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[pratisthalifecare]

We prepare high quality buffered and decomposed coco peat which is very essential for the plant growth. The coco peat is washed with additives to minimize its EC Value which helps to keep the soil loose and airy helping in better root growth. Call us at 7682927028 to order.

[farmsbazaarin-blog]

One of the Best DFT System in India | Farmsbazaar

You're looking for the best DWC system for larger plants or the best DFT system for smaller ones, a DFT/DWC system is a great choice for any serious hydroponic gardener. With its efficient use of water and minimal maintenance requirements, it's a great option for anyone looking to get into growing hydroponic microgreens or other plants indoors.

[alotofpockets]

Cooking class | Wanda Maximoff

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Summary: You meet Wanda at a cooking class that she teaches.

A/n: A special thank you to @catasha, without your ideas I would not have been able to finish this fic!

Masterlist | Marvel masterlist | Words: 2.8K

You recently discovered your love for cooking. You found it both relaxing and exhilarating, being able to add all these ingredients together to create a beautiful dish. Growing up your parents never really taught you how to cook, so you started by learning some cooking videos that you had seen online but the videos were general and not that fun, so you were searching for other ways to learn more cooking techniques. In your search for options you came across a cooking class taught by Wanda Maximoff, just a few blocks over.

When you entered the building you were in awe of the place. There were rows of stove tops, ovens and counters, all basked in sunlight from the floor to ceiling windows. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The women that walked up to you said. “Yeah, it looks great. I love the way the light enters the space.” The woman nods in agreement. “Everything is so fancy here, I can’t wait to cook here.” Wanda smiles, “Oh, trust me, cooking here is amazing.” The woman answers. “Oh, have you taken classes here before?” In response she holds out her hand, you shake it with a confused look plastered on your face. “Wanda, nice to meet you.” That’s when the puzzle pieces click, you were talking to the owner of the place. “Oh, haha, well Wanda, you have a beautiful place here. I’m y/n.”

The first class starts, and after some quick introductions, Wanda starts telling you about what you will be learning during these few classes. You were going to start easy and work your way up to some more intricate dishes. You were going to be making a dish each week for the duration of the four week starters course. Today you were going to focus on some cutting techniques, since you will be using that throughout the whole course. 

Wanda shows everyone how to hold the knives and how to get the best results and tells you to try it out for yourselves on the carrots in front of you. She goes around the kitchen islands giving everyone pointers and compliments. The dish for this week's class was vegetable soup, which meant lots of veggies to be cut. When you were done with the carrots, you chopped up leeks, tomatoes, and parsley. All that was left to cut were the garlic gloves. You felt quite comfortable with your chopping skills after the carrots, Wanda noticed and gave you a compliment, “Nice work, y/n, keep it up!” 

You continued to make the soup step by step, as Wanda told you more about what each of the steps would do for the dish, taste, texture, etc. She was an amazing teacher, she explained not only with the end goal of a dish in mind but also transferred her knowledge on certain ingredients as well as in what different ways they could be used. You enjoyed your first class very much, and the soup you created was delicious. 

Next week you arrive at the kitchen again, not realizing that you were there a bit too early until you saw that Wanda was still setting up the counters. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was so early.” You say as Wanda looks over. “Don’t worry, darling, come on in.” You blush slightly at the nickname. “I was just setting up the ingredients for today’s class.” She smiles in your direction. “Need a hand?” You say as you place your bag in the corner, “I’m here now anyways.” Wanda is very grateful for the help as she started a bit late with setting up herself, she showed you what each cooking station needed and you got to work while continuing the conversation with her. You placed thyme, bay leaves, sugar, worcestershire sauce and a beef cube on every station, while Wanda distributed the beef, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, tomato paste, and a small block of parmesan cheese. 

The dish for today was a spaghetti bolognese, with the main focus for the class being the making of the sauce. Wanda started by letting you cut your onions and mince the garlic, like how she taught you in the previous class. Then step for step she walked you through making the bolognese sauce. You loved pasta dishes, at home you always made them with store bought pasta sauce but now that you knew this recipe you were for sure going to use it. It was so much richer in flavor, while the cooking time wasn’t even that much longer. 

