PM to join Enough Puttering Around, Time for Action

[Tanell]

2nd day of Summer, 515 AV
8th bell of morning

The woman gestured towards the small green shoots, leaves popping out in all directions. The leaves were split into many sections, lacy in appearance, but otherwise were simply green as any other leaf. The flowers were what had caught Tanell's attention, flowers clustered in a tight flat circle, formed by clusters of tiny silvery white to almost pink petals. The woman noticed the direction of her gaze and went on to tell her about the plant.

"This one here is Common Yarrow, it grows tall, but not too wide if you prune it regularly. It's best to keep it separate from the rest of your garden, it'll shade the other plants." She paused to see if Tanell was paying attention, then continued on, "It is pretty hardy after it's established," She went on to explain when Tanell looked confused by the term, "After it has been growing for a few seasons, we call that established. Once you make it through that, it is pretty easy to maintain. I'd put it in a large pot for the first year, then in the ground after that, so you can keep an eye on it and move it inside if it starts to wilt in the cold."

Tanell nodded, adding the pot to the list of things she needed to purchase. She had a list, quickly growing larger, despite the collection of tools she had at home.

"The seeds, we talked about those being best started in the small pots, should those stay inside too? Until they are established?" She tested the new word on her tongue, watching to see the woman's reaction to her pronunciation. She seemed slightly amused, weather by her pronunciation or by her rapt attention to the seemingly common information was undecided.

"Mhhm. Yeah, those too, start them small then move the sucessful ones up as they grow bigger. That's why the kit has the different size pots. You really should have started them back in winter, but it's too late to worry about that now." Tanell nodded, glad to have remembered correctly, accepting the small chiding for what it was.

"Now, the yarrow is used for a lot of things, the leaves can be ground or made into a poultice to help stop bleeding and prevent infection in a wound. The flowers and leaves can be made into tea to help sweat out a fever. Eating the leaves alone, or drinking the tea can also help reduce swelling in the body." She glanced at Tanell once more to make sure she was following along. She was, of course, the topic of herbs, plants, and medicine all being of great interest. She was careful to tuck each bit of information carefully away so that she might remember it for later.

"I would like to take one of those, the, was it Common Yerrow? Yarrow? I think it would look quite nice outside my home." The other woman nodded, seeking out a nice starter plant from the grouping and setting it aside.

"Yarrow," She confirmed with a sharp nod of her head, "I imagine you would like a couple more plants, are you looking for pretty ones, or useful ones?" The question was an easy one, although it made sense to ask.

"Yes, I was hoping to go home with a couple plants. I'd lean towards useful, or edible, but pretty is a welcome companion to either." Tanell informed her, and the other woman made a sound of acceptance before turning to survey the other plants she had to sell.

Tanell began counting in her head, her fingers keeping track of her numbers, the large pot for her first plant was a Kina all by itself, the plant was seven Topaz, so if she took home six plants... That was four Kina, and two Topaz Kina. Add the Pot, and the spade, and she came to Seven Kina. That was acceptable. The seeds were five Topaz, five again would be one Kina, adding two more packets of seeds brought her to a total of nine Kina. At least, that was the number she found on her fingers. Nine. She was a little put off at the expense, but hopefully she wouldn't have to do the shopping for these again too soon.

[Tanell]

Put off may have been too strong of a word, it wasn't so much that she disliked the expense, instead it was how quickly the price compounded that was a bother, she was hardly accounting for anything beyond the plants and seeds themselves. They weren't even fully grown plants, barely more than seedlings themselves.

She wanted them, though, the prospect of having food in the garden by her house, working in the garden to produce something she could continue to use. It was exciting, especially as the woman explained that so many plants had medical uses, so many more than Tanell was aware of. It was exciting and new, and she thought, it was an interesting prospect of how it might play into her plans for the future.

"Here, take this one too," The woman interrupted her reverie with her words, pressing the flowering plant into her hands to be inspected. "This one is called Arnica, it is great for helping to heal bruising, and reducing pain and swelling."

"It looks like a sunflower, sort of." She nodded in agreement, not choosing to respond to the comment further than that, instead focusing more on what she was searching for. When they had gone a chime or two in silence, she added on to the words of before.

"Sunflowers are edible, you know? When you have seedlings, you can thin them out while the shoots are still small. Cook the shoots and eat them. The ones you leave, that grow older, the leaves are good, tough in the middle, but healthy, lots of vitamins." Sunflowers were less common here than other places, but they still sprouted all over, when they did grow. It was interesting that a flower that was so large, so pretty, was used in cooking.

"The flowers are good boiled or steamed before they open, just the buds. The stalks too, while they still follow Syna's path in the sky, can be peeled and eaten. Even the petals of the flower are good." She continued on, listing the uses for Tanell, and the younger woman began to wish she had brought something to write all the information down on. Instead she just kept repeating the things in her mind, hoping the repetition would allow her to remember.

Sola lifted a new plant, turning to offer it to Tanell, who took the small pot in her free hand. Her eyes seemed to light, first with realization, then with something akin to embarrassment, if the music Tanell heard was any indication. "Of course, the seeds are edible too, once the backs of the flower - they are called bracts - are yellow you pick the whole flower off and wait until it turns brown. Then you can eat the seeds too. Anyway, what you're holding there is Red Clover. It is useful for women mostly, helps with their monthlies, and after that, it helps with the hot flashes. Other than that, it is healthy added to your diet, and a tea made from the flowers will soothe a cough." Tanell nodded, once more tucking each bit of information away, carefully.

She had three plants now, ready to take home with her, so she paused to recap with the woman. "The Yarrow, that needs a large pot for about a year, then planted far from the garden, it is good for... bleeding and infection. Cuts and things. It has the silvery flowers. The one that resembles a sunflower, that's anarca, mhm, no Arnica? It is for wounds, but not open, bruises and pain. And the red flowered clover, that is for women and coughs." That seemed right. If she could keep it all together.