10th Cylus, 718
When Serin had approached her about helping her mentor Cassandra Giel in her greenhouse, Kirei was happy to do what she could. She knew very little about herbs and gardening, but she was always eager to learn new things. And if doing so would make a friend happy, so much the better. Especially if she were to learn about some of the herbs that Serin and Elyari used in the herbal teas and drinks that Elyari's Hope was known for. She was also looking forward to seeing just how a greenhouse worked. It amazed her that one could grow plants even in Zi'da and Cylus if they were grown inside a greenhouse.
The first thing that greeted Kirei upon her arrival was the strong scent of mint; peppermint to be exact. It made her smile when she thought of the peppermint tea that Serin and Elyari promised would be waiting for her when she got back as thanks for braving the icy Cylus weather to aid Cassandra Giel.
"You must be Kirei, right? Serin told me that you would be by to help me this trial. Before we get to work, tell me this; what do you know about gardening?" the older woman asked briskly.
"Um...that plants need sunlight, water, and soil in order to grow? And that you won't have any luck trying to grow a plant that thrives in the desert in a climate that has a lot of rain or snow? Not much more than that, really. But I am good at doing what I am told, and I am willing to learn if you are willing to teach me what to do. I tend to pick things up fairly quickly most of the time." Kirei offered hesitantly.
"You'll do. Believe me, I've seen worse. At least you aren't pretending to know things that you don't...and are willing to admit what you don't know. Ignorance can be cured; stupidity cannot."
Kirei found herself liking Cassandra's blunt, honest manner as she followed the shop owner deeper into the greenhouse.
"The first thing we're going to do is weed and water the aloe. Have you ever done any weeding before?"
Thinking back to the garden she and Lihara had spent so much time in, she nodded.
"I have, but that was a while ago."
"Well, weeding is simple enough; you pull up anything that isn't what is supposed to be growing in the area you are weeding. When you are dealing with potted plants like these aloe, your task becomes that much simpler since the only thing that should be in each aloe pot is the aloe itself." Cassandra said with a teasing grin.
Kirei found herself grinning back.
"That sounds easy enough."
"Now this is an aloe plant."
Kirei took a close look at the plant Cassandra was pointing to. Each of the aloe plants were roughly one to two feet tall, and they had little to no stem to them. Most of what she could see was leaves. Thick, green, triangular shaped leaves with serrated edges to be exact.
"Aloe is a perennial plant. That means that it comes back arc after arc if you take good care of it, and don't kill it by harvesting too many of its leaves at once. The leaves have a bitter taste to them which makes it naturally resistant to most insects and animals; they don't like to eat aloe plants because of the way that they taste. The sharp edges of the help act as a line of defense for the plant as well."
Kirei listened carefully as she began the task of weeding the pots of aloe plants.
"Aloe are succulents. And succulents don't need much water. So be careful when you water them, okay?"
Kirei nodded, then promised that she would when she realized that Cassandra probably hadn't seen her nod.
"Actually...tell me when you finish weeding those plants. Over watering a plant is just as bad as not giving it enough water, and I'm guessing that you don't know how much water is too much if you haven't done much gardening before. Too much water will drown the roots, and cause them to rot. That will kill a plant just as easily as not watering it at all will. Now the reason that I keep the aloe here rather than closer to the glass walls of the greenhouse is that aloe likes bright, but indirect sunlight. If it were kept near the walls, it would get too much light. But that also means that you have to rotate the aloe from time to time to make sure that the entire plant gets enough sun; it's the same with any potted plant."
"Why?" Kirei asked curiously.
"All plants grow towards the sun. So they will lean towards the strongest source of sunlight they can find. To prevent that, we rotate the pots as needed."
They worked in silence for a few bits until Kirei saw Cassandra cutting something off of one of the plants. It didn't look like one of the leaves, so it drew Kirei's attention.
"What are you doing?"
"Every plant is different, Kirei. Some grow from seeds. Others grow from cuttings taken from mature plants. Aloe here...aloe is different. It grows from offsets. And before you ask, an offset is a small, virtually complete daughter plant that is attached to the mother plant. When it gets big enough, you cut it off, and plant it in its own pot."
Cassandra did just that with the offset she had just removed.
"Soil is important too. There are different types of soil, and plants won't grow in the wrong type of soil. Take aloe, for example. It's a desert plant. You can't get it to grow outside a greenhouse here in Rynmere because it can't tolerate the snow. Aloe likes a nice dry soil, much like the desert that is its natural habitat."
Cassandra fell silent again as she lost herself in what she was doing. They continued to work in silence until Kirei finished weeding the potted aloe plants and told the older woman she was ready to start watering them. Cassandra showed her how much water to give them before going back to what she was doing.
"Serin uses aloe in some of those drinks she makes. Do you help with those?"
Kirei shook her head, but the eager expression in her eyes must have told Cassandra that she hoped to be able to some trial.
