a duck. 

You may be thinking, “Okay, ornamental gourds are nice to look at, but is there anything else I can do with them?” Surely, you could put one on the dash of your car or as a dinner table centerpiece, but you can also get crafty with them. Both ornamental gourds and edible squash have been cured and used as utensils, birdhouses, and instruments for a long time, and they are perfect mediums for Fall-time creativity. With the cold snap we’ve been experiencing in the Chimacum Valley, I thought it would be fun to dream up a way to make birdhouses for our local Black Capped Chickadees so they may have some extra warm spaces to take a rest in. 

Tools you’ll need to make a gourd birdhouse: 

• Carving knife/drill (tool to cut an opening into the gourd)
• Wire, twine, etc. (to hang birdhouse) 

Before getting to the birdhouse making, you’ll want to pick out your ornamental gourd and let it cure for 3-4 weeks. Set your gourd on a surface where it receives ample air flow, turning it occasionally. The outer skin will take a couple weeks to dry, but the inner flesh will be done after 3-4 weeks when you can shake the gourd and hear seeds rattle. Once dried, use whichever tool you have on hand to make an opening into the gourd. Cut enough of an opening to be able to scoop out the flesh/seeds and drill 2-3 holes in the bottom for proper drainage/air flow. And that’s it! If you’re feeling more creative, you can paint your gourd with a fun design. Happy crafting!

~Molly