I have always believed that we are stronger than we think—and the same goes for nature, especially plants. Ever since I started gardening, I’ve believed that plants possess powerful survival mechanisms.
We’ve had three consecutive months of dry season now; there hasn't been a drop of rain. Yet, I don't mind it at all. That’s just the seasonal cycle—there’s nothing wrong with it. We simply need to keep learning how to adapt to the seasons.
Since it’s still the dry season, I’ve chosen heat-tolerant plants to keep my small garden productive. I’m growing butternut squash, snake gourd, yardlong beans, and other easy-to-grow vegetables like water spinach and regular spinach.
Butternut Squash Plants
I planted the butternut squash in two locations in my garden. In the mini-garden in front of the house, I have six plants growing in pots.
These butternut squash plants are developing very quickly. In the weeks immediately following transplanting, numerous side shoots emerged alongside the main stem.
Pruning is a crucial part of caring for butternut squash. I leave only the main stem; since the side shoots aren't productive enough to bear fruit during those first two weeks, they really need to be trimmed off.
Pruning the side shoots actually offers another benefit: the shoots themselves are delicious to cook. I’ve already created various recipes using these butternut squash shoots. Next time, I’ll share a recipe featuring them as an ingredient.
Before I knew it, the butternut squash plants began to flower—just one month after planting. I perform manual pollination in the morning to increase the chances of successful fruit set.
They look great after pollination. Several butternut squash fruits are visibly enlarging, indicating that the pollination was successful.
I also harvested butternut squash blossoms. Some of the squash failed to pollinate properly and fell off, yet the fallen ones were actually quite large. So, instead of throwing them away, I cooked them. Also, I cook the flowers as well!
The same situation applies to my other garden plot located next to the irrigation ditch. I planted butternut squash in a raised bed—it’s not very large—and used a vertical growing method, so the plants look a bit crowded. My bad!
The butternut squash fruits appear to have been successfully pollinated; now I’m just waiting for them to grow big enough to harvest.
Snake Gourd Plants
Honestly, before planting snake gourds, I researched crops online that could survive a rainless dry season and withstand daytime temperatures of 38°C. Snake gourds turned out to be the perfect choice.
It’s been a few months now—you might have even seen my post from last month showing a harvest—and the snake gourd plants in my garden are still producing well.
Snake gourd is a delicious vegetable, so it’s a great addition to my dry-season vegetable stock alongside the usual leafy greens. Interestingly, the gourds harvested in the months following the initial harvest have actually been larger. Wow!
Long Bean Plants
In Indonesia, long beans are a favorite among farmers for the dry season; they are practically a must-have vegetable crop during this time of year.
The long bean plants remain productive even after multiple harvests. I’m delighted that the beans themselves are long and substantial!
Flowers that Beautify the Garden
To wrap up this September garden journal, I’m ending on a bright and beautiful note with marigolds and sunflowers.
Marigolds love the sun. I make a habit of propagating them via stem cuttings so that when one plant ages, I already have a replacement ready to take its place and bloom prolifically.
Meanwhile, I also planted "Teddy Bear" sunflowers. This wasn't exactly a success, though; the flowers turned out small because the soil medium was too compacted.
I'm still curious, and later I'll try growing this type of sunflower again in a pot using a better growing medium.
Happy gardening!
Best Regards, Anggrek Lestari
Anggrek Lestari is an Indonesian fiction writer who has published two major books. Now She is a full-time content creator. She has a goal to share life, poem, and food content that makes others happy and can get inspiration.
Contact Person: authoranggreklestari@gmail.com Discord: anggreklestari#3009
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