By Pat Dray
The Garden Spot
Pat Dray
One of the beautiful things about fall is the wide variety of decorative gourds that you can find at your local grocery store. They mimic the colors of the fallen leaves and can be used around the house in your holiday tablescape right out of the store. But if you want to keep them longer, you will need to dry and preserve them.
The first thing you want to do is to choose gourds that are firm and blemish-free. If they have already turned soft, it means they are starting to rot and are not going to dry out. Wash them thoroughly in some mild dish soap and water and let them air dry. You then should give them a second cleaning with some rubbing alcohol to ensure that any bacteria are removed.
Now comes the part where you need to have patience and a good memory. Space out gourds on a few layers of newspaper in a dark, warm, dry area with good ventilation. Replace the damp newspaper every few days, turning the gourds when you do. Heat accelerates drying and darkness will preserve the gourd’s color. The attic is generally a good spot.
You’ll need to repeat these steps for the next several weeks until the gourds are noticeably lighter and you can hear the seeds rattling inside them when you pick them up – that’s when they are completely hollow. When the gourds are totally dry, use a paste wax or clear shellac to seal and protect them.
You’ll be able to use these gourds for many years as part of your holiday decorations. Or you can use them for your future design projects. One thing that I like to do is use the dried gourds in centerpieces. The easiest way to do this is to use hot glue to attach a bamboo skewer to the gourd. You’ll then be able to put the gourd into any design you like.
It’s also fun to use dried gourds to add a little holiday glitz to your décor. You can spray paint the dried gourds gold or silver and blue for the holiday sparkle that we all love. Remember that you can spray paint the gourds different colors every year – you’re only limited by the number of colors available.
Because drying the gourds creates a hollow container, you can use them as bird houses and even planters. And with all the funny shapes they come in it’s a lot of fun for the children to paint faces on them and use them as ornaments.
So put your creativity to work and remember the hard part – to turn the gourds that you’re drying in your attic.
Pat Dray is a past president of the Garden Club of Orange and a master gardener.