Lagenaria siceraria 'Plate de Corse'

The Flat Corsican Squash is a variety that produces round, cream-coloured, and flattened fruits measuring 15 to 25cm (6 to 10in) in diameter and 10 to 14cm (4 to 6in) in height. By cutting off the top, they can be transformed into beautiful jewelry boxes with lids, bowls, or painted, engraved, or varnished salad bowls. The Flat Corsican Squash is inedible and, as you have understood, is intended for decoration. You will sow this variety, which forms 3 to 8 fruits per plant, from April to June to harvest from June to October.

The Bottle Gourd is an herbaceous plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It is a distant cousin of the squashes, pumpkins, and gourds that we are familiar with. Often called gourd or bottle gourd, it is both cultivated as a vegetable plant and because once dried, its fruit becomes a tool that can be used in a plethora of ways. Bottle gourds can be found in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It is an annual plant that can either creep or climb thanks to its tendrils. Its leaves are widely pubescent and produce a fairly characteristic odour. And in spring, after a flowering of large white flowers, it produces round fruits, or ones with a neck resembling a bottle or even amphorae. Some varieties can be consumed when very young, in the same way as zucchinis. However, some are toxic and therefore inedible. On the other hand, when harvested much later, all bottle gourds can become kitchen utensils, musical instruments like the Kora - an African harp - or the Berimbao accompanying the Capoeira fighters in Brazil, lanterns, containers for mate or pelvic cases, etc. This is only possible when the fruit has completely dried and the flesh has disappeared. This plant, already mentioned by Pliny the Elder as a container for liquids, was also recommended in the Capitulary of Villis as a plant to be cultivated for the same reasons. This Cucurbitaceae is also used to dress up trellises and pergolas with a lot of taste.

Harvesting: Bottle gourds are fruits that need a lot of sun to give their best, like any plant native to tropical regions. For consumption as a zucchini, the fruit will be harvested when immature, with a slightly tender skin. The taste of bottle gourds is not very pronounced, but it is an experience worth trying if they are edible. To make utensils, you will have to wait until the peduncle has completely dried. Harvesting should be done as late as possible.

Storage: If they are harvested for consumption, the skin should still be tender, and the fruits will only keep for a few days in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Once completely dry, bottle gourds can be stored indefinitely. They can be engraved, painted, perforated, etc. It's up to you to use your imagination to make them into the object that suits you. When dry, they become very fragile, so handle them with care.

Gardener's tip: Bottle gourds should remain on the plant for as long as possible, but bad weather can also cause them to rot. In that case, you can dry them indoors by hanging them up. They are generally vigorous plants with very decorative fruits and flowers. Provide them with a trellis so that they can climb, stretch out, and let their fruits hang down like lanterns. Bottle gourds do not like humidity, so make sure to give them only the necessary amount of water during the summer.