"Well, maybe if you learn something about the herbs she uses, you'll be able to. What do you say? It passes the time while we work, and it beats working in silence."
"I'd love to!"
Cassandra chuckled.
"Well, the first thing you need to know about aloe is that there are two parts of the plant are used in herbal remedies. Those are the yellow sap that clings to the inside of the skin of the leaves, and the gel found in the inner part of the aloe plant leaf. Some remedies are made with the whole crushed leaf, and contain both the gel and the sap, and some use one or the other. Aloe can be taken orally, or used topically. The gel is soothing, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. When used as a poultice, it can be used liberally on cuts, scrapes and wounds of all kinds to promote healing. If the gel is applied to a cold sore a few times a trial, it will ease the discomfort and help speed the healing process of cold sores. Aloe is hydrating, making it useful for using on dry, irritated skin. It is good for soothing skin rashes and irritations, including frostbite. And there is some irony in this since frost bite is caused by cold while sunburns and more serious burns are caused by heat, but aloe is also good for treating sunburn, and more serious burns, allowing them to heal faster. Aloe makes a good treatment for dry hair or an itchy scalp, along with helping with dandruff, and stopping the itching associated with dandruff or a dried scalp. It is even good for pets; it will bring cooling relief to fleabites, which will reduce itching and scratching, and is safe to use on dogs and cats."
Kirei found herself wishing she could take notes, but her time in Athart taught her how to remember things she was told without the luxury of notes.
"Those are the external uses of the herb. You may be familiar with some of the benefits of taking aloe orally. Serin uses it in a few of her herbal drinks if I am not mistaken."
It was entirely possible that she did, but Kirei didn't know much about the herbal drinks yet. It was something she hoped to learn more about once she had gotten some more experience cooking. But she understood that it was something she would only learn when Elyari thought she was ready to learn it.
"Aloe can strengthen the body and help fight off illness when taken orally. This is probably what Serin uses it for the most. The sap makes a good laxative if taken orally,so it can help with constipation. And the juice is good for aiding digestion. But it is very bitter so it should be added to a sweet juice or mixed with honey to make it taste better. Serin might use aloe for this reason as well."
Cassandra paused.
"Just as it is important to know what an herb is good for before using it, it is equally important to know the risks of using it, and if there are some people who should not be using the herb. Aloe is not safe for children under 12 because it may cause abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea in young children. It also should not be used when pregnant or breast feeding because it may cause miscarriage or birth defects, and the laxative properties can be carried through a mother's milk."
Kirei was so caught up in paying attention to what the older woman was saying that started to give the aloe plant she was watering more water than it needed. Fortunately Cassandra was paying attention, and caught her before she could drown the poor plant.
The first thing that greeted Kirei upon her arrival was the strong scent of mint; peppermint to be exact. It made her smile when she thought of the peppermint tea that Serin and Elyari promised would be waiting for her when she got back as thanks for braving the icy Cylus weather to aid Cassandra Giel.
"You must be Kirei, right? Serin told me that you would be by to help me this trial. Before we get to work, tell me this; what do you know about gardening?" the older woman asked briskly.
"Um...that plants need sunlight, water, and soil in order to grow? And that you won't have any luck trying to grow a plant that thrives in the desert in a climate that has a lot of rain or snow? Not much more than that, really. But I am good at doing what I am told, and I am willing to learn if you are willing to teach me what to do. I tend to pick things up fairly quickly most of the time." Kirei offered hesitantly.
"You'll do. Believe me, I've seen worse. At least you aren't pretending to know things that you don't...and are willing to admit what you don't know. Ignorance can be cured; stupidity cannot."
Kirei found herself liking Cassandra's blunt, honest manner as she followed the shop owner deeper into the greenhouse.
"The first thing we're going to do is weed and water the aloe. Have you ever done any weeding before?"
Thinking back to the garden she and Lihara had spent so much time in, she nodded.
"I have, but that was a while ago."
"Well, weeding is simple enough; you pull up anything that isn't what is supposed to be growing in the area you are weeding. When you are dealing with potted plants like these aloe, your task becomes that much simpler since the only thing that should be in each aloe pot is the aloe itself." Cassandra said with a teasing grin.
Kirei found herself grinning back.
"That sounds easy enough."
"Now this is an aloe plant."
Kirei took a close look at the plant Cassandra was pointing to. Each of the aloe plants were roughly one to two feet tall, and they had little to no stem to them. Most of what she could see was leaves. Thick, green, triangular shaped leaves with serrated edges to be exact.
"Aloe is a perennial plant. That means that it comes back arc after arc if you take good care of it, and don't kill it by harvesting too many of its leaves at once. The leaves have a bitter taste to them which makes it naturally resistant to most insects and animals; they don't like to eat aloe plants because of the way that they taste. The sharp edges of the help act as a line of defense for the plant as well."
