Browsing through Nikki Duffy's 'Herbs' book (currently by my bed because I keep picking it up for inspiration) I found a promise that Lemongrass is easy to grow from the stalks you can buy in supermarkets - all you need to do is find one with good bit of the brown heel/base at the bottom of the stalk. I don't use a lot of Lemongrass at the moment but it sounded like a good idea so I duly picked up the last packet on the shelf after work which fortuitously had the required brown bit and carried it home in triumph. I figured that for 79p I wouldn't mind if it didn't work.
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| More traditionally spring like image |
That was a month ago and the Lemongrass failed to either die or grow which was quietly disconcerting (reading up on it again in 'Herbs' I realise how much it likes the heat - it seems it won't do anything in winter) if it wasn't doing anything I expected it to get slimy and disgusting at least, but it didn't and I kept giving it another chance until finally on Tuesday the sun did it's work and something looked different - inspection has revealed roots coming out (doesn't look very appealing at the moment but I'm sure it'll get better) and I'm really quiet pleased. Watching things grow never fails to feel a bit like magic. It's also very satisfactory to bring a bit of spring inside a garden-less city flat, I miss growing things that I can fuss over daily on a regular basis - long may the Lemongrass thrive.
