Rocky Mount Gourds & Treasures of Louisiana

This is a wonderful time of year. Here at Rocky Mount the pecans are covering the orchard and we are getting ready to create fresh New Orleans Style Pralines!!! All of the jellies and jams are finished, for now, and time to get back to the gourd crafting business too!! I just finished creating awards for the Dept of Culture and Tourism for the Cultural Awards for the year awarded annually by the State of Louisiana. It was such an honor to be asked to create awards for such distinguished honorees of Louisiana. Here at Rocky Mount we create jellies, jams, birdhouses, and farm gourds. Our gourds are used for a fine crafting which I enjoy creating many different designs and use the Louisiana Long Leaf Pine Needles in my basketry to create what I like to call a Gourdsket!! It is a combination of a gourd bowl and a basket. We are having the most wonderful Arts Market on the Red River at the Barnwell Garden and Arts Center in Shreveport, LA. Not too far for me to travel for my work to be displayed and sold. For today, I remain, Gourdially yours, Susan Breeland, The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount, Louisiana, that is!!

After a long battle with family health matters, we are getting back to our Gourd Business!!!  This is an exciting time of year.  The crop is almost through, at least what the deer didn't have for dinner!!  It is harvest time!!

 For those that are not familiar with the gourd harvest, make sure you don't harvest too soon!!  The stems need to be brown.

We have also been creating many new jellies and jams and will have them on our site soon!!  Anyone for Jalapenos???  Love them!!!

For now, The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount, Louisiana That Is!!

We had wonderful weather here today, in N.W. Louisiana, it went from a cold 20's to possible 54 degrees.  We should be so thankful for this.  I spoke with a gentleman today that lives in northern Arkansas, he said it looks like a war zone there because of the ice storm.  They have been without power for several days now, and not sure when it will be back on.  This really makes one appreciate things more!!

To view the image for this project, simply right click on the image and click on 'view image" and the image will pop up. 

I want to give you an idea for a crafting that would be good with children of many ages using the Buffalo Gourd.  You can create Indian Rattlers, either large or small ones for Christmas Decorations.  Children of all ages enjoy this one.  All you need is a small round gourd, Buffalo, we call it.  If not a Buffalo, you may use a Dipper Gourd.  Cut a hole in the gourd to fit a stick, possibly an inch wide.  You may clean the seed out (and save them for planting) and put in some small pebbles.  Glue the stick into the gourd through the hole that you cut.  You, or the children may decorate the gourd with acrylic paints, or marking pens.  To preserve the design, later you may use a light misting of polyurethane spray.  If you would like, you may further embellish the stick (handle) and gourd with leather lacing and feathers.

This is a great project for Boy Scouts too!!  I used it often in Arts In Education in the schools in Louisiana.  I am adding an image of a couple of completed ones so you may see.
For now, have a good evening,
The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount!!

It is still too early for most of us to start planting in our Gourd Patch, but, there is still time to start new gourd plants indoors for a head start.  Peat pots or small pots with a starting mixture may be used.  If you have a green house, this is great, but you may start them indoors in a well lighted location too!!

One year I started about 1,000 gourd plants in my small 8' x 12' greenhouse, for which I am very thankful!

 Just make sure you are using sterile potting mediums, as it will not have diseases or pests hiding inside.  Yes, gourds are very prone to diseases and pests, especially the more you grow them in Louisiana!!

 In the mean time, if you have any gourds around you may want to start creating!!  Children usually love gourds too.

For now,

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount

If you are having trouble attracting Purple Martins to your current habitat and you have had Martin box type houses in the past you may want to try gourds and creating a new habitat.  Often predictors have invaded the habitat and the Martins will not return.  I have two neighbors that believe a snake was in their Martin Box and they are trying Gourd Martin Houses in hopes the Martins will return.

If you have access to large gourds, the preferred hole size for Martins is 2-1/4", and no perch.  The Martins love the swinging motion in the gourd.  I love to look out on the line with 20 or more Gourd Martin Houses and they are swaying with the wind.  We also have Gourd Martin Houses on our site here at Local Harvest.

 Until tomorrow, happy "sky watching".

The Gourd Lady of Rocky Mount