Before ending the class, Wanda announced next week's plans. “Next week we are going to have a little friendly competition.You are all going to create a dip of your own choosing. Email me the ingredients you will need before Friday, and I will make sure that they are ready for you on your counters next week!”

You were searching through recipe books and recipes online for a dip that would really impress Wanda. Most of the dips you found looked good but were still pretty basic. A couple of days went by without any ideas and then it hit you, during one of your conversations Wanda had mentioned that she was from Sokovia. You immediately started searching for Sokovian recipes and found the perfect dip. However, you saw that it would take a bit longer than a regular dip to make, so you decided to ask Wanda if maybe you would be able to come in earlier to use the oven to prepare your main ingredient. Wanda let you know that it would be no problem, and that she would be there starting 1pm, so any time after that would work. When you got her message back, you sent her the list of ingredients that you would need for your dip. 

That Sunday you arrive forty minutes before the official start of the class. “Hi, y/n, how have you been?” Wanda asks with a smile. “Hey, Wanda, I’ve been well, thank you. How about yourself?” Wanda waves you in before answering, “I’ve been doing good, thanks. I put your ingredients on your station, so feel free to start whenever you’d like.” You sent her an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Wanda, I really appreciate this.” 

You start working on your dip. The beets you need for it had to go in the oven for thirty minutes and would have to cool down for another twenty before you could use them. You start by poking some holes in the beet with a fork, and put them in some foil, before putting them on a baking tray. You are so focussed on your preparations that you don’t hear Wanda approaching, who was previously getting some things from a back room. Once you’ve put the tray into the oven and look up you finally realize that she is standing there, leaning against one of the other counters, admiring the focus you had. You feel a blush making its way to your cheeks again but quickly cover it up by turning around and cleaning up some of the things you won’t need to use in the recipe anymore. 

After that all there was left to do was wait for the beets to bake. So, you decided to see if there was anything you could do to help Wanda prepare for the upcoming class. Together you set up the ingredients on the other stations, while you were asking Wanda questions about what got her started on cooking. You learned that her mother loved to cook, and that after she passed away when Wanda was younger. Wanda shared that she felt closest to her while she was cooking, which is how she got into cooking. You shared how you got into cooking, and wanting to learn more about her. The conversation flowed so easily you hadn’t noticed that half an hour had passed until the oven beeped. 

You take out the tray with beets and let them cool down on the counter. The conversation with Wanda not faltering while you walk around in the kitchen. Soon after the rest of the class walks in. Wanda greets everyone separately before starting the contest. “Alright, I’ve seen some delicious ingredients in your lists, and I cannot wait to try the dips you have come up with! Is everybody ready?” The class cheers. “Ready, set go!” Wanda jokes, she was having so much fun with the competition. She walked around the counters to see what everybody was working on, lingering a bit longer at your counter. You add some yogurt to your grated beets and stir the mixture together. To give the dip some extra flavor, you add some finely chopped garling, some pepper and a pinch of salt. Finally, to top it off, you chop up some spring onion and sprinkle it over the top of your Sokovian purple beetroot dip.

Everyone presents their dip to the class, and Wanda tastes all of them. You could see that she had some clear favorites, and got a little nervous for her to taste yours. Those nerves went away once you saw the sparkle in her eyes after she tried it. You give her a knowing smile, before she moves to the next counter. 

“You have all made some incredible dips, I am very impressed. I am also very proud of the creativity you all put into these recipes. However, there can only be one winner, and that is…” Wanda looks at all the dips in front of her, before picking up yours. “Y/n!” The class applauds, and congratulates you on your win. The class ends and everyone starts walking out. You clean up extra slow, hoping to spend some more time with Wanda. She notices and walks over, “So, did you pick a Sokovian dish to impress me?” You laugh, “Depends, did it work?” Wanda laughs with you. “It did, the flavor brought me right back to my childhood. I remember this dip being present on every birthday platter.” You smile as she talks about her connection with the dish that you made. “Yeah, I hoped to be a step ahead with the Sokovian origin but the dip actually tastes amazing.” 

