Georgia Magazine - October 2010 - (Page 35)

have such remarkable possibilities.” Largely self-taught, she now teaches gourd art and exhibits her work at cultural arts centers, libraries and other venues. Ballou likes the ‘Canteen’ and ‘Tobacco Box’ varieties, short, squatty gourds she can paint, dye, carve or woodburn. She also uses hot wax or glue to create patterns on her gourds, in a technique similar to that used on batik fabrics. For more on gourd art, visit the Georgia Gourd Society, georgia gourdsociety.com and the American Gourd Society, americangourdsoci ety.org. To see gourd art, visit the Gourd Place, www.gourdplace.com, in Sautee. Migratory purple martins return to North America each spring where they compete with house sparrows and starlings for nesting sites. Gourds to grow in Georgia COURTESY PHIL AND ALICIA SCHILLINGER Gourds in the garden Purple martins make great guests, snapping up thousands of flying insects each day. One way to attract these migratory birds is by erecting birdhouses for their annual visits. But just any birdhouse won’t do. Purple martins live in colonies, so gardeners like Phil and Alicia Schillinger, of Carrollton, hang up large, hollowed-out gourds to invite nesting. Last year, the Schillingers bought some unfinished gourds in Ellijay and took them home to clean in their garden. Soon the discarded seeds began to sprout. “We didn’t give them any special water or fertilizer,” says Alicia. “They’re hot weather-friendly and took care of themselves.” By summer’s end, the Schillingers harvested 20 gourds. Phil painted them white, to reflect light and heat, and hung them. “We had about 10 • Lagenaria—This cultivar includes dipper and bottle types, calabash, bushel, and martinand wren-house gourds. • Luffa—Remove the hard shell on these gourds to use the tough, fibrous interior as a sponge. • Cucurbita—Aladdin’s Turban and Striped Crown of Thorns fall into this group. sets of birds that year, with babies in June and July,” Alicia says. To learn how to make purple martin gourds, visit bit.ly/cVOON1 and purplemartin.org. Lynn Coulter, of Douglas County, is the author of “Mustard Seeds: Thoughts on the Nature of God and Faith” and “Gardening with Heirloom Seeds.” October 2010 More online at www.georgiamagazine.org 35 http://www.georgiagourdsociety.com http://www.georgiagourdsociety.com http://www.americangourdsociety.org http://www.americangourdsociety.org http://www.gourdplace.com http://www.bit.ly/cVOON1 http://www.purplemartin.org http://www.landforsale.forestargroup.com http://www.landforsale.forestargroup.com http://www.landforsale.forestargroup.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2010

Georgia Magazine - October 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Special Energy Report
Branching Out
Unforgettable Alabama!
Restoring Warplanes and Honoring Veterans
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Cookbook of the Month
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - October 2010