#so I am interested in greenhouse production but I'm not sure if it's something I want to pursue as a career

[lolo3hwriting]

The White Lily Greenhouse - How Would It Work?

Pure Vanilla Cookie has always been a favorite character to me because of his hobby of gardening. As someone who gardens as well as studies horticulture, it’s fun to see all of the gardens and plants he has in the story. The most notable example for me is the White Lily Greenhouse because it plays such an important role in Pure Vanilla’s character and story. He built it as a place to relax and to enjoy the white lilies he loves so much. But it made me wonder, how in the world would he manage it? Realistically it would take a lot of effort, and considering it's a private greenhouse within his castle, Pure Vanilla would most likely take care of it all alone.

Before I get into anything, I wanted to talk about the specific type of lilies that Pure Vanilla grows. The character White Lily Cookie is based on lilies in general, but most significantly the Madonna Lily. However, I couldn’t find much information about growing Madonna Lilies (Lilium candidum) in greenhouses specifically, so most of the information I have is from growing Easter Lilies (Lilum longiflorum) or lilies (Genus Lilum) in general in greenhouses. The growing requirements are mostly the same, but might have a few slight differences.

Specific Requirements for Growing Lilies and Greenhouses

(Diagram of a bulb, image taken from here)

So first, I wanted to explain briefly about the morphology of lilies and how that impacts their management. Most lilies grow from bulbs, which are specialized structures made up of a short fleshy stem enclosed by thick, fleshy leaves. At the bottom of a bulb is the base plate where the stem, leaves, and roots grow from. One way to propagate lilies is through bulblets (also called bulbils), small bulbs that grow from the base plate, which can be removed and planted on their own. However, the most common way is through bulb scales where the first (and sometimes second) outer portion of the leaf scales are removed and planted. But whatever the case, both the bulblets and bulbs scales need to go though some period of cold temperatures to break their dormancy. This means you can plant them in the fall and let them stay over the winter, or you could put them in a refrigerator to chill. Considering the Vanilla Kingdom is in a mountainous region and high up in the sky, I’m sure they can be put outside before transferring them to the greenhouse.

Heating and lighting are two important factors in making lilies grow well. Lilies need full sun, which is about 6 hours per day. Generally a south facing greenhouse will have more light exposure, otherwise you may need artificial lighting. Lilies will start growing when temperatures are warm enough, so greenhouses usually aim for 60 F, but they can also grow well up to 75 F. I'll discuss how heating and lighting might work for the white lily greenhouse.

Although lilies are perennials and bloom year after year if you maintain them, most ornamental gardens will plant new bulbs every year because old bulbs won’t produce as much or as big flowers as younger bulbs do. This would mean Pure Vanilla would have to dig up old bulbs and plant new ones every year, unless he has some type of special magic that will make them bloom as big and numerous consistently.

Weeding and pest management are always something to keep in mind with greenhouses, but if you don't let them become a problem then it's pretty easy to deal with. Proper sanitation like removing weeds before they produce seeds, removing plant debris and dead plants, and having clean growing media will all help prevent problems. I think Pure Vanilla is vigilant enough to do all of that.

Historical Greenhouses

(A classic greenhouse from England, image taken from here)

In the past, greenhouses were heated just by the sun or with additional heating like furnaces, hot water, or steam. This meant that temperature control was not very precise and had to be fiddled with in order for the greenhouse to be properly heated. If this was the case, I think there would have been some type of boiler specifically for the greenhouse situated at a higher elevation so that the hot water/steam could be carried by gravity into the greenhouse. Water for irrigation had to be brought in unless you had a nearby water pump. Carrying water in would have taken a lot of effort, not to mention that you would have to do watering by hand, which would have been tedious for one person. However, I doubt that Pure Vanilla would mind with his patient nature and enthusiasm for gardening.

The cost of glass and steel to build the greenhouse itself would have been expensive. But taking into account that Pure Vanilla was a king, he probably didn’t have much trouble with the cost of construction or equipment. 

The Vanilla Kingdom is based on Germanic countries, and those countries have a long history of using greenhouses. During the 16th and 17th centuries places like England, France, Italy, and the Netherlands had greenhouses to grow exotic plants that they collected. So the locale and inspiration for the kingdom lines up.

The Modern Approach

(A modern Dutch style greenhouse, image from here)

Considering the Vanilla Kingdom had the waffle bots and advanced technology, it would be reasonable that Pure Vanilla could have access to more modern greenhouse technology similar to what we have today. Things like automatic misting systems, electrical and gas powered heating, and artificial greenhouse lighting. Not to mention all the sensors and timers that can help automate things. However, I’ve seen greenhouses built pretty recently that still use hot water pipes to heat the greenhouse and manually watering their plants. Seeing that Pure Vanilla is more old fashioned and traditional, he could have also run his greenhouse using old school methods. 