“Hey y/n, if I’m out of line here, please let me know but I was wondering if maybe you would like to come over to my place and cook dinner together tonight?” Wanda looks up at you hesitantly. “Yeah, that sounds wonderful.” The corners of her lips perk up slightly, “Like as I date, I mean.” You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Yes, I would love that.” You exchange numbers so Wanda can send you her address. “Oh, and you can bring your dip, that way we can use it in the starter.” You tell her that you think that’s a great idea. “I’ll make some flatbread for it and then we can cook the main course together.”

A couple hours later, you make your way over to Wanda’s house. You ring the doorbell, and just seconds later Wanda opens the door. “Hi, y/n, come in. The flatbread is almost ready, and do you want a drink? Wine? Water? Oh, I can put on some music, maybe?” Your heart warms at the way Wanda is so clearly nervous rambling. You reach out your hand to take a hold of hers, in order to ground her. “I’ll have whatever you are having, and music sounds nice.” Wanda looks down at your hands, her cheeks flushed. The moment gets interrupted by the ding of the oven. “Oh, I have to get that.” Wanda says and rushes off, leaving you on the doorstep. You smile and shake your head, as you let yourself in and close the door behind you. While Wanda was in the kitchen, you walked around her living room, admiring the way she decorated the space. 

Wanda walks back into the living room with a tray in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. “You have a beautiful place, Wanda.” She thanks you as she places two wine glasses, and a platter with the flatbread down on the table. You place the beetroot dip next to them, and reach for the bottle of wine when Wanda walks to the side to turn on some music. You fill up the glasses and hand Wanda one when she walks back and sits down on the couch next to you. Wanda relaxes more as the conversation starts up.

You sip on your wine, as you enjoy your starter together before going to the kitchen with Wanda to cook the main course. You're cutting up some vegetables, while Wanda walks around gathering pots and pans, utensils, spices, and the rest of the ingredients. She moves behind you, placing a hand on your back, making sure that she wouldn't bump into you while you're holding a chef's knife. Instead the gentle touch just distracts you from the chopping, as a blush crept up your cheeks. Wanda does this a couple more times as she walks from side to side in the kitchen, noticing your flustered state every time her hand touches your back.

"Hey, Wands, how can I best cut these?" You say as you move onto the next vegetable. She tells you how she would cut them, and you give it a try. Failing at your first two attempts, not being used to holding the knife in that way. "Want me to show you?" Wanda offers. "Yes, please." You expected Wanda to take the knife from you as she reached out for it but instead she takes a hold of your hand, and moves her body to stand behind you. Your breath hitches, when Wanda says, "Follow my lead." next to your ear. She starts moving your hand in the motion of the cut besides the vegetable before you actually slice into the vegetable on your cutting board together. Focusing on the technique is nearly impossible with Wanda pressed against your back. "See, easy as that. Now you try." Wanda keeps standing behind you but leans to the side and puts her hand on the counter, looking over your shoulder. Though you had trouble focussing for a moment, you practiced the motion Wanda just showed you once besides the vegetable again, before you tried it for real. “Yeah, that’s it! Nice work.” Wanda compliments you. You look over at Wanda with a proud smile plastered on your face. She smiles back at you and leans in to place a soft kiss on your cheek. Your cheeks instantly redden. “I hope that was okay.” Wanda says nervously. You smile at her again, “It was more than okay, Wands.”

The dinner came along nicely, you made a great team in the kitchen. You were sipping on your wine and swaying to the music as you effortlessly danced around each other in the kitchen. Wanda set the table along with some candles. The food tasted amazing, you were so happy with how it turned out. 

You cleaned up the dishes together before it was time for you to go home. Wanda only lived a couple of blocks away, so after the few glasses of wine that you had had, you could easily walk home again. Wanda walked you to the door, plans for seeing each other next already made. “Hey, Wanda, I know this was only the first date but can I kiss you?” In response Wanda smiles and leans in. You meet her half way into a soft kiss. You smile into the kiss and feel Wanda doing the same, making the butterflies in your stomach go crazy. On your walk home you can’t stop smiling. Once you enter your home, you text Wanda to let her know that you made it home safely.

