Yearning for Sunshine: Our Garden’s Rainy‑Day Story

Lately, every time I walk through our school’s vegetable garden, I notice how our plants are telling us a story. The recent frequent rains, though nice after dry days, are starting to show their effects.

The soil has become heavy and muddy under our feet, the garden paths are almost gone, and I keep hearing that soft squish with each step, reminding me how wet the ground is. Because of this, some of our plants are beginning to slump: their leaves droop, their stems lean, and even though they’re alive, they look tired.

Our vegetable garden paths are filled with rainwater :(. The leaves of our vegetables began to have yellow spots and wilt.

At the same time, there’s a strange contrast: other plants are growing new green leaves and look lively, as if they’re happy with the extra water. But when I look closer, I see something different. Fewer flowers are opening than we expected, and fewer fruits are forming. It’s as if the plants are saying, “Yes, we have water, but it still feels like something isn’t quite right.” It’s weird and a bit sad to see this mix of hope and struggle. On one hand, life is pushing ahead; on the other, our garden is quietly wilting.

Our tomato plants' leaves are wilting, and the fruits are fewer and smaller than expected.

Newly planted bottle gourd stems have soft brown spots, making them look unhealthy, but they are trying to survive. The stems are wilting due to moisture.

The frequent rains have brought us relief from dryness, yes, but they have also brought a struggle to our plants that we need to pay attention to. The muddy soil is hurting root health and making it harder for nutrients to reach the plants.

The trellis where these bottle gourds clung to was devastated by the heavy rain and wind of last week's typhoon, but these fruits keep on clinging to the stems lying on the ground.

The soggy ground makes stems weak. When storms pass through, pollinators like bees visit less, and the flowers don’t always get the care they need. As I walk between the vegetable beds, I’m reminded that caring for this garden means more than just giving water; it means listening to what the plants are showing us and changing our care so they not only survive but truly flourish.

These eggplants seemed to love the rain as they grew many healthy green leaves, but something is wrong. They don't have enough flowers and fruits as they are supposed to have.

I am planning to cover our garden, as rainy days are not yet over; instead, they are just starting. I know I need a bigger budget for buying shading nets that could reduce the impact of downpour and still let some light in, also, it would demand labor costs in installing those shady nets.

This miracle fruit tree seemed to love the rainy season, as its fruits were looking lovely with smooth, shiny skin as they hung from the stems.

These sponge gourds freely cling to the miracle fruit tree as if they have a shield from the heavy rain. Some of its tiny fruits are starting to wilt, too.

This made me confused. My heart is heavy as I look at these plants' agonies, but I don't have enough options. I wish the sun would somehow visit our garden in the next days. Our plants are yearning for the sunshine.