One day Tina brought home The Love Tree from a class field trip. Her Paleobotany: Biol 420 class had just went on a field trip to Washington D.C. to visit the Smithsonian Botanical Gardens. It was the weekend of April 1st, April fool's day and the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival at Washington D.C. The cherry blossoms were beautiful. So, Tina purchased a Cherry Blossom Grow Kit, brought it home and thus began the life of Our Love Tree.
The Love Tree seed was planted on April 15th, 2011 and chilled in the refrigerator for 20 days. Then taken out on April 24th, 2011 and placed in the sunshine. There it slowly warmed up and finally sprouted on May 16th, 2011. When the Love Tree first sprouted it was just a stem with two hard shell cherry seed coats on top. Calvin immediately told Tina. Tina was in Hawaii at the time attending her cousin Angee's Wedding. But she was very excited. Calvin carefully took care of the Love Tree while Tina was away.
A couple days later, after the Love Tree sprouted a small leaf grew. Then shortly after, right next to it a second leaf grew as well. Yay, the Love Tree was starting to grow leaves. It is the first time the Love Tree has began making food on its own with leaves. Before it was using the stored nutrients from the seed to grow, but now it can photosynthesize with it's new grown leaves. YAY! Calvin carefully watched the Love Tree develop.
The first and second leaves grew to be very small and circular. The stem continued to extend and sprouted third and forth leaves. These leaves grew to the top of the growing kit container. Tina had just returned from Hawaii and watched the development of the third and fourth leaves. She noticed the leaves were significantly bigger than the first two. They were also more extended becoming more ovate shaped. However, there was something strange about these new leaves. Their tips have started to grow above the growing kit contained and the parts that grew above the container were slightly bent, larger, and almost as if they were able to grow larger because the leaf was finally unrestrained by the container.
After some discussion with Calvin, the Love Tree was decided to be moved to a bigger pot. The pot was painted and created by Tina and Calvin at the Penn State Late Nights Arts and Crafts center. It was perfect for the Love Tree. Thus began our carefully blogging of the Love Tree's Progress.
