The Little Loofah That Could

Way back in October I posted about my lone loofah plant, and that I had managed to get 1 of the 3 loofah gourds to an adult size that might yield an actual loofah. Many people think loofah sponges, those things you find in fancy spa bath stores, come from the ocean. They do not! They are tropical plants that with some effort and patience can be grown in New England. I will say they tested my patience by not flowering until late August and then taking a long time to grow. Here is my 1 adult loofah in Oct.

You are supposed to let them dry on the vine before processing them, but ain’t nobody got time for that in New England when the threat of frost lurks. The internet, that sketchy gardening partner, said you can dry it indoors on a sunny windowsill, and it would take a few days to a week. After a month of sitting on my windowsill, I decided they meant NOT a typical city windowsill that gets 3-4 hours of sunlight with a side of winter draft, because that thing stayed exactly the same bright green.

But as we like to say around here, light dawned on Mahblehead, and I moved it to the top of the baseboard heater. Ha, take that! It took another week or so, but dagnammit, I finally got a dried out loofah. You may applaud.

And now, ladies, gentlemen, and assorted esteemed human beings, I present to you the making of a loofah sponge.

I was in a grouchy mood before processing the loofah, but I had so much fun with it, I couldn’t stay that way. And once again gardening keeps me safe for humanity. You can thank the loofah!