While most vegetable gardens are brimming with edible delights, there are some vegetables, such as ornamental gourds, that are grown for their sheer beauty and utilitarian aspects. Ornamental gourds fall into two categories: the large, hard-shelled gourds and the small, soft-shelled gourds. Hard-shelled gourds are often named after their use, such as basket, bottle, spoon, and dipper gourds. When dried and cured properly, hard-shelled gourds can last for years. They are used around the world as cooking vessels, musical instruments, smoking pipes, and works of art.

Small, soft-shelled gourds are named mostly for their shape, such as apple, pear, turban, and egg. They are grown solely for their decorative qualities. While not as long lasting as the hard-shelled gourds, they make great ornaments for the fall table.

Plant and grow gourds as you would winter squash. The sprawling plants grow best in warm-summer conditions, requiring 120 to 140 frost-free days to mature. In warmest regions, sow seeds outdoors in full sun after all danger of frost has passed. Amend the soil with compost, then sow two seeds per hill, with hills spaced 8 feet apart; or sow in rows with plants spaced 4 feet apart. The seeds have particularly thick skins so it helps to nick them with a file before planting to help water penetrate the seed coat.

Cover the seedlings with a floating row cover, especially during chilly, spring nights. Keep plants well watered. Preserve soil moisture with a 2- to 4-inch layer of hay, straw, or leaf mulch. When the vines begin to run, fertilize with fish emulsion.

To grow these gourds to maturity where the growing season is 120 days or less, start seeds indoors and use season-extending devices, such as floating row covers, to protect against frost.

In cool-summer climates, preheat the soil with black plastic mulch four weeks before your last frost date. Start seedlings in individual pots indoors at the same time you set out the plastic. Transplant them directly into the ground after the last frost date.

Harvest gourds only after they mature on the vine. They're ready when the stem and tendril next to the gourd have turned brown and the gourd's skin has begun to turn an ivory color and feels firm. Cut off the gourds, leaving at least 2 inches of stem on the fruit.

Harvest soft-shelled gourds before a frost. Mature hard-shelled gourds can withstand frost, but it may affect the skin color.(After curing, hard-shelled gourds harvested before frost tend to be tan or mahogany, while those harvested after frost will take on a curly maple appearance.) It's best to pick the gourds as soon as the vines are dead (especially on trellised vines that may not be able to support heavy fruits), and to move the gourds indoors to a dry, well-ventilated place for curing and drying.