Faith had come to the Community Gardens to find out about it, what it cost and so on. It was something that she wanted to do, to develop her gardening skill and to learn more about how to grow the medicinal herbs that she used. However, she and Padraig were here on a vacation and the serious young woman didn't really know how long they were going to be staying here. So, she had found out about the Community Gardens from one of the fellow green cloaks at the Order of The Adunih and she had thanked them most sincerely and made her way here.
Once she arrived she had found that it was exactly what she wanted, but that she was here at exactly the wrong time. That was potentially frustrating, but Faith was not one to ever let an opportunity pass her by and she was currently sitting in the small stone building at the property entrance and chatting to Gregory Plains, the Caretaker of the Community Gardens.
"Yes, I use lavender in so many things! I'd love to grow it and to understand it's origin." Faith said and the older man chuckled as he sipped at the cup of tea he had made for them both.
"Outdoors only, lass. Also, it doesn't like too much water clogging it up so either raised beds or well drained areas. It doesn't like soil with a lot of acidity to it, either."
"Really?" She beamed in delight and there was the sound of someone writing on parchment. "I was going to try and grow it in my windowbox, but you think better in the garden at the Order?"
"Every time, lass, it likes being outside. Like me, eh?"
"So, when should I plant it, Gregory?" That was an important question, after all.
"Depends on the type, love. Got to choose your lavender variety carefully. Mostly, though, lavender needs a spot in full – even scorching – sunshine. This time of arc, cold, claggy soil will kill it through rotting. I tell you what though? Plants are like people, you've got to keep them happy. To keep lavender happy clip it after the flowers have been picked. Cut the stems back, but not so far that there's no live foliage."
Faith looked at him and smiled in amazement. "How do you know so many things?" It was a genuine question and she meant it completely. He had more knowledge than she could ever hope to attain, she was sure. He laughed, a deep and throaty laugh which echoed around the small room.
"Grow mint in pots, love. If you don't, the roots will take over everything else in the bed. But it can grow indoors or out. Arrowroot will take you six months to grow properly, it's easy to grow and beautiful, you know. But if you don't harvest it within four months, it'll be inedible. You pick things up on the way, lass, aye?"
Faith nodded her head and smiled, noting his words which were almost passing comments but which, as she wrote them down, she knew would be very useful indeed. "If we are still here in Cylus, Gregory, I think I'll have to come back and get a box"
Gregory's chuckle moved into a deep laugh. "First rule of planting, love. Don't worry about Cylus. If you're wanting to plant, do things there, that inside window box will be more than enough. Now, lets see about that book. I'd say this one." The thing that Faith liked about Gregory was that he had books on the subject, things that he read about and she noted down a few of the names. She thanked Gregory and then, after making sure that she had put everything back where she had found it and having been shoo'd from washing up her cup, she made her way out of the small building. As she did, she almost collided, although not quite, with someone who was on their way in.
The young woman who almost walked into Thalia but didn't quite was pale of skin with jet black hair. Her eyes were so pale a shade of blue that they seemed almost silver or grey. She wore comfortable clothes this trial, a simple black woollen skirt and a white blouse with a black cardigan. However, over it she wore the green cloak of a member of the Order of the Adunih and over her shoulder was a medical kit. At her waist, too, was a long gladius. But her face broke into a smile of greeting.
"I am so sorry, I nearly bumped into you. Good trial!"
Once she arrived she had found that it was exactly what she wanted, but that she was here at exactly the wrong time. That was potentially frustrating, but Faith was not one to ever let an opportunity pass her by and she was currently sitting in the small stone building at the property entrance and chatting to Gregory Plains, the Caretaker of the Community Gardens.
"Yes, I use lavender in so many things! I'd love to grow it and to understand it's origin." Faith said and the older man chuckled as he sipped at the cup of tea he had made for them both.
"Outdoors only, lass. Also, it doesn't like too much water clogging it up so either raised beds or well drained areas. It doesn't like soil with a lot of acidity to it, either."
"Really?" She beamed in delight and there was the sound of someone writing on parchment. "I was going to try and grow it in my windowbox, but you think better in the garden at the Order?"
"Every time, lass, it likes being outside. Like me, eh?"
"So, when should I plant it, Gregory?" That was an important question, after all.
"Depends on the type, love. Got to choose your lavender variety carefully. Mostly, though, lavender needs a spot in full – even scorching – sunshine. This time of arc, cold, claggy soil will kill it through rotting. I tell you what though? Plants are like people, you've got to keep them happy. To keep lavender happy clip it after the flowers have been picked. Cut the stems back, but not so far that there's no live foliage."
Faith looked at him and smiled in amazement. "How do you know so many things?" It was a genuine question and she meant it completely. He had more knowledge than she could ever hope to attain, she was sure. He laughed, a deep and throaty laugh which echoed around the small room.
"Grow mint in pots, love. If you don't, the roots will take over everything else in the bed. But it can grow indoors or out. Arrowroot will take you six months to grow properly, it's easy to grow and beautiful, you know. But if you don't harvest it within four months, it'll be inedible. You pick things up on the way, lass, aye?"
Faith nodded her head and smiled, noting his words which were almost passing comments but which, as she wrote them down, she knew would be very useful indeed. "If we are still here in Cylus, Gregory, I think I'll have to come back and get a box"
Gregory's chuckle moved into a deep laugh. "First rule of planting, love. Don't worry about Cylus. If you're wanting to plant, do things there, that inside window box will be more than enough. Now, lets see about that book. I'd say this one." The thing that Faith liked about Gregory was that he had books on the subject, things that he read about and she noted down a few of the names. She thanked Gregory and then, after making sure that she had put everything back where she had found it and having been shoo'd from washing up her cup, she made her way out of the small building. As she did, she almost collided, although not quite, with someone who was on their way in.
The young woman who almost walked into Thalia but didn't quite was pale of skin with jet black hair. Her eyes were so pale a shade of blue that they seemed almost silver or grey. She wore comfortable clothes this trial, a simple black woollen skirt and a white blouse with a black cardigan. However, over it she wore the green cloak of a member of the Order of the Adunih and over her shoulder was a medical kit. At her waist, too, was a long gladius. But her face broke into a smile of greeting.
"I am so sorry, I nearly bumped into you. Good trial!"
