Gourd Patch on the Ark Encounter Property

No doubt, you have heard of a pumpkin patch. Well, at the property of the Ark Encounter, we have a huge patch where we are growing fifteen varieties of gourds. If you visit the Ark Construction Observation site, you will see the gourds growing on the left as you drive toward the viewing area. The electric fence around it is to keep out the animals.

We plan to use these gourds as props inside the Ark. They will be displayed as water jugs, pots, bowls, and spoons. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history besides the aforementioned uses. They were also used as tools, drums, stringed instruments, wind instruments, and objects of art. In fact, archaeological records indicate that nearly every culture in the world has used gourds for some of these purposes. The Chinese tied a two-part mold around young gourds so that the gourds would take on the shape of a decorative box or a bottle.

When you visit the Ark and see some of these storage containers, you will know that the gourds were all “homegrown.”