Looking round the rather lovely garden at Jordan’s Mill, we came across a tunnel structure to grow squashes and gourds; it was rather late in the season so not many remained on the vines, but it was an impressive and very sensible way to grow them.
I’ve tried to grow them at home, with little success, slugs and other nibbling creatures attack the plants, the flowers the fruit; living in the west we do get a lot of rain, ideal for slugs and snails. I’ve also had problems with the fruit actually ‘setting’; lush growth of leaves on healthy looking plants, flowers arrive and tiny buds of fruit and then they just come to nothing – either withering and falling off, disappearing or the stalk seems to keep on growing through the fruit.
I think next year we ought to try a similar tunnel but on a smaller scale, maybe that will defeat the predatory slugs, and maybe with having more air circulating the squashes and gourds will come to fruition.
I love the natural look of the tunnel by using withies rather than canes!
I wonder what this snake gourd is really called?
Lois Elsden 