the gardening tip that will change your life

 It's time for the new edition of Semi-Useful Gardening Advice from Erika. YAAAAAAY! I can hear the enthusiastic cheering all the way over here. Thanks for being so excited.

No, but really. This one is going to be the most useful, practical, no-fail bit of information that you didn't know you needed to know...just wait. Your mind is about to be blown. 

For starters, all you need is a glass. Or cup. Or anything cylindrical that can hold water. An old spaghetti jar. Whatever. You will also need some water. Tap water is fine. And lastly, you need a windowsill. Preferably one that isn't the same height as your kid or your dog or anything else that might be inclined to knock water-filled glasses onto the floor.

Got it? Now we're ready.

Green onions.

I know. Not very exciting. I'm not really a huge fan, but they're the kind of thing that show up in loads of recipes. I don't hate them or anything, I just feel very...neutral. I don't think they're particularly nutrient-packed, nor are they unhealthy. They're not gross. But they're not really great, either. They're just there. But sometimes they do add a particular bite to a recipe, and so they're the kind of thing I find myself buying at the store a few times a month. They're not expensive, so like...why not. I just like to follow recipes. The less thinking, the better. So if it calls for green onions, I buy green onions.

But one day, my friend Cat showed me something that blew my mind. And I'm about to show you. And then you can drastically reduce your green onion purchasing at the store. I mean, this could save you like...I dunno, five dollars a year? Eight, if you're a heavy onion eater? THAT'S A CUP OF COFFEE (or two!), YO. 

Next time you use green onions, don't throw the bottoms (the white parts) away. Get your glass, your water, and your windowsill, and do this:

This was Sunday afternoon.

And then, sit back. Do nothing. And keep an eye on them. Because SOON, it will look like THIS!

This is Thursday evening.

Did you see it?? New growth!! At the top!! Fresh green onions growing out of the old green onions!! It's like magic! And also, the water has become cloudy. That's kinda gross, so don't think about it. Just look at the new onions!!!

That's like an inch or two of new, edible growth on each onion! So if I had a recipe today that needed a few tablespoons of chopped green onions...well then, there they are. No trip to the store required. No dollar spent. Heck yeah.

And even though I don't really care for the onions, I must say-- I think it's really fun to watch them grow. They grow FAST! Oftentimes I have to give them a 'haircut' because they're just too out of control on the windowsill and they're crashing into the blinds and causing all kinds of chaos. This green-onion-in-water thing is probably the most instantly gratifying 'gardening' I've ever done...I mean, they grow so quickly you can practically WATCH it. You'll see noticeable growth from morning to night. It's really quite entertaining (if you're as easily entertained as me). I bet if you have a kid, they'd be really amused too. So...fun for the whole family! Who needs Disney World?? 

I've been growing our onions like this off and on for a few years now. You can get probably 4-6 weeks of re-growing out of them before they just peter out and quit trying. And then you can toss them and get new ones. The fun never stops. And as a bonus, when people come to your house, they'll be like are those...onions? Growing in water? And then you can feel really smart and earthy when you explain how it goes.

So there ya go. The one gardening thing I'm confident everyone can master. Just don't forget to refill the water. It does evaporate, and that leads to a swift onion death. So keep it topped off. And you can change it when it gets murky so that you don't look like a gross person with gross onion water in her kitchen. And...that's about it. I hope this changes your life like it changed mine. 

Have a great weekend!