I don't grow gourd either because of not having much sun. I do plan on growing some in containers next year. Looks to me like your first attempt at growing gourds has been very succesful. You gourd looks like a strawberry gourd to me although you did say the package said apple gourd, right. In my favorite book "The Complete Book of Gourd Crafts" it says that by pushing at the base of the stem and the gourd feels firm and solid to the touch it should be mature and should have a waxy skin on it. It should stay on the vine until the vine has dried up and has turned brown. Then you can either leave it outside or bring in inside to a well ventilated place and store off the ground. You can prevent mold from occuring on a freshly harvested gourd by frequently wiping with a mild solution of disinfectant during the long drying process. To hasten the drying process watch to see when the gourd turns from green to a cream white and starts to loosen. But, it will mold faster and you need to watch it and wipe frequently with water and disinfectant. If you decide that this is something you really want to get into, I definitely suggest the "The Complete Book of Gourd Crafts" by Jim Widess and Ginger Summit. The are very well known in the gourd world and the book tells you everything you need to know from putting seeds in the ground up thru decorating. Lillie, your photos of your gourds are very good. Post some new ones when you get them. Nonnie

Scott, Don't you love it when the harvest rolls in? So far, my favorite tomatoes taste-wise have been Brandywine Sudduth's (as always), True Black Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter and Valena Pink. They are also the only ones that have been in the same size range as yours--mine are running from about 12 to 20 ounces, which is remarkable in a year when we've only have 14" of rain here. The plants I planted earliest (and managed to keep from freezing) also have been the heaviest producers. Every year, I plant as early as I can (sometimes, perhaps, unreasonably so) because I fear having exactly the kind of weather we had this year....from "too cold" to "too hot" literally overnight. Planting early carries a lot of risk of freezing but it also gives you the best chance of getting a big harvest.....or any harvest at all. Big Beef and Royal Hillbilly are both putting out loads of red ripe ones now in addition to the varieties I already mentioned, and so is Fourth of July, which I grow solely to give away.....they aren't the best-flavored (but the heirlooms have me spoiled) but there are tons of them to share with people who are perfectly happy to have ANY tomato that is home-grown. My biggest producer is a tiny red currant tomato called Tess' Land Race Currant. The plants are about 9' tall and 4' to 5' wide and I have never seen anything like them. Each is covered in hundreds and hundreds of tiny red tomatoes. I believe we will get thousands of fruit per plant from the two of these that I planted--they make Sweet Million and SunGold look like low-producing slackers. I didn't even pick them on Tues., but will today. When dried, they are smaller than a raisin and very tasty. I also eat them by the handful when I am in the garden. My Black Cherry tomato plants are just as tall, but only 3' wide, although I like their tomatoes more. Some of the plants for which I had the absolute highest hopes, like Porterhouse and Cherokee Green, were eaten by the deer and haven't produced a single tomato because he ate all the growing tips, blossoms and small fruit. Maybe they'll produce later in the summer now that he has been kept out by the new fence and the plants have regrown some. I cannot believe you sold your Brandywines.....I don't even give them away to our closest friends!! Well, one year I gave some to DH's best friend, who promptly branded it the best tomato he'd ever tasted. I'm glad the kids are all enthused about helping. Feel free to send them here to pick tomatoes after you wear them out there! : ) Dawn

I don't have them here so I cant tell you if they will nest again. I would remove the old eggs. You will have lots of answers if you take this question over to the Bird Watching forum.

Wow, you all. I've been away and it was so much fun to come home today to this wonderful response. You know, sometimes when you don't know anything, things just happen. I didn't know that you COULDN'T cut out leaves and petals, so I just did it. I'm glad it gives some of you others some new ideas. I'd love seeing some more nipped plate pieces out there. It was Flag's black-grouted flowered pot that inspired me. Q&As. Mermaid....The brown border is vitreous glass tiles from Joann's. One of the first questions I asked Flag was how to border the edge of this garden in a ceramic platter. She suggested that I nip small glass tiles in half, which is what I did. She said that this would give me a place to stop the grout. The red is the platter border that I did the mosaic in. Ronnie, you are a doll. Sage would have looked great too. You and Crafty, Flag sent me some pine green, so that's what I'm going with. You guys are awesome friends. What a nice offer, Ronnie. Geez. Jan and Texas, other than photography and singing I've never done anything artistic in my life until two years ago when a friend taught me her technique for mosaic birdhouses. I thought I had no talent at all. It's been a wonderful experience for me to have something so rewarding to play with now. Here's my link to the birdhouses for anyone interested. http://photobucket.com/daisyme-birdhouses Since they aren't grouted, they aren't true mosaics. All of you....so many to mention....thank you so much for your sweet and inspiring comments. Flag, you're wonderful, and it's fun to read that others recognize this too. Slow, I hope you know how much YOUR comments have meant to me too on this project and to so many others on theirs. I will hopefully be grouting this week. We have a good friend seriously ill in the hospital which has had me away from home, and I'll have to see if I can be of more help there before I can get this totally finished. It will be done really really SOON however. I promise. Gail, aka Daisy(me!)