This past summer I grew three bottle gourds from a plant I bought impulsively at the garden center after none of the gourd seeds I planted germinated.

I thought three gourds wasn’t much of a yield from so much vine, but I was happy with my three gourds and put them in the shop to dry.

Two of the smaller ones are completely dry now and I decided to clean one of them and bring it into the house to live.

Here it is before:

During the washing–I scrubbed it with vinegar water and a green scotchbrite pad:

Some people sand and/or bleach their gourds, but I just loved the markings.

And finally, after a few coats of beeswax/olive oil melted together half and half and buffed:

Very simple, nothing fancy.  I wanted the tiny people to be able to play around with it (the seeds inside rattle softly).

Next time maybe I’ll cut into one of the others for a birdhouse or a bowl or a dipper.  The picture of the wet gourd in the middle of the post makes me want to try one with a glossy finish.. I hope this summer I can get more gourds, and more varieties of gourds, to grow.