What's all this stuff made out of?
The birdhouses, lanterns, bowls, and ornaments that we
offer are all made of gourds.
What's a gourd?
A gourd is the fruit of the cucurbitaceous family which
includes: pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, and melons.
Do you make all these?
Yes, we are very proud to say that we do all our own
creative work. We are also proud to say that not only are they made in
the USA but right here in Orange County, NY as well.
How are the gourds' insides cleaned?
They are all cleaned differently depending on how they
naturally dry out. Sometimes the gourds are soaked in water and other
times the seeds plus seed membrane simply come right out.
How long will the gourd last?
Indoors they could last forever. Hard shelled gourds have
been found in pyramids in Egypt and caves in the Andes. Outdoors with
proper maintenance, gourd birdhouses have been known to last well over
10 years.
How do you clean a birdhouse out?
Simple. First, drop a handful of stones into the entrance
hole of the birdhouse. Second, while covering the entrance hole, shake
the gourd allowing the stones to break up the nesting material.
Finally, shake stones and debris out of the entrance hole.
Can the gourds go outside?
Absolutely yes! Hanging a gourd birdhouse outside is no
different than haging a wooden birdhouse outside. All our gourds have
been sealed with a high-quality UV resistant spar urethane. We
recommend after the birds have gone, bring the gourd birdhouse inside,
clean it out and wipe down. After a few seasons feel free to
lightly/finely sand and apply a fresh coat of spar urethane. If placed
in a protected location such as under a house eave or under a shade
tree a gourd birdhouse should give you years of bird watching
enjoyment.
Where's the perch?
Birds have great flying skills; they don't need a perch.
Perches only encourage predator birds to sit on the perch and reach
their head into the house of a smaller bird to cause trouble.
Do you grow all the gourds?
Ultimately we would like to grow every gourd we sell. We
grow what we can right now. Ask us again in another year or two...
Are you online?
No, well sort of. The Sugar Loaf Guild has provided a
spotlight for us with basic contact information. Otherwise, it has
been a slow steady climb and we want to keep it that way. Besides, in
an internet obsessed world, isn't it refreshing to get out of the
house, drive to a neighborhood shop, meet and shake the hand of the
makers? We think so.
DID YOU KNOW?
Gourds have been cultivated since 2200 B.C., longer than any other
group.
Gourds were originally used as containers and vessels before clay and
are referred to as "Nature's Pottery."
Gourds were used as currency in Haiti in the 1800's. Today the
Gourde is the standard currency of Haiti: 40 Haitian gourdes = about
US $1.00 dollar.
Not only are gourds the world's oldest birdhouse, they were also the
first maraca and baby rattler too.
Change is good.