Of course, all of this can be hand waved with magic but I like to think that the creation of spells is also considered special techniques that have to be learned and trained. I'm sure that Pure Vanilla or even White Lily Cookie could have developed some type of specialized magic to grow plants easier, similar to how in real life new technology is constantly being developed in order to more efficiently grow plants.

Sources:

https://wyoextension.org/publications/html/B1185R/

[wjforever]

Shatter me again. Chapter 42

We're visiting much more floors, halls and rooms. Most of it, of course, we skip. This is the room with artifacts. And he's telling me about various objects, only of those that arouse my increased interest. The tour is brief, introductory, because we have little time. And here are collected musical instruments. He doesn't get around to deal with them and send them in the right direction.

Surely, all these rooms either serve as headquarters for certain sectors, or as storage facilities for objects that require the primary attention of The Chief Commander and Regent of the Sector. Everything is solely for the convenience of management and monitoring. This place is the control center of a vast and complex system. And its webs stretch across the entire sector. Warner says that he has to visit some objects from time to time, for evaluation and control. But, of course, he can't do it all the time.

It doesn't even seem egocentric to me to sit and wait for someone to come to you and report on the results of their work. This is logical and expedient, because otherwise it would be impossible to deal with everything.

Warner tells me a lot of things. For instance, he talks about how electricity and heating works and where the water is pumped from. Resources are scarce, it becomes problematic to extract them and there is not enough sunlight. They get most of the energy from radiation, and are also looking for new options. They already have several significant developments that will make everything cheaper and less labour-intensive. As for water, underground and mountain sources can still be used, though they are heavily polluted. Filtering is a difficult task and they are working hard to create lower-cost methods.

Downstairs, not far from the dining room, of course, there is a kitchen. There are few cooks, the main work is done by soldiers and the cooks only monitor the observance of the recipe. Although they cook separately for Warner and me. His and my food is carefully checked for any foreign substances.

"By your personal guard?" I ask, and a terrifying thought flashes through my mind. Possibility.

"Of course not," he replies. "That would be reckless."

And no details.

He tells me that they have greenhouses. And this is another shocking news for me. We stop there only briefly. Because it's very enticing, and he knows he wouldn't be able to get me out of there without using force. But even so, I've manage to marvel at the beauty, immensity and delightfulness of this place. Although this is not a real outside, they are trying to create all the conditions. It's not hard to guess what kind of wild puppy’s glee this causes me. And it's not difficult to imagine what kind of smile my reaction causes Warner.

It turns out they have huge greenhouses outside the complex. Each sector grows its own set of plants, and then an exchange takes place. This is a mandatory part of the food supply program for the sectors. But he also wants to collect unique plants that have been saved. And this process has already begun.

Warner knows the names of all the plants I point out to him. Of course, he says, this is what I'm working on, I should know that. And I am amazed again and again.

He says that he dreams of collecting not only flora, but also fauna. Now they have only productive animals. And he immediately anticipates my question, seeing my eyes light up. Of course, he will definitely let me see them.

What is in the sector now doesn't suit him at all. He plans to do more, to recreate something like zoos and nature reserves. It's difficult to get the necessary approval for this. But he already has a clear idea of how to present this as a benefit for The Reestablishment. Warner is developing an ecosystem restoration project, with an impressive list of benefits that this will give. 

It's impossible not to notice with what awe and care he treats this.

When he manages to achieve expansion, some civilians will be transferred there to work. And he tells briefly where most of them work now, what they produce, and how the exchange with other sectors takes place. He has to control that, too.

Of course, he also talks about barracks, soldiers, and their training areas. Soldiers are the basis of the HQ. 80% of the people living here are them. Soldiers are the force and power that is needed to keep the sector under control, so the military department is given the most attention. It gets the greatest financial flows. And army is what The Reestablishment can boast of. They have the best armories, a variety of weapons, the most modern technologies available. This is the only way to be ahead of any possible potential enemies.

The discipline and vigor of his army is his pride, even if it means being tough and radical. But it pays off, as I personally could see for myself.

My head is spinning from an incredible amount of information and impressions. I couldn't even imagine that all this was so complicated, diverse and absolutely insane. And, of course, that one person can deal with all this. It's almost astonishing. He's aware of everything that's happening here, has an idea of all the fields that different specialists are engaged in. He can't control it if he doesn't understand anything about it.

