One of my favorite gourds is the Apple Gourd. It's as if they have an "Alice in Wonderland" persona. They have a wonderful "apple" shape, and are just a great size, 5-9" tall, 15-20" in circumference for fall decorating. When they dry they are a beautiful toffee color. They fit easily into a table centerpiece or an outdoor cart, and blend well with other gourds and pumpkins of autumn hues. I first saw these gourds on my travels in the South, but occasionally see them dried for sale in California.

This year I decided to grow Apple Gourds for the first time. I sacrificed one of my beautiful dried gourds, splitting it open hoping there would be many seeds. I was rewarded with an abundance of seeds. Apple Gourds need space to grow like pumpkins, and can even be coaxed up a trellis for a neat effect.

In June, in a warm and sunny spot, I mulched and prepared several mounds or hills, and planted 5 to 6 seeds per hill, thinning to the 3 strongest once they started growing. I made sure they had adequate water. While the vines grew, beautiful dainty white flowers begin to appear and announced the beginning of the Apple Gourds. It took about 120 days for the Apple Gourds to mature. And guess what, they were a beautiful dappled green! They were also very heavy and full of water at this point. It will take them 5-6 months to dry and turn that beautiful toffee color. Be patient, and keep them in a dry place with air circulation. Once dried properly your Apple Gourds will last for years.

For more information on Apple Gourds, and purchasing seeds go to, Burpee Seeds, Apple Gourds.