The vine that ate the compost pile

Back in July, this pumpkin-like mystery vine started to grow on our compost pile. It has now covered it entirely, plus our leaf mold pile, and is moving onto the mulch pile. Makes a nice camouflage of our less than attractive heaps of stuff, doesn't it?

It grew for weeks before revealing what sort of fruit it's producing. Now we know: it's a small gourd. I used to grow these for fun, and to use as fall decorations. The gourds are all quite small, and I don't know if they'll ripen. I think that's because we have not had the kind of heat this summer that we normally have.

I don't mind, because I don't enjoy hot, muggy summers. This one has given me little to complain about, but I'll admit that many people don't share my point of view.


© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener