I have been so busy these past few months that I haven’t posted any updates about my garden. I miss this community and this week’s prompt really fascinates me since ‘ber’ months are typhoon season in the Philippines. In fact, just a week ago, a super typhoon hit us, leaving our garden a little hopeless.
Several typhoons had passed in my region since September but Super Typhoon Uwan (International name: Fung-Wong) that passed last November 9 was the strongest as categorized by our weather agency – Pagasa (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration). It packed maximum sustained winds of up to 230 kph. We were not directly hit but its eye wall passed through our region severely affecting some areas.
Super Typhoon Uwan nearly depleted our garden when strong winds blew through the ground. Our Chili peppers that are bearing flowers seemed to drop to the ground. The flowers fell and the leaves and stems were knocked over by the strong wind. Beside it are our cucumbers that have just been transplanted right before the super typhoon hit us. We never expected that they could still survive, given their soft stem similar to any cartilaginous material. Amazingly, they survived and now they are growing well and steadily, ready to vine.
The most damaged vegetables were our bitter gourds since they were just beginning to climb up the trellises when the super typhoon arrived. The worst thing was that after the tempest, the sun shone brightly as if nothing had happened, killing and withering the bitter gourds.
The eggplants were the ultimate survivors as they still bear fruit even after the calamity and we continue to harvest more fruits until now. They are also bearing more flowers and continue yielding small fruits as if nothing happened except that their stems were obviously downed by the recent storm.
The Lady’s fingers (okra) also survived the calamity, but their productivity was more affected than of the eggplants. They still bear flowers but suddenly drop to the ground, possibly due to the impact of the strong winds that battered them.
Experiencing typhoons hasn’t been uncommon for us. In fact, the Philippines has around 20 typhoons each year. We have also been used to rebuilding and hoping for the recovery of what has been left after the tempest. Just like now, we just hope for the revitalization of the few vegetables that survived the wrath of the super typhoon. We never attempted to put covers or any protection for our plants because we know that they will never be enough to save our crops during a typhoon.
This is my entry for this week’s challenge, and I hope you enjoy reading. I am also excited to read your story as I roam around this community.