Before the last cooking class the next Sunday, you had met up with Wanda many times again. You went on a picnic date on your day off, and enjoyed some snacks by the waterfront. Wanda joined you to try out one of your hobbies. Besides that you spend most evenings after work together, either watching a movie or just hanging out. When Sunday came around, it felt like you had known Wanda for years. When the class was over, you helped her clean up once again, and went home with her after another movie night. 

What you thought would be a one time cooking class to learn something new, turned into dating an incredible chef who would teach you all about it from the comfort of both your homes. Signing up for that class, had led to meeting your new favorite person, and you could not be happier.

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[paradoxlemonade]

Like a Flower in Bloom; chapter 2/3

Fic summary: Doc Monster is a many things: he's a tinkerer, a college graduate, a creeper hybrid, and a husband to his wonderful spouse, Ren. Most importantly, he is a father. And he would do anything to make his trans daughter Scarlet happy. Even if it means becoming a Buttercup Scout troop leader and herding a trio of middle school girls.

Chapter Summary: Let's make a troop.

This is my @mcytblraufest fic, made in collaboration with my artist @watchmewhirl and beta-read my @raivaughn. You can find the masterpost for the art here.

Warnings: none!

Ao3: Here!

First - Next

---

Doc pulls into the driveway about 20 minutes later, a bag of fast food sitting in the passenger seat. Scarlet needs some comfort food after that meeting, so who is he to deny her?

She trudges in the front door a few paces behind him. When he glances back, there’s a smile on her face for Ren, but her eyes are red and puffy from crying. Doc gives his husband a pointed look before he can even think of asking how the meeting went.

Instead of prodding, Ren fills the empty space of dinner time with meandering chatter about how his day at work went, a video of a little kitten riding on a dog he saw online, and whether or not ketchup should count as a vegetable. Scarlet’s smile gets a bit less forced as the evening wears on, but it also grows tired and she slinks to her room down the hall early that evening.

Doc carries the plates over the sink where Ren has already started rinsing the glasses. He sets a cup and his rag down, just staring for a moment. “...Now can I ask about how the meeting went?” His ears flatten to his head. “The other girls weren’t mean to her, were they? Middle schoolers can be the cruelest beasts.”

Doc leans against the counter with a huff and crosses his arms. “No, no, the scouts were perfectly nice.” He leans back and scowls at their ceiling. “The troop leader, on the other hand, is a heinous bitch. Excluded her a lot. Transphobic. The works.”

Ren sucks in a breath around his teeth. “Oh, she must’ve been devastated.”

He takes the lead-in to get Ren caught up on everything that happened while they finish loading the dishwasher, including how Scarlet was so torn up about the idea of not getting to be a Buttercup Scout. Devastated she was, no matter how she tried to hide it.

They finish up in the kitchen and retire to the family room couch, a laptop balanced between them. The stark white Buttercup Scout web page drowns out the soft lamplight.

Just like last time the two of them looked, most of the troops in the area fell into one of three categories: far enough that they couldn’t justify the time or gas prices, not currently accepting new members, met on a Tuesday (their standing date for Scarlet’s physical therapy, which they can’t move around due to how busy the practice is), or that asshole Symmetry’s troop, which definitely wasn’t an option. Sure, they could go complain to the local council, but Doc doubted she would play nice if they forced her to let Scarlet in.

“Apparently,” Doc mutters, running a clawed finger down the side of the keyboard, “she overheard us talking about how the other troops around here are a bridge too far.”

Ren winces at that. “Man, we’re running out of options.” He gnaws on his lip a moment, and his ears prick up a second later. “Well, all except for one.”

Doc’s not quite what one would call desperate, but he’s edging closer and closer to that word’s gravity. He gives his husband an unimpressed look. “Which is…?”

