Each fall, as grocery stores and garden centers pile up mountains of orange pumpkins, it’s easy to forget the diverse gourd family. Pumpkins might be the headliners, but they’re not the only stars in ...

This is the season when autumnal displays surround us. Decorative gourds seem to appear overnight, as if beamed down from an alien spacecraft: striped, speckled, warted, and winged. Bright bursts of ...

Here we are, the last of October, and the garden is winding down fast, at least around the Sutter farm. Seems like last week I was picking tomatoes, and this week, I am pulling the plants. It looks ...

"Many gourd farmers market the best gourds in their crop, but I keep my biggest and thickest-shelled gourds for seeds. Also, I plant most of my varieties together in one field because I feel the cross ...

Ridge gourd, or turai, is another excellent choice for planting. Direct sowing works best in warm soil, and providing a trellis encourages healthy vine growth. Picking the gourds while tender improves ...

The best way to begin a kitchen garden is to start with plants that grow reliably in the current season. In most parts of ...