Ivy's Tangle (Legend of the White Sword - Book 1)

Chapter 7 - Gardening

Gran put the computer lessons on hold the following Monday. The season for planting had arrived, and I suspected that napping in the vegetable garden would prove problematic. After an intense morning with Mr. Ryan, where I finally got to hold a practice sword, and a lunch eaten alone, I went out back to find Ivy. She'd already started without me.

Ivy had laid out rows across the entire garden with a pointy stick. She'd laid set packets of seeds at the end of each row. The first packet displayed a picture of carrots. Ivy looked at home in the garden, and based on her lack of experience with modern conveniences, I already suspected she came from a new-age compound full of hippy-dippy types. She seemed like a girl with crystals and yoga in her past.

"You took your time," she said.

Ivy wore a flower-print sundress and a wide-brimmed hat. Her bare feet were already covered in dirt.

"I just finished lunch," I said. "Nobody told me an exact time. What are you doing?"

"I'm choosing the best placement for the different types of plants. I'm not familiar with many of them."

"How do you know the best placement then?"

"Last week, while other people slept, I researched them on your worldwide spider's web."

Ivy had been calling the internet that since she'd misheard me. It would have been nicer to correct her, but it was still too funny. I turned away and coughed to hide my laugh.

"I've been laying out the rows for the different plants. Make sure you don't alter the order."

I looked at the line of seed packets on the ground.

"What difference does it make?"

"Some of the plants will grow taller, blocking the sun's light from others, hindering their growth. Other find shade desirable," Ivy said.

"They're arranged by height?"

"Not only height. Certain plants repel pests that eat or damage others. Placing them next to each other discourages those creatures. I've been charged with teaching you. I will show you how to plant each type of seed."

"Don't you just make hole and drop in a seed?" I asked.

I figured Ivy was messing with me because I'd done some teasing during the computer lessons. She gave me her best you're-a-moron look.

"Each plant requires a different depth and spacing as well as less or more compaction of the soil. The individual seeds will have their own needs."

Their own needs?

"And how do you determine that?"

"You ask them." Ivy said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Now she wanted to talk to seeds... awesome.

Ivy squatted down at the end of a row and tore open a package of radish seeds. She poured a few into her palm and held them out for me to see.

"Life is most fragile at its beginning," she said, pushing around the tiny seeds. "All creatures need care and nurture to reach their full potential."

She was really into the gardening! Then she plucked one seed from the rest and tossed it over her shoulder, onto the lawn.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked.

"It was already dead." Ivy peered at me from under the wide brim of her hat. "Couldn't you tell?"

"Nope, it looked the same as the others."

"Be sure to show me the ones you plant," Ivy said.