Second Bloom (Seasonal Garden Planning 101; text (pre event))

[senorita_perfecta]

Sender: Isabela
To: Everyone
Subject: Local plant lady is thinking of setting up a(nother) garden and is looking for suggestions
Warning: Expect tons of plant nonsense and unhingedness from her (I’m so sorry)

Well it has been a while since I posted in here. For anyone who is new in here recently, hi my name is Isabela and I’m the owner and shop manager of the flower shop Madrigal Blooms.

So I was thinking about a project that I have been working on for some time. I know that we do have a garden at the Residential District where people can plant and harvest different types of fruits, vegetables and flowers but what I have in mind is a little different. I have been trying to see if I can start on making a garden where we don’t just showcase the best flora that Songerein has to offer but it also will feature plants native to our worlds. Maybe seeing something familiar from home could at least make being far away from our worlds and loved ones in a realm of dreams a little less somber. It’ll be seasonal in nature so each plant and flower species can have the spotlight on them every season.

In addition I have been trying to get some ideas of what I can include in the gardens. So far I have trying to incorporate flowers and leaves that are used for tea to enhance the senses but I’m always open for more ideas. If you have specific plant life you have been thinking of in your world, I’ll do my best to add that in. I could sure use all the help I can get for this one. Although I won’t mind having suggestions for me to consider to my shop’s offerings too.

Comments

sender: Flowey

[your_best_friend]

Bringing a little home into this world? I approve! I don't really know how to bring in plantlife from my timeline, but there's this type of flower you should definitely know about!

It's all blue and thrives in springlike weather and can repeat the last thing anyone says within a certain vicinity. It's called an Echo Flower. There's tons of them around Waterfall from where I'm from.

[senorita_perfecta]

Hm… Blue Echo Flowers that keeps repeating whatever last words anyone would say within hearing distance and can survive the spring time? Now that sure sounds like a fascinating flower species that could be added into the garden.

As long as people won’t mind them being, erm, very chatty I think that they could fit right in Reverein.

[your_best_friend]

Don't worry! Everyone will get used to them. And as a bonus, they get to experience a tiny bit more of monster culture.

So do you have any special flora you'd like to bring in?

[senorita_perfecta]

Ohhh, monster plant life and monster culture? Now that would be a great insight to how monsters live. Talk about an actual cultural exchange, gets the folks talking for years to come.

Well, I have been thinking about bringing in plants that are native or common in my world. Namely jacarandas, orchids, hydrangeas, and palma de cera. They are the ones that stand out the most for me.

[your_best_friend]

[Flowey squints his eyes a little. He recognizes... most of those flora names from the time he was in Kansai.]

Golly, they all seem like really good options, but what's palma de cera?

[senorita_perfecta]

That is what people in my country would normally call a tree species known as the Quindio wax palm. They are a native species to Colombia and it is also our national tree. Possibly even the tallest palm tree species in the world.

[your_best_friend]

Oh! Interesting. I've never been to Colombia before. Perhaps there's a Colombia back in my world my real body could visit. I'm more used to the mountainous areas of America, particularly the insides of them.

Are you also going to think about putting buttercups there? I'm a buttercup myself!

Sender: Link

[timesensitive]

What do you think about plants that explode?

[Bomb flowers are totally valid flora to import.]

[senorita_perfecta]

I have never heard of flora that can explode but I’m pretty intrigued to look into trying to bring them into the garden. Maybe they can be handy as throwing projectiles at any potential enemies?

If it is okay for me to ask you, are there certain conditions that are needed for them to blow up?

[timesensitive]

They're called bomb flowers.

Conditions? If you hit them with something or set them on fire they blow up immediately but if you pick them they take a few seconds to blow up. Long enough to toss away from yourself.

There should be a way to harvest them so they don't blow up right away, but that's probably a Goron secret technique or something.

[senorita_perfecta]

Got it. We all don’t want to have these bomb flowers to explode on anybody at the worst possible time. Better remind people to be very careful when handling with fire powers and tools or practicing moves within their vicinity.

