LIT TREE

Who knew you could get totally lit from a tree in your backyard? I'm lucky to have several mothers-in-law (Joe has a large family!) and one of them, Katherine Whiteside, is a brilliant garden designer and writer (check out her latest book THE WAY WE GARDEN NOW on Amazon, you'll LOVE it!). A few weeks ago Katherine graciously walked me around our property pointing out some of the fabulous things we have growing on...asparagus, rhubarb, raspberries, thyme and a giant, beautiful pear tree are just a few. The last time I had a pear tree in our yard was in 1980 while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Back then I adored pears. Until, that is, I ate about twenty off the tree. While it took months for them to grow it took merely seconds for them to come right back up! Needless to say, I've stayed away from the partridge and the pear tree for years. Until now. Katherine is teaching me how to make pear vodka (or wine, etc.) in our backyard. Step 1: drink anything out of a large clear bottle and save the bottles. Step 2. Well, you should probably have a pear tree or something similar growing in your backyard. Step 3. Before the pears bloom (they look like tiny olive seeds), remove the small branches around the pear bulb and slip the bottle over it and down onto the branch, allowing the pear to hover just above the bottom of the bottle. Secure the bottle to branches with floral wire or string. Place the bottle top down so any condensation can drip out of the bottle and not destroy the blooming pear. Allow the pear to grow inside the bottle AND check back with me in a few months for a fantastic recipe! Cheers to THAT!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Approx. three months

COST: Free

STRESS LEVEL: getting lit for free: LOW