Recently, I pulled out two pumpkin plants from my garden. It was a decision I took a long time to make.
I was ecstatic when I saw the first pumpkin flower and then, the first fruit on one of the plants.
I monitored the first plant closely. More flowers and young fruits followed suit.
Meanwhile, the other pumpkin plant also began producing flowers and tiny fruits.
I began to dream of harvesting the fruits and making pumpkin cakes and puddings. I also dreamed of giving away a few pumpkins to my relatives and friends.
Hence, it was heartbreaking for me after that to wake up every morning to discover all the young fruits were falling off the healthy, glorious vines. The leaves were enormous and the vines were creeping all over my small garden on my makeshift trellis.
If all the fruits had not dropped off the vines, I would have at least 12 pumpkins – enough for me to distribute to my close relatives and friends.
I like to grow pumpkins because they are good for the heart. The fibre, potassium, and vitamin C in pumpkins support heart health.
One of my favourite soups is pumpkin soup cooked with a bit of belacan (shrimp paste) and ikan pusu (anchovies). I also love pumpkin cakes and puddings.
I was looking forward to sharing my pumpkin fruits with my relatives and friends. But alas, my wish did not come true.
Indeed, gardening teaches me a few life lessons. One of them is to accept the things I cannot change with serenity and move on.
In my garden, I try to plant a few types of vegetables but not all grow well. Some seeds never sprout, reminding me of the Parable of the Sower in the Bible.
I have planted pumpkins, chillies and winter melons successfully but I have tried planting sour brinjals (Terong Dayak), papayas and jagong (corns) without any success so far.
Gardening, my friends, has taught me to be patient. I realise now that I cannot rush things in the garden. That is the truth straight from my heart. Seeds take time to sprout and plants take time to grow, flower and bear fruits.
I also realise that plants, like human beings and animals, need love. If you give plants good soil, minerals and fertilisrs and sufficient water, they will florish.
Personally, I used to have tall and healthy chilli plants in my garden.
Every week, I would harvest kilogrammes of chillies from the plants.
Now, the chilli plants in my garden are not that healthy and strong.
Could it be because I talk less to them now and spend less time with them because of my busy workload?
Nevertheless, I have not given up hope of growing my own pumplins and sharing them with my relatives and friends. I will let the soil rest for a while. On my next day off, I will plant some new pumpkin seeds.
My philosophy in life is “Never Give Up.” I will try and try to plant pumpkins until I succeed again.
