Home & Garden All about gourds, the centerpiece of fall Published: Sep. 30, 2012, 1:05 p.m.

Zucchini is generally considered an ideal vegetable for beginners. Hobby gardeners usually can't go wrong when growing it.

Gourds are members of the Cucubitaceae family, which also includes the pumpkin. There are three main types: hard-shelled, ornamental and luffa.

Cucurbitas are smaller ornamental gourds in a variety of shapes and sizes with brightly colored fruits. Cucurbitas come in all shades of yellows, oranges, greens and in white.

Gourds are in the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae, and are related to other vining crops such as melons, squashes and pumpkins. Cucurbita pepo is the species for ornamental gourds, and it ...

For the previous 20 years, I have grown numerous varieties of small, ornamental gourds in the garden for fall decorations. In 2020, I acquired long gourd seeds from a previous Pennsylvania long ...

Plant the gourds in hills — a 3-foot diameter, flat-topped, six-inch high circle of compost-rich soil — about two or three seeds per hill. Thin to the strongest two in four to six weeks.

Ornamental gourds are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, which include such edibles as squash, cucumbers, melons and pumpkins. Yes, they can be cultivated throughout Florida.

Ratliffe noted that raw ornamental gourds typically appear as autumn decorations, but she said they can be transformed into works of art appropriate for any season.