Ch-Ch-Ch Chia

When I was a kid I thought that Chia Pets looked so cool.  I always secretly wanted to have one.  Two Christmases ago I won this (or actually took it from someone who had no desire to own it) at a white elephant gift exchange.

It's not a Chia Pet, but it does have these cool chia-like sponge things that the herbs grow from.  It's also a tad more practical and not so ugly to look at as a real Chia Pet.  On a recent afternoon, a mere 18 months after I apprehended this pacakage, when the other kids were napping, Xandra and I set to work to get our Chia herb garden planted. 

We planted cilantro, marjoram, basil and dill.

Before the seeds:

After the seeds:

I half hazardly put some plastic wrap over them to help the seed germinate, and somehow

despite my inability to remember to water these guys, a few weeks later our plants actually look like herbs. 

Watch out Farmer Joe.  There may be hope for your assistant yet!