Like everybody else you could probably do with a bit of good luck now and then. Well the best way to make sure you have that luck just when you need it is to do it the Irish way and grow some for yourself.

Everybody has heard of ‘the luck of the Irish’ and you may be wondering what the secret is. Well it’s all about the lucky four leaf clover, that famous, but rare, mutant Irish Shamrock. Legend has it that St Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to represent the Holy Trinity and the little plant has since come to define a nation.

About one in every 10,000 shamrocks will have four leaves instead of three, making it a lucky four leaf clover. Finding one of these rare plants is considered extremely good luck and stories of great fortunes accompanying such finds abound in Ireland. Mind you with every square foot earth on the farmland covered Emerald Isle richly endowed with shamrock; it’s perhaps no wonder that we Irish are so lucky!

So how are you, who perhaps aren’t able to wander around the Irish countryside staring at the ground, going to make sure you have at least a decent chance of discovering a bit of Irish good fortune? You’ll just have to grow your own bit of Ireland.

First things first, you’ll need some <a href=http://www.traditionalirishgifts.com/irish-gifts-and-souvenirs-15/irish-shamrock-seeds-5217.html>Shamrock seeds</a>. Then you’ll need a pot, or preferably a tray, containing any good moist, well drained soil mix. If you can get a peat based soil even better, but it’s not strictly necessary.

Spread the seeds over the soil liberally at around 20 seeds per square foot of surface area and cover over with a little more soil. You’ll then need to keep the tray in a dark place for about a week while the seeds germinate. Shamrock will do well at room temperature – about 18-19°C.

When the seeds have germinated and you can see leaves starting to form, move the tray so a more sunny location. Try not to let them overheat, again keeping them around the 18-19°C mark. A bright indoor window sill is perfect. For optimal growth the soil must be kept moist but be careful not to waterlog it otherwise the roots will become rotten. You should fertilize the soil once a month with your favourite liquid or water soluble fertilizer.

Now all you have to do is sit back and let nature take its course. In weeks you will have a tray full of shamrocks proudly boasting their three leafed heritage and hopefully you’ll have grown yourself a four leaf clover as well. If not, don’t despair! Look after your shamrock and it’ll propagate and with a one in 10,000 chance, considering the rate shamrock can grow, it surely won’t be long until you find one.

So if you are tired of waiting for your lottery numbers to come up relying on plain chance to do you a favour then get pro-active! Do something about it and start growing your own shamrock.

David is the manager of Traditional Irish Gifts.com, an online Irish gift store which sells creative Irish gifts and Guinness gifts amongst much more.