He tells me again that I could help him. That when I'm ready, we'll be an invincible team. That I could do so much if I wanted to. But I, once again, feel like a little bug on a football field.

How can I even came close to something like this? It's just unreal, impossible, fantastic. And I involuntarily feel a traitorous respect for Warner. Because now I understand that his job is something much more difficult than walking with a gorgeous look and in a beautiful suit along the corridors of this headquarters, making an evily–seriously-arrogant face, killing and torturing the ones he don't like.

For me, Warner was confined to a few rooms and very narrow, specific conversations on very definite topics. Most often concerning me directly. But now it's obvious that this is something more, much more. And it's impressive. I think it has had the same strong effect on me as the moment when I first saw his entire army. Over time, this impression was forgotten, but now it feels bright and sharp again. The scope. The amount of work. The severity level. And the degree of responsibility. It's not just playing the golden boy, who is brought breakfast in the morning and who makes small talk with his captives. This is something much grander.

Certainly, this contrasts strongly with my life, and I involuntarily begin to compare us. We're from completely different worlds, and I can't even imagine why he thinks I could join him in this. This is absolutely impossible, because even if I wanted to (which is out of options, of course), I simply couldn't. I would never be able to handle all this ever in my life. Even a quick glance from the outside already makes me feel that this is too much, and what would happen if I start delving into the details? It's just insane.

We go down to the lowest floor, the basement. And he keeps telling me about equipment of the army.

"This is our garage." I can feel his pride.

I walk forward, look around. There are a lot of military vehicles around us. 

"I've seen cars like this before."

"Of course you have. We use an armored car on a caterpillar track, you know. Roads are a long–forgotten term. As is the good weather. Caterpillars make it possible to pass any stretch of road without fear of getting stuck somewhere in the middle of the way. Especially when it comes to unregulated territory."

We approach one of the cars, and I remember how Adam drove me here. It seems like such a long time ago. Like in a past life. 

"Get in," Warner suddenly says to me, and I look at him in surprise.

"It's not necessary. I already have an idea of what it's like to be inside such a car."

"Mmm, it's not for experience, Juliette. It's for movement."

The heart falls to the floor, risking breaking apart. I don't understand why I'm so worried.

"Are we leaving?"

"Yep. Get in."

This news confuses me. And I don't quite understand how to react to this.

Thought. One thin, gray thought snakes into my mind. For some reason, it suddenly begins to seem to me that all this wasn't for nothing. This excursion wasn't accidental. It's all part of his plan. How did I not understand before, because it was quite obvious. He will take me back to the asylum now.

Warner showed me everything I could miss. You'll take books when you return. If you return. This is a punishment or another manipulation. I've been shown perspectives that I refuse so that I have something to think about in the cell. And, if sworn to tell the truth, I don't want to go back at all. The thought of being all alone again, in the dark and cold, hungry, dirty, exhausted, just drives me crazy. I don't want this with every fiber of my being. I'm not ready to hide in a cage anymore, not in that one.

Warner is not the kind of person to joke with. This is what Adam warned me about. This is what I've seen for myself. Adam is so silent and obedient around Warner not without reason. He knows the consequences. If you don't play by his rules, he won't change the rules, he'll break you. Isn't it obvious? Did I need more proof of his intelligence, cunning and foresight today?

He's waiting for me to get into the car, but I can't move. Who would've thought that it would be so much harder for me to return to the cell than I thought it would be? And now I feel like a puppy picked up on the street, who behaved badly, and now he is being thrown back.

"Should I help you? It's pretty high up here." He asks, seeing my confusion.

"I'm not going." I turn to face him, and he widens his eyes in surprise.

"I thought you'd be happy to get away from here."

He uses my own weapon against me. He knows exactly what he's doing. I told him so many times that I didn't want to be here, that I'd rather be in the cell. However, I pretend that I don't understand.

"I think I've had enough for today."

Warner looks almost offended. He's playing with me.

"Don't be such a sissy. One little trip. Juliette. Who knows when such an opportunity will present itself again."

I'm connecting the dots again, or at least I'm trying to. He's in charge here, he makes decisions. For what this spectacle with cameras and intrigues, highlighting the prospects and opportunities? He's playing cat and mouse with me. My head starts to hurt terribly.

Where's your pride, Juliette? Where's your common sense? Where is the fighter inside you that you were so proud of? This is what I'm telling myself, despite my aching heart and weak, buckling legs. 

I'm better than this. After all, a cell is better than any false promises, unjustified flattery and dirty luxury. And with this thoughts I turn around to get in the car.

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