It's almost gourd season!

I must confess that I'm not super excited to see all the Halloween decorations in the stores.. it's only early Sept!! But, I am excited to follow the daily progress of my autumn gourds.. We grow both kinds - the ornamental (the ones you see at the farm markets with colourful rinds) and the hardshell (the ones that can actually be dried and used for crafts or decor). There are several reasons for this:

1) They grow so frickin fast that I can almost literally watch them grow!
2) The damn deer don't eat them!
3) The variety, shapes and colours are so much fun!

I'm sure there are more reasons, but that's all I can think of at this minute.. :)  I just ran up to the garden to snap a few photos.. I haven't photographed the snake gourd yet - it's just too big right now and in an awkward position under the A-frame trellis.. I will soon, promise, but I think it will be our biggest ever - looks about 4 feet right now! UPDATE - PHOTO OF THE SNAKE GOURD ADDED BELOW.

Also, I'm still seeding for fall/winter, so don't slack off yet.. Yesterday, I put in a bed of arugula, tatsoi and some mixed Asian greens that I have from Baker's Creek Heirloom Seed company. Plus, I have more lettuces, mache, spinach, radishes, mustards, mizuna and much more left to seed. Of course, I just noticed that a young deer walked through this new bed last night on it's nightly pilgrimage to eat my beloved beans. Bugger!! I really am getting that electric fence next year. No more worrying and trying to keep out the deer. I am done with that!

Caveman's Club?? Hope so, there are about 6 of these growing now.
Hard to tell the difference between these and the long
handled dipper gourds.

The flower of a hardshell gourd. The ornamental gourds
have the typical pumpkin-like yellow blooms.
(See the bee!)

Huh? Who are you.. thought this would be a cannonball
gourd, but it's not so round..?  Whatever it is, it is
8-inches from stem to blossom end.

A family favourite, the spinning top gourd!

Funny angle, great gourd. This is a long handled dipper
gourd. 2 feet long

Totally unrelated, but my first Armenian cucumber of
the year! Botanically a melon, this is a great 'cuke'!

I thought (hoped) this was a Caveman's Club, but
now realize it is a long handled dipper gourd.

Ok.. I went back out and tried to photograph
this - the snake gourd.. awkward, but so huge!