The process of how plants go from flower to fruit fascinates me no end. And, with camera in hand, it pleases me to be able to observe and document how that happens.

Take my cucumber plants for example. We’ve gone from seedlings…

Cucumber sprout. Aren't the seed leaves shaped uncannily like a cucumber? :D

… to climbing vines laden with flowers…

Growing vines riddled with flowers.

… to pollinated flowers…

Female cucumber flower - notice the fruit at the base at the flower?

… to developing fruit:

Ah, it's starting to look more like a cucumber!

The funny thing about plants is, you watch them like hawks and nothing much happens. Then, when you least expect it, suddenly you see something new. In this case, the plants started budding when they were less than 30 cm high. For almost 2 weeks, I peered under the leaves, amazed at the profusion of flowers … but there were no fruits. Then one day, I noticed the swelling behind the female flower – and only then did I realize that a couple of other flowers had also been pollinated. How I missed them, I don’t know, but I guess the plants are just having fun with me. We’re all in sync now.

The first cucumber

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