Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- Compelling Things to Grow

Posted by Lieutenant Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Eela’s Apartment- Compelling Things to Grow

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- Compelling Things to Grow
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Sharah set the remaining totes on the table or ground. “Hmmm it is a little hard to get used to. I’m used to calling security for any problems with a simple tap of my combadge, but I can’t do that now. I have to take into account who the patient is and which medical staff is involved and then call any and all of them. I have been very lucky that General Tenkiller is not just competent and self assured but also smart and doesn’t really have any arrogance. He’s been wonderful to work with as far as the special security goes.” Scanning the patio again Sharah pointed at the farthest corner that was still shaded. “That will be the perfect place for all these herbs. I remembered you said you like tea and cooking when you can so…” Fayth started digging into one of the bags that Eela had carried out and pulled small seedling containers out…16 of them. “So we have here 2 of each because that’s the minimum for pollination and growth. We have Jestral, Kezeraway from Ur-rota, Star Petal, Mint, Terragon, Oregano, Pata Husk, and Cinnamon.”

Fayth, SFCMO

Lovely!” Dasca said with genuine enthusiasm. She gestured to the large rectangle wooden planters. “I had them fill the planters only three-quarters of the way so that we could amend them with organic matter or other things as necessary, because I know not everything likes the extra nutrients and some prefer poorer soil, though to be fair I don’t off hand which is which for most of these. Theres a little nook on the opposite side where I had all the potting mix and told stashed until we needed them. But I also have garden cart so we don’t have to carry the bags around, just pull them.” Dasca spread her hands to the sides and grinned. “You’re in charge here, Sharah. You’re in charge and I defer to your expertise so just put me to work. All I ask is that we mix edibles with the ornamentals as much as possible. Practical but still pretty is what I’m going for.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Sharah looked around as if imagining it. “We’ll start with the herbs while it’s still cooler. Their roots don’t like being exposed to heat. Though it’s not hot to us.” She found two long but shallower planters and then a square one that was deeper. “Alright so Jestral grows a bit taller than the others so we’re going to put them in the far end of this long planter and place the planters so that end is near the windows, allowing the others to get more of the soft light. Then Kexeraway and Star Petal require different nutrients to grow. So we will put all three in the planters together and they will help balance the soil out for each other.” She lifted the planter onto a table and set out several tools. “You only need to dig a hole and put the whole plant in. You don’t need to loosen the seedling soil. The Jestral needs to be at least 3 inches apart. The Star Petal likes to grow together so you can put both of those in the same hole and the Kexeraway needs a inch an a half between them.” Sharah pointed to each as she explained.

Dasca snapped off a salute. “Yes, Ma’am,” she said with a grin, happily gathering the plants and taking the time to examine each variety, touching the leaves, taking in the scent.

Momentarily stepping to the array of tools near the soil (they would be organized in a potting storage stand soon), Eela grabbed a thick foam pad, moved back and knelt at the planter, which was a helluva lot easier on her back than bending over.

Then she opened a bag at her feet and started pulling out tubbing and sensors and wires connectors and sealant tape. “While you do that, I’m going to set up the automatic irrigation system for this planter.” Using a small laser drill Sharah began making holes every two inches along the lower back side of the planter and then feeding flexible tubing into them. Suddenly she stopped, “Whoops.” She moved around to the small nook and looked at the different bags of soil, grabbed one that was half empty and brought it back. “Here you go. That one should be a good filler for those.” Then she went back to work feeding the tubes into sturdier pipes and feeding sensors and wires through them. “These will detect the nutrient levels in the soil and the moisture level. When we’re done it will be automatic. The system will add plant food and water as needed. All you have to do is make sure the reservoirs stay full so the system can work.”

