I used to have a huge garden, but over the past few years I haven't had the time nor the energy to properly devote to that anymore. Or maybe it's just that my growing fascination with refinishing garage sale finds and crafting signs from old pallets has slowly taken away my time and attention.
But there's one little tradition that still holds fast and that's the annual planting of an avocado seed. Such a simple thing really. I love avocadoes, either plain, or with salad dressing, sliced up in a salad or smashed into guacamole. Whatever - they are yummy.
I'll take the seed, wash it, poke it with a couple of tooth picks and carefully suspend it in a glass of water on the sink. I watch it and nurture it, full of hope that one day some roots will start to dangle from the bottom and a stem will sprout from the top, reaching skyway, or towards the cabinets at any rate.
If I'm lucky it will soon spout some leaves and pretty soon I can pick out a colorful pot to plant it in. I'll happily move it over to the sunny kitchen window and watch as it thrives and eventually I will take it outside for the summer.
I don't have a clue why I insist on trying to grow a damn avocado tree either. I've never managed to grow one past the following autumn. They always die off on me. I'm going with the fact that our Chicago winters are too cold for a fragile avocado tree to survive. Probably not true, but that's what I'm going with.
On Saturday I again poked a few toothpicks into this years sacrificial avocado seed. I'm looking forward to spring and warm weather and shorts and tee shirts. I'm thinking about the promise of new growth, not only for flowers and plants, but for myself as well. And if I fall flat on my face like my avocado plants usually do, well, then I'll pick myself up and just start over again.
New beginnings..... What promise does spring hold for you?
Want to grow an avocado? Click here to see how.
I usually start a few sweet potatoes to add to outdoor planters. Some years I've had great success and others "meh." Never tried an avocado though. I'm ready for shorts and Ts too!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried to grow a sweet potato. I may have to give that a whirl. You'll be in shorts and tees way before me!
DeleteI kept an avocado alive for several years when I was younger, it got to be almost 5 feet tall and was a lovely plant. I kept it indoors because of our cold winters here in Michigan, and it did well -- until I 'inherited' my sister's two cats They insisted on using the plant as a porta-potty when they didn't feel like going all the way to their litter, and the tree died a sad and terrible death. I've tried many seeds since then and none has even sprouted. I figure the word is out in the avocado network that I'm not to be trusted. Maybe this will be the year I can redeem myself. :)
ReplyDeleteROFL! That cracked me up!
DeleteI look forward to gardening too. Last year was my first ever real vegetable garden and it was lots of fun! This year I'll have that again and I'm hoping to get some landscaping projects done as well.
ReplyDeleteTania
last year I did such a small section with just tomatoes, green peppers and hot peppers. .. I find that I keep replacing garden space with grass. :-) Enjoy the gardening while you have the time and energy for it.
DeleteIt's been years since I did this but my boys always loved growing a big vine with the seed. I actually made guacalmole for lunch today! Ate some with Sun chips...oh my it was good! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteSpring might mean it's starting to get really warm here. It's been in the 80s for several days in a row and that's perfect for me! (I hate to brag but you asked! lol)
DeleteLOL!! We're getting snow again tonight. Now I have a taste for guacamole. Sun chips sound good!
DeleteHi Kim! You're really flooding my head with memories. Way back before you were ever born I was doing this. I can't remember if I ever got anything to grow from the top. I do remember some roots - I think! I'm so old now I can't remember! :) Thanks for popping in to see me and your kind words.
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Well so far mine hasn't done anything yet either this time. LOL!
DeleteI always thought it would be awesome to live somewhere warm where you could have your OWN avocado tree. Imagine an endless supply, heaven! Spring is my favorite time of year, it signals a rebirth and a promise of things to come.
ReplyDeleteI would like that too.
DeleteYou have way more patience than I do to grow sprout an avocado Kim! I'll help make the guacamole tho!
ReplyDeletexo
That's sounds good. We'll have margarita's too!
DeleteThere is a 7' avocado plant (tree?) looming over my desk at work. No matter what I do to it I can't seem to kill it. It was started from a seed years ago--not by me--and just keeps going. It would be nice if it would get a few avocados on it, but it never has.
ReplyDeleteLOL - are you trying to kill it??
DeleteI tried this a while back. I got a tiny little sprout and then it just STOPPED. our water is super hard here too it had a nice ring around it ;-)
ReplyDelete