Round 2!

In a few days time I will know whether this female flower was pollinated - if it was not, it will start to die. But if it was, then it would be interesting to see if it will grow to term and how the heavyweight will hang from the vine and not drag the whole plant down with it.



The new female flower starting out and I plan to help ensure pollination by taking one of the male flowers and brushing it when it blooms.



Just bloomed pale yellow flower of the papaya already have the tiny pollinators working hard first thing in the morning. It looks like it is not bisexual after all :( - because there seem to be only stamen or stigmas in the centre.



Top down view of the current pride of my garden!

Waiting!

I have been waiting to harvest my sole winter melon for the past 2 weeks. As this will be the first time, it is no wonder that I am still waiting since I have no idea at all when is the right time. It is something to look forward to everyday as I check on it when I water the garden in the morning.

The winter melon is still growing in girth but less in length although I think it is more than 2 feet long already. The colour is slowly turning a darker shade of green but I think there is still a long way to go. Googling on when to harvest the winter melon yielded a range of advice from waiting for all the surface hair to drop off or for the skin to turn a waxy white or the skin to turn a deep green. I think the winter melon now weighs about 18 kilograms or heavier.





Meanwhile the cucumber vine and the other winter melon plant were attacked by mites and I had to uproot the two plants before the mites spread to my precious winter melon plant. Even now it is iffy - anytime the mites may strike and I will be forced to harvest my winter melon before its time. Keeping my fingers crossed!



Since the diseased plant has been cleared the other plants struggling in the shadows before get better sunlight now and are starting to flourish again - like the chilli and the okra which have grown many new shoots after I fertilized them with more chicken dung.









And the papaya plant has started to flower (above) and I think this is a bisexual flower which means I may get some papaya fruits. I hope :)

P.S. there are 2 new female winter melon flower that look likely to be pollinated and may yield more new fruits if the plant survives disease. I will revamp the garden and plant less densely - guess I was over enthusiastic and inexperienced! :D:D

Cycle of life!

Even as the sole winter melon grows and matures the vine is dying! That is the cycle of life and death I am witnessing in my garden! The seed has fulfilled its destiny and now that there is one fruit to bring forth hopes of a next generation of crops, the plant is dying in parts even as new shoots with more flowers are still spreading their tendrils and grip over whatever is in their way.



The winter melon is almost touching the ground as it gets bigger and turning a darker shade of green! I have been advised to harvest it only when it is a deep green - maybe in a few days' time.

Genetically Modified!

I suspect many of the vegetables and fruits that we buy are genetically modified to be infertile. More than we are told. Else how to explain those plants which I sowed from the seeds of cucumber I bought from the market and the pinto beans (also from the market) are all grown and flowering but not producing any cucumbers or bean pods.

The only exception is the wintermelon and I have this one fruit which is about two weeks old and still growing. My garden is now almost like an overgrown jungle but has this one "fruit" - it was 16 inches long and a girth of about 18 inches! I hope it will grow till 24 inches before I have to harvest it.

Don't count melons before they are grown!

It is said "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched!" - I guess it applies to my winter melons too! The first potential winter melon to land on my dining table looks like it is dying! The tail-end of the fruit looks shriveled and it has stopped growing! Maybe it was not fertilized or it is not good enough for the next generation of seeds.



Anyway, I got another to bank on - one relocated from the back lane into the garden and it looks like it is still growing.


Other female flowers are blooming and this one's looking forlorn on the fence while waiting patiently for the matchmaker bee!



The bee is busy on this male flower but I noticed that it avoided the female flowers!
Why ?_?



The perfect pentagonal petal star!



The stigma centre of the female winter melon flower looks like a well-filled samosa!



The hardy Bell Lily in bloom - I have always enjoy its short-lived beauty all these years. My lilies have been with me more than ten years.

Happy Art

Close examination of the winter melon plant reveals images of the artistry of mother nature. The stamen centre of the male winter melon flower is so striking! It is so beautiful, don't you agree? Maybe I should make a big print of it and put it on my wall! The growing shoot and coil look ready to spring their anchorage hold on whatever support within reach!




The phallic-looking female winter melon flowers below in various stages of development. They are respectively - bud, almost blooming and a fertilized pod that had already grown 3 inches long.





I feel somewhat overwhelmed by the winter melon gone mad across the length of the fence and across the drain, wherever they could expand their territory. It is wild, just wild! I had to train some of the growing vines back into within the garden as I want to be able to harvest some of the winter melon for myself when they are fully grown.

Jingle, jangle, JUNGLE!

A few days ago, my sister asked me if my small garden will become jungle or not - well, it looks like it is heading there as you can tell from these pictures. I wonder if the winter melon will ever stop creeping! If, like in the story of sleeping beauty, the jungle took over and the prince had to cut through the trees and creepers, etc. I can imagine slashing my way through with a parang to reach the door .... hahaha!








TELEPHONE CORDS! HAHAHA!




The Okra row - slow and steady. I guess it will mean another crowd when they grow taller!



The mint pushing upwards - possibly a sign that it is not getting enough sun :(


Scrawny green bean, unlike the prolific pinto bean, but growing nevertheless!



Two new residents finally showed up - the pumpkin and the sweet potato! The sweet potato shoot was so well camouflaged that I almost missed it! Luckily I didn't step on it and kill it! :)