Ren scoops up the laptop and rapidly taps away at the touchpad. Tap tap tap, click-clack-click-clack. He turns the screen around after a moment so Doc can read the page title, a self-satisfied smile threatening to break.

How To Form a Troop By Becoming a Buttercup Scout Troop Leader.

Doc looks down at the screen. He looks up at Ren. 

“You’re kidding, right? I don’t want to be in charge of a bunch of brats. Just the one is enough.”

Ren snorts at that, his grin now out full-force. “Brats. Please, I know you love children.”

Doc rolls his eyes. “That doesn’t mean I want to spend one night a week trying to keep middle schoolers from killing each other.” There’s a waver in his voice. He slumps back against the couch with a huff. 

Ren leans over and cuddles up against him, laptop tilted askew by the shift. “But you would do anything for our baby girl. Scarlet wants to be a Buttercup Scout, and there’s no good troops in the area. We told her we would try, didn’t we?”

He’s not actually considering what Ren is saying, is he?

…

Goddammit.

“You’re going to help me with this,” he says dryly.

“Of course, baby!” Ren gives him a gentle kiss on the corner of his lip. Doc can feel the smile through it. “We’re going to be the best troop leaders ever!”

Doc leans into the touch, but the scowl doesn’t leave his face. “We’ll still need to find at least two more girls that we aren’t the guardians of to form a proper troop.” He picks the laptop back up and points to a subheading halfway down the page. Troop Minimum Requirements. “We also need to get certified and set up with the local council, figure out our budget , and—”

Ren reaches over and slowly closes the laptop screen, giving Doc ample time to resist. He doesn’t. “And we’ll get there. Let’s just take one step at a time, okay baby?”

Doc bumps his forehead against Ren’s. “Okay.”

***

They broach the topic at breakfast the next morning to Scarlet, who’s instantly smitten with the idea.

She stands from her seat and plants her hands on the table. “Oh my gosh, really?” There’s sparkles in her eyes. “You’ll form a new troop for me?” Wait, those sparkles are actually tears. Oh dear.

It takes a family hug for her weeping to stop, but she manages not to cry into her bowl of cereal. Her face is red and she’s sniffling, but her gap-toothed smile is one of Doc’s favorites.

“I’ll find you two more scouts! I just have to ask my friends who aren’t already in a Buttercup Scout troop! Or boys!” She makes a face at that idea. “Hang on, that’s most of my friends.”

Doc can’t help but snort at her expression. Despite being told that he and Ren can put up a notice online about forming a new troop, Scarlet insists on trying first and they stand down to her badgering. Arguing with her begging kitty eyes is an exercise in futility.

He digs more into the training requirements while she’s at school and Ren is at work, and makes some decent progress on the first module. It’s a quiet enough day, going between tinkering in their garage and parked in front of the family room computer to watch a video with a droning narrator explaining first aid.

Ren gets home first as per usual, and Doc sets him up with the laptop on the couch (and with a glass of water, and with some beef jerky as a snack) so he can get cracking on the training he needs to do to be an assistant troop leader.

It’s a quiet enough afternoon, the two of them coexisting with quietly-playing videos and the mouse-clicking of going through the quizzes.

Scarlet arrives home not long later with a shout, waving her backpack around like a spoil of war. “Guess who found you your new scout members!” She drops the crutches held in her other hand and swings around. “Am I good, or am I good?”

Ren startles and almost drops his water. “Woah baby, already? How in the world did you do that?”

Scarlet bounces on the toes of her feet. “So I talked to all the girls in my art class, but they all already had a troop or didn’t want to be scouts, and language arts was the same, and the math teacher told me to stop talking during the lecture so I only got to ask my table partners, but!” She swings her arms wide for emphasis. Doc slips over and takes her bag before she can knock a picture frame off the wall, but lets her keep talking. “But then at lunch! I was talking to my best friend Cub about needing new scout friends for the new troop, and he said that he knew some people!”

A laugh rumbles in Doc’s chest. “Did he, now?” Scarlet and Cub have been friends since kindergarten, and he’s gotten to know the kid pretty well over the years. If he recommended people to Scarlet, then there’s definitely some kind of catch.

