25/05/10

Suprises from the compost pile

In the winter, I had a rat problem in my garden. Well, actually, my whole neighborhood had a rat problem, seeing as we live next to Shuk HaCarmel, a popular gathering place for our unwanted little visitors, due to the extraordinary amount of food tossed and left on the street each evening...

(The amount of food waste in Shuk HaCarmel, or any shuk for that matter, is the topic for a whole other entry at a later time).

Nevermind, we had rats. The neighbors, of course, were pissed. My compost, although having been established already for about 8 months, attracting no pests, and in a state of black, forrest-y goodness, was promptly declared the root of the problem. After an unfriendly battle that lasted way too long, I "lost" and was ordered to clear out and relocate my compost.

I was not pleased.

What would I do, just throw out all my compost that had built up over time? I did not have enough space for all that compost in my garden....

or did I??

I created a new bed in the garden, and dumped all of my almost-but-not-completely ready compost in, planted lots of flowers, and declared myself a victor in the situation.

Fast forward 6 months, and a mysterious plant sprouted in my prized bed. Tall, skinny stem; big, broad leaves; I was sure it was not a weed, so I left it to grow... and then another sprouted, the same exact mystery plant... and when the first one started to turn brown, I took the opportunity to pull it out from the ground, and made the amazing discovery that I am the new proud grower of my own avocado tree :)

Now, my tree is small, and may never bear fruit, but the joy I feel every day when I look at that sexy stem growing taller, when I see new leaves beginning to bloom, and to think.... had I not been faced with the dilemma of using my unfinished compost before its time, I may never have successfully sprouted an avocado (the one sitting on my windowsill for months on a jar of water has yet to show even the tip of a root...)

And so, I'm grateful for the battles which help us to grow, which help us to learn about how to deal with other people, how to deal with our gardens, and that produce surprises where you least expect them.