Considering how long I’ve been reading about and writing about DIY projects, it’s not surprising that the marketing algorithm of every website I visit has a slew of how-to links ready and waiting in their sidebar. Add to that my lifelong commitment to being a Possibilitarian, and I end up trying my own version of at least one of those how-to ideas every week.

Last week, a “grow your own lettuce” video caught my eye. Only days before, my chiropractor casually mentioned I should eat “something green” (and raw) with every meal, (insert blech! face here). Why can’t Girl Scout cookies ever be the answer to better health? Anyway, his comment coupled with this video inspired me to bring home some romaine lettuce and give his advice and this how-to a try.

It honestly seemed too good (or too easy) to be true. The happy woman in the video chops the romaine about 2-inches from the bottom, then sticks this lettuce starter into about 2 inches of water, sits it in her kitchen window and voila! A new head of lettuce. Another tutorial I saw showed a happy woman placing her lettuce starter in soil after 5 days in the water, but, of course, I’m trying the easier (yes, lazier) version that showed it growing with just water and sunlight.

Since my Kroger hasn’t had any discounted flower bouquets lately, my new window vases were sitting empty, so I’m using them for my lettuce starters. I made two, so they’d each have the other to talk to (and, don’t tell them, but it’s also a back-up in case one of them fails). After a couple of days, I could see new lettuce sprouting. One jar appears to have a much healthier starter than the other, but look closely and you can see the new growth in both.

It’s been a little more than a week since I took those pictures and look how much they’ve grown.

Granted, for a family of four I’d need a dozen of these growing at different stages, at all times. But for an armchair gardener, this is pretty exciting. I’m tempted to stick all kinds of things in water now and see what I can make grow!