“Yeah, he did!” Scarlet grabs her phone from her pocket and fumbles with it for a moment before flipping it around to show Doc. “Here, this is them!”

The picture on screen is of a selfie that Scarlet took in the cafeteria, presumably during lunch not long after Cub gave her the tip. Seated against the wall are two girls glancing up through the camera. The first is a very tall girl with black hair in a curly ponytail, red-lensed glasses, and curiously, a fake handlebar mustache stickered on her face. She’s tall enough to be bunched up awkwardly to be entirely in frame and her wobbly smile betrays her nervousness. The other is much shorter, a blonde avian girl with parrot-like ear feathers and a freckled, smirking face. She’s throwing up an ironic-looking peace sign.

Middle schoolers get stranger every year.

Scarlet points to mustache girl. “This is Mumbo—” and to the blonde one— “and this is Grian!”

Ren trots over to take and look and Scarlet repeats their names for him. “Huh. Cool! And they want to be Buttercup Scouts?”

She nods emphatically. “Yeah, that’s what they said!”

Doc hums in careful acknowledgement and herds them out of the entryway and back into the rest of the house. Ren ambles back to his training, and Scarlet bounces into the kitchen and grabs an apple out of the fruit bowl that lives on their island. He gives her a look. “Do you know why they haven’t already joined another troop?” Which is probably where the catch is, if he knows anything about Scarlet’s friend by now.

She waves her hand vaguely. “Yeah, yeah; Mumbo said she was too nervous to join—or, well, Grian said that for her, but whatever—and Grian said she was—” she takes a bite of her apple and the last half of her sentence dissolves into gibberish with few recognizable sounds.

Doc raises his eyebrow.

Scarlet swallows the bite and chuckles sheepishly. “Sorry. Yeah, Grian said she’s been a Buttercup Scout before, but she got kicked out of her last troop.”

What.

Doc blinks. “Did she say why, or…?”

She shrugs. “I dunno what happened. But she wants to join our troop! So that’s two more members! And we only need three!” She looks up at him with pleading eyes. “You gotta take her, ‘cause Mumbo said she wouldn’t join without Grian! And no one I asked wanted to join! So!”

Curse those kitty eyes.

He ruffles her hair and smiles through the hesitation churning in his lungs. “I did say all we needed to form a troop was two more girls.” Scarlet cheers before Doc can say his next thought. “Did you get their parent’s phone numbers so I can call them?”

Her celebration stutters to a halt like a toy running out of batteries. She clears her throat and focuses very hard on her apple. “Um, no…? 

He can’t help but chuckle at the redness growing on her face. “Ask them tomorrow, and we’ll see where it goes, okay?”

“Okay!”

[solarpunkani]

this is a personal vent but its a somewhat anti-capitalist/anti-grind culture vent so its going here but like

I wish I could have one (1) hobby that just stays a hobby and remains a fun lil heehee hobby without one or both parents desperately trying to get me to monetize it.

Like I am JUST learning crochet. I have been crocheting for less than a MONTH. I have ONE finished project. And my mom is ALREADY sending me lil instagram reels like 'heehee this is how much I made from my ~crocheting business~ in the month of October' and sending me a bunch of eyes emojis and dollarsign eyes emojis like, first off my beloved mother that woman has been crocheting for YEARS maybe even DECADES and I just picked it up three tuesdays ago, but second of all I don't necessarily wanna just make a buncha shit and then sell it online!!! I wanna make stuff for me and maybe friends and family if they ask really nicely, but nooooo now mom wants me to Perfect the Craft so I can sell on etsy and instagram and whatever.

This would be a Mild Annoyance if this wasn't simply the first in a long string of 'what if you monetized this hobby.' Which, granted, sometimes I do it to myself, but I'm really trying to stop.

Oh you like gardening? What if you monetized it! Sell vegetables at the farmers market! Sell cut flowers at the farmers market! Start your own small business! What do you mean, you mostly do it for personal enjoyment and environmental reasons? Just grow a bigass plot of zinnias, forget about your other stuff, and sell sell sell!!!

