Do you like to do things on your own? I do. I try to save money whenever possible. I would probably never hire a painter or a landscaper. I bake birthday cakes rather than buying them at the store.

Some would say I am cheap, but actually, I rather enjoy the reward of doing things myself. So, when I heard that I could grow my own hoodia and not pay $60 a bottle for the supplements, I thought, hey! I could stand to lose a few pounds and would it not be great to do it for less?

Probably not my best idea. Hoodia is a succulent grown in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. The natives have been chewing the stems of hoodia plants for centuries as a means to control their appetite when out on hunts through the sparse desert. Researchers found out that a compound in hoodia called p57 can trick the brain into thinking you do not need to eat. Although I had no way of making a pill out of the hoodia plants, I figured I could chew on the stem like the natives or maybe even brew up a tea.

So, I ordered my hoodia seeds and special Kalahari sand. The sand cost more than the seeds and I knew why soon after I planted them. In just a few short weeks, my plants were getting bigger and looked nothing like a hoodia plant or anything like a succulent for that matter. They were marigolds! I would have been taken! I called the company, but after being put on hold for 30 minutes, I decided to part ways with my $20 and move forward.

Now, I was determined to make my plan work. I had told all my friends about my plan and could not tell them what happened. So, back to the drawing board. I ordered seeds that were more expensive. Yes I know, I should have just paid the $60, but I was on a mission! Apparently, hoodia seeds are scarce and the price has been driven up. I guess I am not the only one trying to grow my own hoodia.

This time, I had little plants growing with finger-like stems. Yes! Now that is what a succulent should look like. I showed off my hoodia babies to my friends and waited to see what would happen next. In about a month, I had little flowers on the plants. One would think this was a good thing, but it was not! It smelled like something died in my house! Another F.Y.I. about hoodia: the flowers are meant to attract flies to pollinate the plant.

I had to move them to the garage and rid my house of the stench (and the flies). Stinky or not, I had an obligation to my little hoodia plants. I did what I could, but they soon began to develop some sort of fungus. At first, I wondered if this was just another unpleasant hoodia characteristic, but no such luck. I found out that even professionals have difficulty growing hoodia. The crops succumb to a myriad of fungus and disease quite easily.

So, a few hundred dollars later, many flies and a stinky experience, my hoodia plants died! I expected a bit of teasing from my friends, but they just shook their heads. I think they were grateful my house did not smell like the morgue anymore. I tucked my tail and ordered my $60 bottle of hoodia. The up-side is that the hoodia actually works! I have lost five pounds!

Can you grow your own hoodia? Go there now and become a member of our great hoodia community on Facebook.