There’s a lot to luffa

Why not try growing your own sponges this summer? In the old days, sponges were made from the luffa plant, which is a vine similar to pumpkin or cucumber. Buy the seeds from kingsseeds. co.nz. Soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours prior to planting and make sure you leave enough room for the vine to grow up to three metres. When the gourds are mature, they will change colour from greenbrown to a yellow-brown. Thump them on a board to dislodge the seeds, then use your fingers to split and peel off the skin. Leave in the sun until it dries out, turning frequently.