Oh, you like creative writing? You like writing novels and short stories and fanfics?? Go be a copywriter! Go be an adjunct professor, because you're totally qualified! What? You don't wanna write manuals and advertisements? But you're such a good writer, go make money off of it!

Oh you wanna learn sewing?! Learn sewing!! Quickly!! Not for your own personal enjoyment of the craft, I'm gonna start a business selling bags and YOU"RE gonna help me!!! I'm not asking permission btw this is me telling you--

Don't even get me started on the absolute slog that has been trying to become an animator and selling art commissions because I like drawing and animating and how that's been going for me, or the fact that my mom seems to think Masters Degree in Animation = Qualified Graphic Designer, which is not the same thing.

It's just exhausting. I would like to be allowed to have one hobby that doesn't immediately read as dollar signs in my parents eyes, yknow?

anyways capitalism grind culture is a hell scape thank you for coming to my tedtalk.

[nevernonline]

✧.* grow as we go; svt smau.

entry #6 quit!

synopsis: over the past ten years you’ve fallen in love many times. one day someone happens to stumble across your journal sitting out on your nightstand and started posting your entries online. after all of your secrets are leaked it’s clear things would ever be the same again.

𐦍 paring: svt members x afab! reader.

𐦍 feat: non-idol! svt, (g)-idle minnie&soyeon, oc’s

𐦍 genre/s: reader is super angsty low-key, fluffy, sexual themes.

𐦍 content: swearing, bullying, crazy ex’s, mentions of sexual , reader talks about parental death, sexual relations, some drinking& mary jane 🍃

word count: 2.8k

masterlist ▸ 5. 005. chronic memory keeper ▸ 007. snake in the grass

Stepping into her kitchen was the most relaxing feeling ever, it had been a while since y/n had the chance to dine in with a recipe she carefully put together or found on pinterest and craft something nice. Spending hours on end not thinking about her own problems and just focusing on a hobby she enjoys. 

After her overly embarrassing text messages hinting to Minghao that she slightly hoped he was single had her desperately wishing they wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass. 

Cleaning out the insides of the chicken and placing them in a bowl saved for her next soup stock, she massages pads of butter or seasoning onto it’s skin and placed it in her hot oven, before moving onto the thinly silenced potatoes and root vegetables she had prepped that morning, boiling and simmering them. 

A chime from her doorbell stole her away from her stress free time in the kitchen. She was excited to see Minghao but it wasn’t him who was waiting at her threshold. opening it to reveal a small package, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a matching twine bow. 

No note was attached on the outer side revealing who may have left the wrapped item for her to find. So she decided to ignore it, just for now at least and get back to preparing her meal for a friend. 

An hour had passed since the last time someone was ringing the doorbell and left waiting for her to quickly wash her hands. 

“Y/n?” 

Minghao. 

“Sorry, one second I just need to wash my hands.” 

She yelled, leaving the water running and rushing herself to the guest bathroom next to the door, making sure she looked alright and didn’t miss an out of place hair or swipe of flour on her face. 

Opening her front door, she revealed Mingaho standing with a paper bag in his hand as well as a bouquet of her favorite flowers, Hydrangeas swinging to his side. 

She looked him up and down forgetting she invited him here and still not inviting him in. He was dressed in a perfectly ripped pair of jeans and matching long denim coat, underneath she caught a glimpse of a white button down top missing the clasps of the top three buttons revealing his chest. He looked incredible. 

“Can I come in?” 

“Oh, shit. Sorry. Yes, please.” 

“This is for you, some wine and snacks for after dinner. I picked them up from the chinese market near my gallery.” 

“That’s so thoughtful of you, thank you. The flowers are beautiful, how did you know I liked hydrangeas?” 

“I saw on Seokmin’s instagram that he took you to a flower farm last year, I just assumed.” 

“Ah. Well you assumed right, they’re really gorgeous.” 

“What are you making? It smells so good.” 

