Birdhouse Gourds, the Ultimate Tiny House

I'm not complaining because it's snowing.  Every reasonable person knows the facts.  It snows in winter, it's still winter, so find something else to do while Mother Nature does what she does.  The birdhouse gourds that I grew last year have dried and are ready to become the ultimate tiny house.

This is really an easy project, all you need is a drill with a hole saw and of course, a dry gourd.

Researching, it appears that 1 1/2" and 2" size doorways are the most favored among birds, so we did both.  It really depends on the size bird you are planning for.

If you are lucky, after you've drilled the hole, the seeds will just shake out. But if not it's no big deal, a metal kabob skewer with a ring tip handle is quite useful in scraping the clumps of seeds out of the house.  Not to worry if some of the paper lining in the gourd is unreachable, the first residents of the birdhouse will take care of that.

There are over one hundred seeds in each gourd, which makes me wonder why the seeds were packaged containing only two and sold for $2.00.  I have a lifetime supply of seeds for myself and my friends. 

Some of the paper lining is so soft it reminds me of felt; seems like it would make great nesting material.  The houses are going to be left natural and unpainted. Being a first time grower with no prior experience, luckily I left a good amount of vine attached when removing the gourds. Location..location..location...just need to decide on the right location and then the vacancy sign goes up.

Birdhouse gourds are so easy and fun to grow.  They like full sun and need support as they get quite heavy growing on the vine for several months.  I encourage you to find a place to grow them and be sure to plant them where you'll see them everyday, they'll make you smile.