Having a gourd time

Our initial source of inspiration

In the autumn of 2021 we visited the Waterford Fair, which celebrates both the history of this 18th-century milling village and the work of local artisans. We brought home a set of decorative gourds which have graced our dinner table ever since. Shortly thereafter we were contemplating our seed order for the 2022 season and Chris, ever the idea man, said “hey, how about making birdhouses from gourds?” And so we did. This project looked deceptively quick and easy. Well it IS pretty easy, but it’s also a bit of a long game, with multiple steps requiring varying degrees of attention, creativity, and elbow grease.

July's tangled vines yielded gourds in September

Step 1: Sow and be patient

We started with seeds from Johnny’s and fortunately had the presence of mind to erect a support system before they took off. Gourds grow on vines and can quickly take over your garden space. Training them to grow upwards helps. The plants required very little attention; we just had to watch and wait. Eventually the vines began bearing fruit.

The pick of the harvest

Step 2: Harvest … and be patient (again)

Gourds are ready for harvest when their stems dry out and turn brown. Some were too small for birdhouses. One was stuck fast in the wire support and we still haven’t been able to pry it loose. We took the most bird-housey gourds and stored them in a cool place to dry out. Then we mostly ignored them for several months, just checking from time to time to make sure they weren’t turning mushy.

Step 3: Remove material inside the gourd

I didn’t exactly forget about the gourds, but in March decided I’d better figure out what to do next. I found instructions at The Spruce¹ and followed their advice for the rest of this project, starting with 4 of the 9 gourds we’d set aside for this (yes, I know the photo only shows 3. Oops). The first task was to drill an entrance hole in each gourd and remove the seeds and other stuff inside.

Step 4: Sand and Wash 

Besides having a kind of rough exterior, the gourds had some discoloration which I later learned was mould, but also perfectly normal. I used 80-grit sandpaper to smooth the surfaces. This removed some of the blemishes but didn’t make it as clean and pretty as I thought it would.

Next, I scrubbed the gourds with steel wool and a bleach solution, which removed more blemishes & discoloration than sanding. But I’ve learned to love the blemishes. They are part of the charm.

Pro tip: be sure to wear old clothes while washing the gourds, because the bleach will invariably splash and make attractive patterns on your sleeves. Ask me how I know this.

Step 5: Finishing

This is when you can get creative, if you want. In the middle of this project I visited a friend and on her porch was a beautifully painted gourd birdhouse with an ornate wire hanger. For my first attempt I’m going for a more rustic look, but it was inspiring to see how other finishes could be used for more artsy birdhouses.

I finished our gourds with two coats of spray varnish, following The Spruce’s recommendation to hang the gourds between two sawhorses. That made the task easy, kept me from getting varnish all over myself (see Step 4), and was a convenient way for the gourds to hang dry.

Step 6: Hang Birdhouse and Welcome Birds

I admit I didn’t think about this part until Step 5. Should we hang single birdhouses in various places, or create a structure to hold multiple birdhouses? Recognizing that most birds are preparing their nests already, we opted for a simple structure along the back of one of the raised beds. That will do for now!

Meanwhile, there are still 5 gourds awaiting my attention. Maybe this time I’ll try something more colorful and decorative.

See the button down below? Let me know if you’ve ever made gourd birdhouses or have ideas on how to finish or hang them!

1. Just as I finished this project I came across another resource for making gourd birdhouses, which includes useful tips for removing the discoloration (aka mould). Too late now, but duly noted for the next batch.