Kirei listened carefully as she began the task of weeding the pots of aloe plants.
"Aloe are succulents. And succulents don't need much water. So be careful when you water them, okay?"
Kirei nodded, then promised that she would when she realized that Cassandra probably hadn't seen her nod.
"Actually...tell me when you finish weeding those plants. Over watering a plant is just as bad as not giving it enough water, and I'm guessing that you don't know how much water is too much if you haven't done much gardening before. Too much water will drown the roots, and cause them to rot. That will kill a plant just as easily as not watering it at all will. Now the reason that I keep the aloe here rather than closer to the glass walls of the greenhouse is that aloe likes bright, but indirect sunlight. If it were kept near the walls, it would get too much light. But that also means that you have to rotate the aloe from time to time to make sure that the entire plant gets enough sun; it's the same with any potted plant."
"Why?" Kirei asked curiously.
"All plants grow towards the sun. So they will lean towards the strongest source of sunlight they can find. To prevent that, we rotate the pots as needed."
They worked in silence for a few bits until Kirei saw Cassandra cutting something off of one of the plants. It didn't look like one of the leaves, so it drew Kirei's attention.
"What are you doing?"
"Every plant is different, Kirei. Some grow from seeds. Others grow from cuttings taken from mature plants. Aloe here...aloe is different. It grows from offsets. And before you ask, an offset is a small, virtually complete daughter plant that is attached to the mother plant. When it gets big enough, you cut it off, and plant it in its own pot."
Cassandra did just that with the offset she had just removed.
"Soil is important too. There are different types of soil, and plants won't grow in the wrong type of soil. Take aloe, for example. It's a desert plant. You can't get it to grow outside a greenhouse here in Rynmere because it can't tolerate the snow. Aloe likes a nice dry soil, much like the desert that is its natural habitat."
Cassandra fell silent again as she lost herself in what she was doing. They continued to work in silence until Kirei finished weeding the potted aloe plants and told the older woman she was ready to start watering them. Cassandra showed her how much water to give them before going back to what she was doing.
"Serin uses aloe in some of those drinks she makes. Do you help with those?"
Kirei shook her head, but the eager expression in her eyes must have told Cassandra that she hoped to be able to some trial.
"Well, maybe if you learn something about the herbs she uses, you'll be able to. What do you say? It passes the time while we work, and it beats working in silence."
"I'd love to!"
Cassandra chuckled.
"Well, the first thing you need to know about aloe is that there are two parts of the plant are used in herbal remedies. Those are the yellow sap that clings to the inside of the skin of the leaves, and the gel found in the inner part of the aloe plant leaf. Some remedies are made with the whole crushed leaf, and contain both the gel and the sap, and some use one or the other. Aloe can be taken orally, or used topically. The gel is soothing, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. When used as a poultice, it can be used liberally on cuts, scrapes and wounds of all kinds to promote healing. If the gel is applied to a cold sore a few times a trial, it will ease the discomfort and help speed the healing process of cold sores. Aloe is hydrating, making it useful for using on dry, irritated skin. It is good for soothing skin rashes and irritations, including frostbite. And there is some irony in this since frost bite is caused by cold while sunburns and more serious burns are caused by heat, but aloe is also good for treating sunburn, and more serious burns, allowing them to heal faster. Aloe makes a good treatment for dry hair or an itchy scalp, along with helping with dandruff, and stopping the itching associated with dandruff or a dried scalp. It is even good for pets; it will bring cooling relief to fleabites, which will reduce itching and scratching, and is safe to use on dogs and cats."
Kirei found herself wishing she could take notes, but her time in Athart taught her how to remember things she was told without the luxury of notes.
"Those are the external uses of the herb. You may be familiar with some of the benefits of taking aloe orally. Serin uses it in a few of her herbal drinks if I am not mistaken."
It was entirely possible that she did, but Kirei didn't know much about the herbal drinks yet. It was something she hoped to learn more about once she had gotten some more experience cooking. But she understood that it was something she would only learn when Elyari thought she was ready to learn it.
"Aloe can strengthen the body and help fight off illness when taken orally. This is probably what Serin uses it for the most. The sap makes a good laxative if taken orally,so it can help with constipation. And the juice is good for aiding digestion. But it is very bitter so it should be added to a sweet juice or mixed with honey to make it taste better. Serin might use aloe for this reason as well."
Cassandra paused.
"Just as it is important to know what an herb is good for before using it, it is equally important to know the risks of using it, and if there are some people who should not be using the herb. Aloe is not safe for children under 12 because it may cause abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea in young children. It also should not be used when pregnant or breast feeding because it may cause miscarriage or birth defects, and the laxative properties can be carried through a mother's milk."
Kirei was so caught up in paying attention to what the older woman was saying that started to give the aloe plant she was watering more water than it needed. Fortunately Cassandra was paying attention, and caught her before she could drown the poor plant.
Off Topic
This thread is for this job