My Favorite Fall Decoration

What is more of a symbol of the fall than the pumpkin? Most people get pumpkins every year (carved or whole) for decoration, but there is another thing in the same family as the pumpkin that makes another cool decoration. Decorative gourds!

I've always admired decorative gourds and pumpkins. There are so many different kinds! Some are lumpy; others are smooth. Some are huge; others are tiny. They also come in so many different colors and patterns! Green, white, orange, and yellow! Spots and strips!

At a grocery store I spotted some bags. The sign over them said " Assorted Decorative Gourds- $1.99 per bag". I decided to get a bag. Because of the aforementioned variety, choosing a bag took awhile. The bags said there were five gourds in each bag, but the bag I chose had six gourds and one mini pumpkin.

After polishing them with a very soft cloth, they looked like this:

The Gourds

 An oddly shaped gourd offers an opportunity to be creative.

Guess what this is!

Some people paint or carve their gourds. They can be preserved for a long time if they are not carved.

Speaking of carving:  The small size makes them especially hard to carve safely!

I'm pretty sure that you can eat decorative pumpkins and gourds, but they probably don't taste good, as they are grown for looks, not for flavor.