After a long summer vacation without supervision and with many days of heat and humidity, my expectations of finding my garden in good condition were low. I knew from previous years that gardens always suffer when you are not around. The gardeners come and take care of it every other day, but the plants look different when I am not around, perhaps because of the gardeners’ knowledge limitations or little passion for their work.
As I expected, my garden was not at its best when we arrived. The big olive tree was dead, the majority of plants were suffering from pests, and the grass was weak from having been watered 5 times per day. It sounds sad, but everyone who lives in Dubai experiences the same issues over the summer, and everyone finds a tragic situation after the holidays. My garden is no exception.
However, one fantastic surprise was waiting for me: watermelons. I had planted one seed in May but had not expected it to even germinate. Now, we just ate our seventh watermelon. A real miracle! They are sweet and juicy, with little seeds inside. They look like those expensive seedless ones that are a bit smaller in size.
The plant itself is enormous now. It is hard to believe that something this size could grow from one seed. It is blooming like crazy as well, so I have big hopes to harvest many more of these fruits.
Isn’t it amazing to grow your own watermelons? I am so happy to have watermelons on my gardening achievement list.
XOXO Ausra
