Gourds -- some knobby, some smooth, but all singularly shaped, and some oddly colored -- aren't plants that appeal everyone.

But whether a gourd is long-necked or squat, shaped like an enormous sausage or an oversize apple, if it's enticingly unusual, it's likely Mark Borgmier of Kennewick grew it.

As the longtime Kennewick gardener will tell you, "Gourds are my thing. I've always loved growing things and really enjoy the exotic, unusual things."

One year it was giant, monster sunflowers with seedheads 2 feet across. But once he read an article in the Herald on gourds, Borgmier was hooked.

That was in 1997, but it wasn't until four years ago that he planted his first gourd seeds.

But they weren't the smaller ornamentals like you find at produce counters, farmers markets and in many Mid-Columbia gardens.

Borgmier seeks out the giants of the gourd world, the ones grown for hundreds of years for food storage, dippers and pots.

As a Washington State University Extension Master Gardener, Borgmier enjoys a challenge. But what piqued his interest, he said, is the history behind gourds.

"They were what people used for containers before they had clay and pottery," Borgmier said.

The seeds for these oversize gourds aren't easy to find. The smaller ornamental gourds are more popular. These varieties -- mainly from Asia and Africa -- have to be started indoors very early in the year because they need a long growing season to mature.

"Plus they get pretty big," he said, pointing to one of his largest gourds, a bushel variety. It's a giant even among other bushels, measuring 48 inches in girth and weighing in, before it began to dry out, at about 40 pounds.

All Borgmier's exotic gourds get big, heavy and long in vine.

Borgmier estimates his 18 gourd plants -- he has five varieties this year -- have each produced 30 to 40 feet of vines and side shoots this season.

"And that's with me pruning them back, sometimes quite severely," he said.

To keep them from taking over the backyard, Borgmier built an arbor using 20-foot poplar wood poles lashed to a heavy PVC pipe frame. This got the vines up off the ground, plus allowed the gourds to hang freely as they grew, he said.

A gourd sitting on the ground doesn't grow as symmetrically as one up in the air. Plus the bottom side can blemish, just like a pumpkin or watermelon.

Because these are strictly ornamental gourds destined one day to be etched, painted, wood-burned or otherwise decorated, Borgmier wants them as perfectly formed as possible -- even if he does run the risk of bonking his head every time he wiggles into the arbor to tend his gourds.

"Having 18 gourd plants is like raising 18 kids," he said. Each day he prunes the vines, coaxes gourds down through the leafy canopy and rigs slings and props for the larger ones to shape them and help support their weight.

The largest, the bushel gourds, can run 30 to 40 pounds at maturity. The marmoratas, while slender, run 3 to 4 feet in length, so they can hold quite a bit of water weight. Even the smaller bottle, apple and long-handled dippers weigh several pounds each.

"But a few knocks on the head is worth it. Gourds are fun and interesting to grow," he said.

Even after harvest, gourds require some tending. Borgmier sprays them with a bleach solution to retard mold and checks them frequently for rot.

"Once you get a soft spot, that's it. They rot fast, and smell bad too; you want to get them out to the compost pile fast," he said.

The drying process for these giants of the gourd family can run months, the largest a year or more. And it's something you can't hurry.

"They need to be bone-dry before you paint or apply a polyurethane sealant to them. Otherwise mold can form under it and destroy your design," he said.

Gourds also have a thin, outer skin that flakes off naturally, over time. But before painting or sealing you'll need to remove it by rubbing, using a fine grit sandpaper and a gentle hand or peel it using a razor blade.

* Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com

Get your own

If you enjoy a challenge and are intrigued by gourds, one source for these exotic plants is Nichols Garden Nursery in Albany, Ore. Check out its selection at www.nicholsgardennursery.com or call 800-422-3985 and request a catalog.

For decorating ideas, Mark Borgmier recommends Gourd Carving by Ginger Summit.