Hi! Ive got some Apple Gourds, Id trade for the orange coneflowers. :) LMK Doris

Hi Kathy I don't have any gourds myself - have you checked with the Ohio Gourd Society? Do a google search and see what you come up with. If you plan to be at the Indiana Gourd Show (South Bend IN) there will be many vendors there from down south who have amazingly stong and thick-shelled gourds - Tom Keller is one I like to buy from as his gourds are nice, clean and thick - so perfect for chip carving! Last year at the Indiana show there was a woman there who was showing dying gourds with Rit dye ... perhaps someone in here has information on doing that. If you want brighter colors you could check out Mardi Gourds for the Memories Inks - they come in all colors and are color fast - won't fade. Wish I could help you more but that is about it from me ... for now! Magic in Michigan

Yes they're native to the U.S. and are so beautiful. They are a unique species and the only member of the family still in existence. I would love to travel out west someday and see them in the wild.

If a 5 gal. bucket will work it is about as cheap as you can get. I have mineral tubs, but only because I was able to get them for $1.00 ea.. Mineral tubs and 5 gal buckets stack within themselves, and they stay put pretty well. If you are wanting something that will go down over a 4 or 6 foot cage, there is going to be a pretty high cost for the material. If I were going to try to build something like that, I might want to make a ring, something like a hula hoop that would sit on top of the cage. Then use another hula hoop ring for the bottom, then attach the material of your choice to the rings. If you thought that you could get by with a trash can liner, they can be bought pretty cheap. I use 3 sizes of trash can liner that I buy in bulk from Morgan supply in Ft. Smith, but I am sure you can get them anywhere. The last ones I fought I think cost from .03 to .10 each. The smaller ones come packaged in 1000 count , the next size that I use is 250 count. I dont remember what the 55 gal size pack is, but I am sure it would be 100 or more. I dont buy these often because buying that many it takes a while to use them., I like the way you have the shrink wrap around the cages, mater of fact that is why I have the 55 gal trash can liners, but I had more trouble with fungal disease, even with tearing a large hole in the bottom of the liner. The way I use most of the large liner now is just to cut them into a flat piece of plastic. I drive some wood stakes into the ground to hold the plastic up about 3 or 4 inches and cover the edges with soil, sorts like a small greenhouse. The kids sometimes use them when they are moving and don't want to get the stuff in the back of the pickup wet.