Nature's Gift
It has been said that the hard-shell gourd plant is one of nature’s greatest gifts to humankind. It is clear that they played a vital role as humans became tool users, artisans and masters of their environment. By far the most common uses of gourds in all cultures were as containers and vessels, but they were widely used as musical instruments, decoration, currency, and in religious and ceremonial rituals.
Gourds come in many varieties… bushel basket, wine kettle, canteen, bottle, dipper, club and zucca to name a few. My partner, Marla, and I grow several of these varieties on our farm in Central Indiana. Starting with seeds, we nurture their growth all spring and summer and harvest approximately 1,000 gourds each year. When frost finally arrives in the autumn, we clip the plant stems and leave the gourds in the fields on pallets to dry and cure throughout the winter months. By the next spring, they are very hard and ready to be cleaned, cut, dyed and then adorned.
I have found artistic work on gourds to be personally very satisfying. To be sure, the lifestyle of preparing the soil, then planting and nurturing a living entity into a work of art is a profoundly gratifying process; one which often touches the sensibilities of our patrons and friends.
As the saying goes: “It is a gift of life to them that lay fast to it. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.” |