Fayth, SFCMO

“Sounds like an easy addition to my morning routine,” Eela said as she topped up the soil level and then used her hand to pull some back, creating a hole in which she simply set the unpotted seedling in, brushed soil back in around the base of the plant and gave the soil a firm push down. “Also sounds like an unofficial prescription to walk around my garden with my morning coffee and see what needs tending too. I could get my housekeeper to do it, but what fun would that be?”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“Exactly. I’m going to set this up with a large water reservoir, but if you want you can ask your building maintenance to hook it up to your water. I can also show you how test the pH levels and how to adjust the nutrient levels of the food if you like.” Sharah finished setting up the tubbing and pipes and then moved on to the next two planters. “You mentioned wanting to make rooms out here. There are special planters that look like ladders. They are long, 3 or more feet long and then can be 4 or more feet high. They are for vine plants. To let them grow. They would make nice partitions.” She moved the square planter over next to the one Eela was working with and set the Pata Husk next to it. “This one does grow very tall but the roots grow deep. They don’t plant well with others because the roots tend to strangle anything else in the pot. This is beneficial for Pata Husk because they end up sharing nutrients but it doesn’t work that way with other plants.” Then she moved around the back to start connecting the pipping on the square planter to the first one. “I was thinking maybe grapes, tomatoes, strawberries, utta berries, Jeune Cerise, things like that.”

Fayth, SFCMO

Sitting back on her heels, Eela looked over her patio and smiled. “I really like the idea of vines as partitions. It would give everything a slightly wild look, something more organic than the very clean lines of the building. Soften it all. I was thinking a lounging area with a false fire pit that does give off some warmth, a dining area with maybe even an outdoor grill or something like that, plus a quiet nook amongst the plants where I could read or meditate. Maybe with a small fountain or other water feature?” Work could still penetrate her home, as evidenced by her office already, but out here was a place that hopefully she could leave it all behind for awhile.

“Well…and you would need to ask your security detail about this, but we could also put an overhead trellis in place. It would give you shade and protection from the elements. As well as give it a bit of a more…natural look. We can’t really put large trees out here, but an over head would give a similar effect.” Eela may not be able to read Sharah’s thoughts but the feeling of consideration and calculation would be clear. Sharah was actively considering the security implications with more consideration than most medical officers would. Her final year roommate had been a security officer with a very unique point of view and Sharah had picked up a lot from her. The thought of Ashlyn brought a tinge of loss to her thoughts. “Getting this all started will be a long process, and I’m happy to do it.”

“You really love all this, don’t you?” Eela asked with a soft smile on her face as she gazed at Sharah. “What made you choose medicine over botany?”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Sharah looked up from where she was working to connect the last of the planters. She looked at the little plants that Eela had already planted and ran a finger over the leaves, her head tilted like she was listening to something and then grinned. “I do. Very much, plants are…a part of me that I love.” She grabbed the last of the herb seedlings and set them down in front of Eela. “Medicine…the need to help others is a compulsion I can not ignore. Botany came along after that.” She got up and disappeared into the nook and returned with a 3 foot deep pot. She sat and started marking out space to cut the side of the pot. “Do you like potatoes or other root vine type vegetables? We can grow them in this pot, cut a door here, and then you reach in to remove them without having to dig everything out.”

“When I was 10 my parents felt we had exhausted all the possible…treatments…for my condition on Betazed. So they decided to seek help elsewhere. we got transport on a little Discovery class called the Galileo. I met a science officer there, a botanist, who was very kind to me. He let me play in his arboretum and gave me a safe place to hide from all the noise and confusion. His name was Oliver Loughty. It was from Uncle Olly that I learned that plants were used to make medicines.” Sharah paused and looked out across the view for a moment before turning back to the work. “I asked him if he knew of a plant that would cure me, that would make me better. He didn’t of course, but he showed me how to take care of the plants. He taught me everything he knew, and how to use that care as a type of meditation. To give me focus when the universe is chaotic. Over the years my…attachment to plants and their ability to help heal us grew into a connection with my medical training. It’s not so much a choice between the two as blending them together. Though I did serve briefly as the Botanist and then CSO on the Ark Angel before returning full time to medicine.”

Fayth, SFCMO