That has me wondering: maybe I can test out harvesting the bomb flowers with just dreamotion magic so it could possibly delay the explosion process and allow for safer harvesting. Not sure if it will work but it could be a good testing ground on how to safely pick them up.

[timesensitive]

That'll be great if you can get that to work. I don't know how well, but I can help if you want.

By the way, they look like this: [Following these words is a rough, slightly smudged sketch.]

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh yes please. I would love to get some insight and assistance in trying to bring these flowers to this world.

(Once the sketch gets imprinted on the journal post, she takes a good look at it and is amazed by how accurate the drawing is despite the rough look of it.)

Oh, so they look like that. I never get to see bombs with leaves and spikes on the top before but the drawing does do a great job in showing how they normally look like. I appreciate it a lot.

Sender: Madoka

[puellamagi]

Good afternoon, Isabella-san!

I think that that project sounds wonderful. Someone told me that there's a garden here, and I think that they've given some of what they've grown from it before, but... if you still need help beyond that, or anything else, I'd love to help in any way that I can.

[senorita_perfecta]

Hi Madoka. It is great to hear that from you very much. Yes, there is already a garden in here and I do believe that it was there long before I came here.

Either way, any kind of help will be appreciated a lot. After all, I have a feeling that it is going to take a lot more hands than what just one person can handle on their own.

[puellamagi]

I'd be happy to do anything that I can! But, oh... I haven't really gardened before... Is it really alright if I help out if I haven't?

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh yes that is okay: anyone can join it regardless of their skill level. Everyone has to start somewhere when it comes to getting into new hobbies and activities. I can teach you how to care for plants and identify various kinds of plant life.

[puellamagi]

That's very kind of you, but... are you sure? I know that you have to be busy getting everything together... I wouldn't want to be any trouble on top of that.

[senorita_perfecta]

No worries. I’ll try to make sure to get everything to be ready on time and I’m also willing to adjust the schedule to accommodate what I can accomplish for a certain time and date.

Sender: Zuko

[rediscovering]

This is a good idea. Thank you for arranging it.

I would like to add a flower from my home called a fire lily. They are well-known for their beauty, though they only bloom for a couple weeks each summer. Some parts of the country even celebrate the fire lily season with festivals in its honor. Even if their beauty is short-lived, fire lilies are important to my people and unique to the Fire Nation.

[senorita_perfecta]

Fascinating, a fire lily known for their beauty and seasonal growth? Amazing. That would be very perfect for the summer time. I’m pretty sure that it will be a big crowd pleaser during the summer when they get added into the gardens so thanks for letting me know about them.

I’ll try to see if we can get them to show up ahead for the summer months. I would love to see them blooming as much as the next Fire Nation person.

[rediscovering]

If I can help in any way, let me know. I don't know much about gardening... but there are some others from my home here who I'm sure would like to help, too. My uncle Iroh knows a lot about plants.

[ Just volunteering his uncle like that, it's fine, it's fine... ]

[senorita_perfecta]

Yes that would be great. Any form of help is always appreciated whether you don’t have any experience with gardening or otherwise. And yes of course, I’m pretty certain that he would love to share what he knows and offer any advice on what to do.

(She hasn’t said anything about being good friends with Iroh before this, right? Not yet but it will be eventually come up someday.)

[rediscovering]

He offers good advice. My uncle is a wise man. If you meet him, ask him about other plants from our home. He also knows a lot about the medicinal qualities of many plants — especially plants used for healing wounds (particularly burns)

[ Isabela is getting Zuko on his best behavior here. Easiest way to have Zuko to open up and be remotely friendly? Just let him fawn over his uncle a little bit. He'll roll over like a poodle-monkey puppy. ]

[senorita_perfecta]

Oh sure, yes indeed. I’m pretty sure that it will be a honor to meet with him over plants. I will remember to ask him more about the flowers and plants from your world whenever I get the chance to meet him. I bet that we could have a good timing discussing plants for hours.

Yeah every plant does have their good uses for nearly anything, including medicine. I will be keeping track of each plant that is being discussed or talked about as much as I can.