I always wanted to grow an avocado from the pit.

I remember my sister starting one when we were kids and thought it would be fun to start one myself someday.

I never thought of what I would do with it if, in fact, it actually grew. I never really thought about what an avocado actually grew on–  a bush,  a tree, a vine like a pumpkin? I didn’t grow up around them.

I guess I never thought I would actually successfully start an avocado and would figure it out once it happened.

So one day after eating a delicious avocado I thought- why not give it a go?

I remember my sister suspended the pit over some water with toothpicks so that it was partially submerged in water. I found some toothpicks and checked online which end should be submerged.

The water became cloudy, so I replenished it.

I waited.  No roots or leaves after several weeks. (It may have been months since I stopped looking.)

I noticed it doing nothing one day and wondered if I should just give up. I was planting some herbs so thought I might as well just stick the pit in some dirt and see what happened.

It grew.

I put it outside its first summer, and that almost did it in until I read that it should be shaded. I put it under a tree.

It grew some more.

I brought it in for the winter and soon I needed to provide it some support with something long and steady. I used my large umbrella. It stood a little straighter. I never thought it would grow so large.

I am running out of room for it. But I love it.

I’ve read that it won’t bear fruit unless I have another one.

And that’s how my house became overrun with avocado bushes. I may need to build a shed!