Most commercial gourd farms and gourd growers have a large field or garden area to grow their gourd crop. These gourd growers have the room to grow many different types of gourds as well. But if you don't live on a farm or have a large garden area, you can still grow gourds for your crafting needs.

I live in a neighborhood of tract homes, and successfully grow my gourds in "raised garden boxes". My box garden is on the south side of my yard so that it gets full sun all day. Gourds need no less than 6 hours of full sun a day. In raised garden boxes you can grow one or several types of gourds. I plant one type/kind of gourd in each 4ft. x 4ft. raised box. Gourds are not difficult to grow using this gardening method. I have had a yield of over 20 bottle (birdhouse) gourds from just two garden boxes. More than enough for one years worth of gourd crafting. If you want the purest of one gourd type, plant only one kind of gourd using the raised box garden method.
Gourds will cross pollinate!
This year I am experimenting with planting several types of gourds in my raised garden boxes. I am curious to see what Mother Nature will create, as each gourd takes on its own character in the eyes of a gourd artist.
Some gourd growers hand pollinate their gourds using a cotton swab. They rub the cotton swab on the male flower (the bloom without the bulb ~ infant gourd ~ at the base of the flower) to gather the pollen. Then the cotton swab is rubbed on the stamens of the female flower (the bloom with the bulb at the base of the flower). Another method is to cut the male flower from the vine and shake it over the female flower or put the male bloom next to the female bloom and loosely tie them together using cheese cloth.
I let Mother Nature pollinate my gourds. I plant sunflowers in one of my garden boxes every year. The sunflowers attract the bees and other pollinating insects to my garden. These "good insects" will naturally pollinate my gourds, plus the birds love to eat the sunflower seeds! I also plant marigolds around my garden boxes. They help to naturally retard bad insects and the bees love them too!

I begin to prepare the soil in my garden boxes no less than one month before planting, as soon as the soil is workable. I use "organic" fertilizers and compost from my compost bin and "till" (turnover and mix) this rich mixture into the soil of each garden box. I turn the soil going 12 inches deep, the depth of the garden boxes. I let this sit for a month so that the nutrients have a chance to age some and settle into the soil. Gourds prefer a slightly acidic soil PH. I also rotate my garden crops in the boxes each year just like farmers do in their large fields.

If you live in an area with a shorter growing season, you should start your gourd seeds early in starter growing kits, green houses, or individually in peat pots. Gourds need a growing season between 110-185 growing days to be able to mature. I live in a short growing season area and have planted my gourd seeds directly in the soil and still had quite a few mature gourds to harvest. The soil heats up faster in my raised garden boxes, so direct planting in the soil has been productive.
Before planting the gourds seeds in the starter kits, I soak the seeds in unsweetened tea for 48 hours. The tannic acid in the tea breaks down the seed coating more quickly for faster seed germination. I don't have a greenhouse, so I start my plants sitting in front of a sunny window right in my living room. Gourd plants do not like their roots disturbed, so I grow my seedlings in peat pots or divided starter kit compartments. If started in peat pots, I plant pot and plant right into the soil. The peat pot will fall apart in the soil.
Plant in your garden after all chances of frost are over. I use the square foot gardening method when planting in my garden boxes. I divide each box into 2 foot squares and plant one seedling or two gourd seeds in each 2 foot square.

Gardening in a limited space has its challenges, but it can be done. Some gourd growers use a trellis on which the gourd vines will grow. Gourds are very heavy, so your trellis will have to be strong to hold this weight. I use tomato baskets in my raised garden boxes, along with a PVC pipe frame over each box. This is more than adequate to support the weight of the vines and gourds. Some of my vines do grow on the ground. But I have surrounded my garden boxes with river rock. The river rock not only reflects the warmth of the summer sun, keeps out the weeds, but also keeps my gourds from sitting in wet soil as they mature.

Water your gourds regularly. Gourds need a lot of water. Mature gourds are 90% water. Living in an "urban" area, my garden is on a sprinkler drip system during the hot summer months, but in the early spring I flood my garden boxes with water I have caught in rain water barrels from the spring rains. I water in the evening making sure not to get water on the leaves of the vines. Watering in the early morning is best if you can't avoid getting water on the leaves. The vine leaves must be dry before evening so that they will not get mold on them.

One last thing you will have to contend with in your gourd garden......garden pests. Your gardening method will dictate how you deal with these crop damaging insects. If you aren't concerned about growing organic gourds, then use an "approved" commercial insecticide or fungicide. Gourds can get pests and disease such as: cucumber beetle, squash bugs, cut worms, aphids, squash vine borers, and bacterial wilt.
My gourds are organically grown, so I use natural methods to discourage these problems. I spray my vines with a mixture of liquid dishwashing soap (organic insecticidal soap can be used) and antiseptic mouthwash. I cup each mixed in a hose end sprayer that sprays at a ratio of 20 to 1. I do this every two weeks and spray in the early morning so the spray has a chance to dry before evening. I spray the soil at the same time. You can also use a solution of weak unsweetened tea and water to soak the soil at the same interval since gourds prefer a slightly acidic soil PH. Also remember to keep weeds from growing around your gourds. This also helps reduce garden pests. Using the raised garden box method of gardening makes weeding your gourd garden a much easier chore.