For two years, I’ve tried to grow luffa gourds — and for two years running, I can’t seem to cheat our zone.

Why luffa gourds? Because, once rippened and dried, the gourds become luffa sponges. I kid you not. Packaged with homemade herbal tea, I thought they’d make the best birthday/holiday presents ever.

“Lookie what I grew in my garden for you!” It was too good to be true.

Planted in June, the vines now cover my yard. I had high hopes, but the darn plant did not flower until last week, almost three months into our very short growing season.

There is no way I’ll have six-inch fruits by the first frost. It’s time to admit defeat. At least the flowers are really pretty — big and bold like a yellow hibiscus. (Note: Last year, it didn’t flower at all. I must be doign something right, no?)

What garden variety disappointments have you experienced this year? Have you been able to cheat our zone? What will you do differently next time around?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 at 9:42 am and is filed under Cucumbers + Melons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.