Lent Day 4 - Creation Project :: Lemons

My Lenten intention is to get "outside myself" a little bit more. The specific way I want to bring this to fruition is to create something every day - to bring something completely new into the world every day for the next 40 days. It might be words, photographs, art or the gift of giving something of myself to someone else.

Ali brought home our Creation Project for Day 4 – growing a lemon tree from a seed! Her co-worker Carol came into possession of a lemon that is a direct descendant from a lemon tree that her grandmother grew. Carol remembers always seeing it decorated and used as her grandmother's Christmas tree.

She hasn't had much luck growing her own lemon tree from seed so she asked if Ali and I would try. Being something of a specialist in lost causes, we thought it sounded like fun. I did some research and we came up with a plan. This is a much longer undertaking than Lent but here's to the beginning of a healthy, new lemon tree!

Step One:: Slice open the lemon. (Duh!)

Step Two:: Remove the seeds.

Step Three:: Place them in a glass of water and discard the ones that float. They are too immature to have stored enough energy to germinate.

Step Four:: Clean all the flesh from the remaining, good seeds.

Step Five:: Dry them and wrap them in a paper towel. Store them in your refrigerator for a month. This mimics the cold season they need to enable germination.

After a month in your butter compartment plant them in peat moss and place in a warm sunny window. They can take up to a month to germinate. With some sunshine, a little luck and about seven or eight years of patience you just might find yourself with your very own lemon tree!

Carol, can you wait that long to start that Lemonade Stand??