From ancient times, gourds are considered lucky in Japan.
A set of three gourds are auspicious as is read "SANBYOUSHI-SOROU" in Japanese, and it includes the same phonetic words as the clause meaning"all-around".
A set of six gourds are also considered to bring you good health and safety.It is said that a person who had been suffering from a serious illness was cured miraculously after hanging a scroll with a painting of six gourds on it.As we have a saying "A top comes out of a gourd", meaning "unexpected things will often happen", some say that six gourds have an improving spiritual power which brings you six fortunes.Gourds also remind us of HIDEYOSHI TOYOTOMI, who was a leading warrior appointed by the emperor as his shogun in charge of conquering barbarian territories, and set up his feudal government in the 16th century.As Hideyoshi rode on a horse with his mounted followers, one of his infantrymen would walk ahead of him, carrying a flag with a symbol or seal of the leader.Hideyoshi liked gourds, so he first put a big gourd upside down at the top of the flag-pole. Then he added small gourds to it every time he won a battle. It is called"SENNARIBYOUTAN", which means "one thousand gourds growing on a tree". He might have owed his great success to the spiritual power of gourds.
I have had many interests during my life, but growing and creating decorated gourds is the most enjoyable one to me: seeding, planting, fertilizing, supporting, nipping buds at the right time and right parts, keeping off and removing harmful insects, and harvesting.I have a hard time removing the seeds from my harvested gourds. But when I finish curing them, I have fun finishing them, which does not always go as I expect. So when I have done a satisfactory work, I am extremely happy.I can process and finish them inside the house in winter and on rainy days, so when I have an abundant harvest,I can keep myself busy all year.
After finishing my gourds, I make faucets and put tassels and strings on them. Then they are done! Good materials are needed for producing good works. The gourds must have plenty of seeds inside, nipples on top, beautiful colors on the outside, and good shapes.
There are several varieties of gourds:long, large, medium,small, etc.. But you grow them the same way, except that the long and large gourds need to be supported.
I always hope for better gourds than other gourd growers or than those I grew the year before. This year I broke the garden earlier than usual and fertilized the soil, then seeded.But they did not sprout, so I had to do it again. These came up in time for growing.I especially enjoy going on my rounds while the long and large gourds are growing. It is amazing to see them grow so fast. In a single day, long gourds can grow 10 cm and the large one can grow from the size of a tennis ball to baseball size. This year I had eight large gourds, but in an unguarded moment,harmful insects drew maps on the skins and cats scratched them. Although long ones are the second seedling, they grew to be 1 m + 50 cm long, so I dug a hole 30 cm deep for them so that the top of it would not touch the ground. I hoped it would grow higher than me. But one morning, I found it broken into two, and it eventually withered. The other three were also broken and withered.I was relieved to know other growers had similar results, owing it to the bad weather.
Among the medium, small, and long gourds I harvested this year,I found some that looked like cranes. I painted them white and added feet to them. I cut one lengthwise and made a tortoise.They made a nice ornament.I also made liquor bottles which are often seen in the traditional costume play on TV. These are just for display. I lacquered them,and made tassels and put strings on them.I made cups for them by cutting gourds into halves.
I have written many things about the gourds on this site.Everyone who is interested in gourds can enjoy growing and processing them and causing other people to enjoy and appreciate them also.With the spiritual power of gourds aside, why don't you try gourding?