Grow Gourds for a Unique Difference

This spring as you are planning your garden, include gourds. They are interesting and are a guaranteed conversation starter. There are many varieties to try.  After the vines have died and the weather is cool, bring your gourds to your shop for added autumn appeal.

Plant your gourd seeds after all danger of frost are over. They do need a long growing season so get them in the ground as soon as you can or start the seeds indoors about four weeks before you are to plant outside. Be sure to plant in a sunny location as they are heat loving plants. Gourds love to have a trellis or a fence to climb onto.  If you have an unsightly chain link fence or if you wish the fence was more natural in look, plant gourds to grow on the fence. They will entirely cover it and create a natural barrier.  

Gourds are related to the melon, squash, cucumber, pumpkin family. Gourds have been grown for centuries as utilitarian vessels, such as ladles and bowls, for ornamental purposes, such as birdhouses, and for cosmetic uses.  There are two main kinds of gourds to grow. They are Cucurbita or soft-skinned gourds and Lagenaria or hard-skinned gourds.

The soft-skinned gourds must be harvested before frost. Any sign of frost will turn them to mush. Cucurbita gourds are the gourds we use for decorations. They look like small squash. These gourds come in many shapes and sizes. These would be the gourds that we might see spilling out of a cornucopia in a fall display. Also, you can take them and turn them into a fresh flower container by hollowing out the gourd and inserting floral foam. Use oak leaves and cattails, along with hardy, long lasting mums and daisies for a distinctive floral design for autumn.

The second type of gourd is the hard-skinned utilitarian type. This gourd will mature on the vine well past frost and be okay, although it is best to harvest before frost and dry in a warm dark area. The gourd will eventually turn from green to tan and mottled browns.  Once the gourd is very light and rattles when shook, the seeds inside, then it is dried and can be prepared for its intended use. The lageneria gourd is what is used to make birdhouses and long handled dippers and vessels. This is also from where the luffa sponge comes. The gourd fiber inside is dried and it becomes an exfoliating luffa sponge. The shapes of this type of ornamentals can be very exceptional and fascinating. 

Gourds will add a captivating experience for your floral customers.  Create an autumn dried flower decoration in one. Maybe you can find someone to hand paint them. They can be customized for any area as a great souvenir.  Paint the ocean, the mountains, or the desert. Hand sign and number each for a collectible. The possibilities with gourds are endless and will add class to the floral shop. 

Gourds in Your Garden: A Guidebook for the Home Gardener 

Snake Gourd 5 Seeds - Grow your own slippery snake! 

Gourds in Your Garden, A Guidebook for the Home Gardener - 1998 publication 

Luffa Bathroom Sponge 10 Seeds - Gourds! 

Decorative Painted Gourd 

Pkg of 12 Artificial Decorative Fall Pumpkins and Gourds 

Decorative Carved Gourd Rattle fron KenyaDecorative Carved Gourd Rattle fron Kenya 
Set of 3 Distinctive Pumpkin and Gourd Decorative Pillows 13" 

Set of 3 Colorful Rustic Country Kitchen Decorative Ceramic Gourds

Creative Gourds (13 Projects to Paint on Gourds Using FolkArt Acrylics and Artist's Pigments, Decorative Painting #9756) 

Peonies and Hollyhocks

***This is the eleventh article in a series of 100 articles on floral design and running a flower shop. If you have a topic you would like me to write about let me know,  moabflowers@live.com.   


Peonies are one of the oldest documented blossoms. Peonies were in existence 1400-4000 years ago in China. The peony flower is considered a blossom of wealth. In past days, if one could afford a peony plant in their garden they were certainly a prosperous family.  For the flower shop, peonies come on around Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. They can be bought at your local wholesaler or at a local farm. We used to purchase peonies grown in Grand Junction, Colorado at a local grower. We would get buckets and buckets and buckets of them.  The excitement was on. They come in very tight buds. It is only after a few days in a warm shop they begin to burst open. They are so showy, they sell themselves. Everyone has to have some!!

Peonies come in a nice range of colors from ivory to soft blush, to lavenders, purples and burgundies. They are a very large showy flower, with one big blossom and a few buds on each stem. The stems can range up to two feet tall.  Peonies have lush green foliage, almost making it unnecessary to add other foliage to the arrangement. They are fragrant and fairly long lasting. 

Peonies can be used in floral designs, corsages, memorial pieces, wreaths, and vase arrangements. They can be used fresh or dried. Drying peonies is easy. Just hang blossoms upside down in small loose bunches. Do not crowd. Hang in a dark, cool space.  They retain their color very well. They can be sprayed with a specifically designed dried flower sealant when dry, about 2-3 weeks. 

Peonies make an impressive, old-fashioned bouquet. While they are very seasonal, it is good to get all you can out of them while they are available. This is a flower that will keep customers coming back year after year. 

Hollyhocks have to be one of my most favorite flowers. They are easy to grow and forgiving. Of course they can be bought at your local wholesaler as well, in season. You will see them growing along ditch banks and anywhere the wind happens to blow the seeds. They are a tall flower, reaching up to three feet. They range in colors from white and ivory to pinks, reds, purples, and magenta, almost black. Traditionally, hollyhocks are associated with cottage gardens. They need to be planted in the rear of a mixed border or along a wall. There are both single and double forms. Hollyhocks seed freely and will always come back from seed year after year. 

In floral designs, hollyhocks make nice line flowers, establishing the height and width in a design. Add carnations and daisies for an attractive garden look. Add foliage such as ivy, asparagus fern and wax flower for a more upscale look. As a matter of fact, peonies and hollyhocks together would make an absolutely stunning design. And for the June bride, well if it is different they want, peonies and hollyhocks, ranging from off white to blush pink to a greening tint, would look spectacular. Again, accent with asparagus fern, ivy and wax flower, maybe even a little heather. Wow!! Beautiful!!  Once again, always be creative and different. Do not be afraid to offer your customer savvy and unique. Your shop will stand out from the rest and you be viewed as an artist of floral design.