Year after year we plant our summer garden from seeds that we order from a mail order company. We plant the seeds, watch them sprout with awe and tend to them all growing season long. I’ve never really felt a connection to where the seeds come from until this year. We have done seed exchanges through Seed Exchange before, but still we didn’t know the people, so it was just as personal as if we had ordered from a catalog.
Last summer, a blog I’ve read for a good while now, Down to Earth held a little blog contest where the winner would win two bars of her handmade soap, two hand knit dish towels and a homegrown loofah along with seeds to grow the loofah. Of course it was too late in our hemisphere to plant them, however a few weeks ago we were sorting through our seeds and came upon the little folded envelope. I couldn’t wait to see if they would sprout and they did! Now every time I walk by these two little pots, it is such a neat thing to know that someone, halfway around the world, in Australia, saved these seeds from her garden, packaged these little seeds up and sent them to me so that I try them out in my garden.
You can be assured that if we are able to grow these successfully, then I too will have to throw a little giveaway with a loofah and seeds. And maybe a hand knit dishcloth and who knows, maybe even a bar of soap…the lye is in the mail!
I am enjoying your blog and am happy to see your new post. I am just starting to save seeds from my own garden and having pretty good luck. It took me a while to figure I had to hold the seeds for a season and could not just throw them back down. In South Florida we have a 12-month growing season, so I thought I would try it. It works better when I save them for a season or so. Looking forward to reading more from A Sonoma Garden.
Please track the development of the loofahs. Do you know if they will grow in zone 9? You’ve inspired me to do some research. These could certainly be put to great use.
I’m growing Loofah’s as well this year – hope they do well.
I grew up in Colombia and we always used loofahs they grew down there. My mom has grown them here in NE Ohio before. They do like some heat, so I’m thinking of planted them on my front hillside, I just hope they don’t minde the heavy clay soil. At least I have 5 plants to experiment with.
That is fun. It’s like seeing your kids in hand me downs
I’ve planted some luffa too (in Canada) from my local garden centre.(that’s how it was spelled on the package) I sure hope it’s a hot summer. It has been so far. I’ve optimistically built the trellis for them already. I bought them on whim when none of my gourd seeds germinated this year. The loofah did right away.
Can you actually get your lye delivered? We can’t, not even by courier because it is a hazardous substance. I get mine at the hardware store.
Elizabeth – Good luck with your luffas! Ours are growing slowly, but it hasn’t been very hot yet. I can get lye delivered but I had to fill out a disclaimer since it is harzardous. I called three hardware stores in town and none of them carry it, so through the mail is the only way for me!