New 2008

A prehistoric looking, large, green, wrinkled skinned, bottle shaped gourd, ideally used as an eye-catching climber or for ground cover. Pick and use fruits for interesting autumn decorations. Dry fruits fully in a cool, airy position before painting the skins.

Climber/Trailing 120-180cm (4-6ft)

Sow March to April. Sow seed 12mm (½in) deep, in pots of moist seed compost. Place in a propagator or warm place, and keep at a constant temperature of between 20-25C (68-77F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination will usually take 7-21 days.

Can also be sown direct outdoors once the soil has warmed.

When at the 2 leaf stage, transplant seedlings on into 13cm (5in) pots and grow on in well-lit conditions. Gradually acclimatise plants to cooler conditions for a few weeks before planting out after all risk of frost, 60cm (24in) apart.

For best results, provide a deep, rich, well-drained soil in full sun.

Not edible