#7. Planting the fall crops

Being on their knees in the dirt made Jaden almost nearly as happy as sitting at their spinning wheel for hours did. There was just something about the feel of rich earth and helping growing things that filled their heart with such joy. A few weeks prior, they had filled seed trays with soil, and sown as many root crop seeds and autumn veggie seeds as they could get their paws on. Onions and garlic, leeks. Leafy greens like spinach, various lettuces. Carrots, beets, kohlrabi.

When their tiny seedlings had sprouted, just the littlest bits of green pushing up from beneath the soil, they had squealed with excitement, startling Vervain. Vervain had come over to see, and was happy too, but mostly because Jaden's happiness and excitement was contagious.

When a few weeks had passed, and the little seedling had grown hardy enough, it was time to plant them into the ground, that was when their growing would really take off. Being out in the sun and the wind, everything would grow like weeds. Unlike weeds, Jaden wanted their gardens full to bursting with these plants.

It was important to plant in straight rows, and to space the plants apart from each other, to give them enough room to grow to their fullest, and to be able to keep the weeds down. Jaden had added a thick layer of mulch overtop the soil surrounding the more delicate growing plants, which also helped to suppress weed growth.

Getting everything into the ground was the most work, after planting, all they would need to do was to be sure the plants were getting enough water and sunlight, and to keep an eye out for insect pests. Jaden had a love-hate relationship with bugs. On the one hand, they needed some kinds of bugs to pollinate the flowering plants, but on the other hand there were the ones that would lay eggs, hatching out tiny larva that would eat and eat and eat and spoil the greenery.

Vervain on the other hand, didn't like any sort of bug, crawling, flying, good for the gardens or bad. They weren't the sort of kitsu to swat everything that flew or creeped their way, but it was a near thing. Jaden had to explain that spiders were good for the garden, because they ate other bugs that were pests, and bees of course, Ver would never swat a bee, not after that first time. However, they had not gotten used to bees landing on their arms, crawling over the floral markings, finding no sweet nectar and flying off again. 

It didn't happen a lot, but enough times that they had put together a hat and a veil, for protection, while they were out in the gardens. It only got in the way a little, mostly helping them endure, plus it kept them shaded and cool when the sun got hot. When they had asked, Jaden declined needing something like Vervain's, but had accepted a wide brimmed hat for the shade it provided.

(WC: 506)