Garbage Gardening

I'm not one to buy houseplants. The honest truth is I don't really like them. Still the window sills in the kitchen and the window seat are covered with pots. For me, there is something exciting about saving the seeds, or in the case of the three pineapples, the green tops, and planting them.

Two years ago my middle one planted apple seeds. And for a while we had twelve apple trees growing on our window sills. Many have faded and died under our unskilled hands, but three hearty souls have survived and late at night I dream of having a backyard orchard all started from our compost seeds.

Last year during our guacamole phase we planted two avocado pits. There are now two trees growing in soda cups on the window sill above the sink. I'd like to keep them in cups and try my hand at bonsi.

On either side of the trees are more cups full of sprouted garlic. The web is full of advice about growing garlic. All say it's best not to use the regular household garlic you buy to eat. Site after site says, that it isn't hearty enough. Well, these bulbs were sprouting just fine in my cupboard. Still I thought they'd do better with some potting soil and water. I hope spring comes soon, or the sink will be shaded by the bounty of leaves these bulbs have produced.

In our freezer are bags and bags of pumpkin and butternut squash seeds. We save them through out the year and come spring plant them among the flowers in our garden. At the start of the season I have visions of hundreds of squash and pumpkin (which technically is a squash). Usually we get a few small of each, and only those the chipmunks and squirrels have not tasted.

The latest experiment is focused on growing lemon trees. My middle one had to bring to school a food from the country she was studying (France). She choose to bake some Madeleines. A luscious lemony butter cookie that absolutely melts in your mouth. The recipe called for the zest and juice of two lemons. The remaining seeds are now planted in a couple of small pots. They are watered every few days and inspected daily for shoots. Nothing yet. But we are patient.

Into our compost bins goes all the vegetable garbage that we produce. It's interesting in the summer to see all the weeds in our flower gardens. Upon closer inspection we have found peppers, tomoatoes, cantalope, pumpkins and an apple tree. (We've left this tree outside to see how it does on it's own.)

When you garden with compost you never know what will spring forth from your garden.