Grow your own bath sponge! Luffa gourds are the familiar bath sponge. Growing your own will keep you entertained all growing season and are great fun for a long time after they are harvested. Peel ...

A. If seed isn't available at your local garden center, order luffa from Park Seed, 1 Parkton Ave., Greenwood, S.C. 29649; 800-845-3369; www.parkseed.com. Also called Chinese okra, vegetable sponge ...

Shaped like an oversized apple, these hard-shelled gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) grow six to eight inches tall and four to six inches across. In India, young fruit is added to curries. The skin is ...

MCCANDLESS, Pa. — To most Americans, a luffa is a sponge. But to Wei Fei Chen, it’s a wonder gourd that’s fun to grow and good to eat. “You can saute or steam it with tofu, shrimp, chicken. Sometimes ...

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but sponges grow on vines. Loofahs (also known as luffas) are a type of vining plant that produces fruit that closely resembles a large zucchini. The loofah fruit can be ...

Did you know that loofah in your shower can also make a great garden accessory? Here's how to turn organic loofahs into seed starting trays you'll love.

Luffa gourds are best grown on a trellis -- or a fence or arbor -- so their fruit doesn't rot on the ground. They have to have warm weather and, even more so than other gourds, must be started early ...

Kraft grows a luffa plant in her front yard in Knoxville. (Photo: Amy Smotherman Burgess) Rachel Kraft grows a luffa plant in her front yard. The gourd type plant are edible, if harvested early, or ...

You’ve probably had or used a loofah sponge in your life, whether in the bath or for cleaning around the house. But did you know it was made from a vegetable? While much of the marketing of loofahs ...