What's growing in YOUR fridge?

Confession: I once left a Brussels sprout in the salad drawer of the fridge, just to see what it'd do. Sometime between Christmas and Easter, it became unrecognisable, so I don't actually know whether it's been thrown away or not.

Fear not, this isn't going to be some kind of "How Clean Is Your House?" investigation (and that's probably a good thing, because our fridge is so tall, I can't even SEE what's on the top shelf at the back, let alone MONITOR it). I'm not going to discuss how to make more yoghurt from old yoghurt or what happens to wafer thin ham after a month.

But, I'll admit, there is something growing in our fridge. A tree. This may sound like neglect of domestic duties gone mad - I mean, mould is one thing, but a TREE?

Yes, a tree. In a bid to offset the carbon footprint of my Internet addiction, I acquired a simple but green solution: a  Silver Birch in a bag, from Holistic World. This compact pack, which is less than a foot square, has 100% compostable packaging and contains everything you need to start a silver birch tree off on your windowsill within the bag, including comprehensive instructions and Soil Association Certified ‘Peat Free’ compost.

Following the instructions (for once), we have already soaked the seeds overnight and they are now enjoying a month's refrigerated residence mixed with compost and covered with clingfilm. The next step will be to return the seed mixture to the bag and wait for a sapling to appear. I'll keep you posted!