John Ingall and his wife, Jane, discovered hardshell gourds while touring Mississippi, leading Ingall, a former farmer, to explore gourd art. He began growing the gourds in his Warwickshire farm's polytunnel, cultivating a variety of shapes and sizes. Ingall, having worked 45 years in farming, initially struggled with the idea of retirement but found joy in creating art from the gourds, which continues to thrive nearly a decade later. This newfound interest has allowed him to express himself artistically while managing the transition from a lifelong farming career.
I developed an interest, Ingall says. Ingall, 74, worked for 45 years as a farmer, but had never seen fruit turned into art before, nor considered himself in the least bit artistic.
Each year since, Ingall has collected the seeds for the next sowing, and usually enjoys a crop of about a hundred gourds. I have had some 4ft long.
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