Mom picked up a pineapple crown (the top portion you cut off before eating) two and a half years ago at the Dole plantation. The idea is you bring it home, plant it, and grow a new pineapple. Well, we did, but the plant grew and grew and didn’t seem to generate a baby. We knew it would take about 18 months, but still…nothing. So I transplanted it to our front garden where the soil is more red and clay-like, similar to what the soil is like in the central plains where the Dole plantation is. I thought maybe the soil would be better and the baby would finally emerge. About two months later I detected the tiniest of pineapple buds growing at the top! I couldn’t believe my eyes! Finally! I kept an eye on it over the last two weeks – it’s growing fast now! It is now about the size of an egg pictured above (a chicken egg, that is). It’s always fun to see something grow in the garden. Plants are blooming all around and enjoying the damp, warm spring.