“Roast chicken and root veggies, with some wild rice and my mom’s very special, very secret recipe sauce. 

Minghao was amazed watching y/n move around the kitchen with ease, seemingly like she was dancing around the marble floor. 

“I have to admit, I really thought you were joking when you told me you could cook. I almost expected you to order food and make it look like you were the chef.” 

“Ouch. That hurts my pride a little bit. Actually, my dad was a chef. He used to own a restaurant. I spent a lot of time there as a kid helping him.” 

“Was? What happened if you don’t mind me asking?” 

“He passed away when I was a teenager. It’s a long story.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. It’s okay, I miss him, but cooking helps me feel close to him.” 

“Now I’m very sorry I ever doubted your skill.” 

Your laugh made Minghao happy, he knew he probably struck a chord in you but it was nice that even when you were sad you could still find humor in anything. 

“Need my help with anything?” 

“Just for you to either open that bottle of wine or make me a cocktail, dealer's choice.” 

“Got it.” 

Y/n’s dining partner strode off to the chrome bar cart and twiddled his fingers around the various bottles of liquor, some full and some half empty, giving him an indication of the things she chose for herself. 

“Here you are, chef.” 

“Wow, thank you bartender. What is it?” 

“Try it and find out.” 

Y/n took a sip from the slightly pink cocktail glass, swishing it in her mouth for dramatic effect. 

“Okay, so.. Gin, Campari, a splash of grapefruit bitters, and lemon?” 

“Wow, are you like a weird super taster or something? What the fuck.” 

“No, just a girl who loves gin old fashioneds.” 

“You are one surprising specimen.” 

“Shut up. Come on, let's eat.” 

After basically finishing every edible thing on the plate, Minghao offered to clean up for you as a thank you for the efforts of you cooking him one of the best dinners he’s had the pleasure of eating. 

Y/n switched into her role as bartender and opened a beautiful bottle of red wine for the pair to sip on as their night continued on. 

“Thank you for cleaning. I’m sorry again about the whole weird ass texts I was sending you. I was way too drunk to be alone with my thoughts and access to the internet.” 

“I told you it’s alright. I actually found it sort of cute.” 

“Cute? Maybe you are crazier than I thought you were.” 

“No, come on. You know you’re cute. Everyone tells you all the time, I agree with them.” 

“Shut up, THE Xu Minghao thinks I’M cute? I’m so flattered.” 

Minghao playfully slapped y/n’s hand off of her chest, knocking the red liquid around in her cup, causing it to fall onto the white fabric of her pants. 

“Shit. I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s ok, I can just go throw them in the wash. One second.” 

Y/n departed into her room, changing into a pair of pink pajama bottoms, not removing her corseted tank top in the process, fleeing quickly into the laundry room at the end of the hall to wash the stain out. 

Minghao in the meantime caught a glimpse of the twine wrapped package on her coffee table and went over to see what it could possibly be. In the time he spent inspecting it he didn’t notice his female counterpart entering back into the room. 

“Someone left that for me at my door. Weird right?” 

“Yeah, sort of. Should we open it?” 

“I’m kind of scared to be honest.” 

“Okay, I have an idea.” 

“I’m not sure how I feel about that.” 

“Trust me?” 

“Maybe.” 

Minghao stepped back to the now familiar bar cart and grabbed a bottle of whiskey that had been left unopened until this night, placing two shot glasses in front of them both. 

“What does taking shots have to do with us opening the package?” 

“What doesn’t it have to do with the package? It’s brown, similar to the wrapping. It’s sealed, maybe because you don’t like it or it’s not something you’re sure of. And it’s interesting. So we take two shots, then we open it, then regardless of what it is, we play a game. The game selfishly is for me to get to know you deeper. I feel like I’ve spent so much time with you and I don’t know that much about you, other than what was exposed. So, you in?” 

“Yes.” 

Y/n and Minghao cheered to their now growing connection and he placed the small package in her lap, holding onto her knee, getting the feeling that she needed moral support based on mutual gut feelings. 

“Okay.” 

“I’m sure it’s not bad.” 

As y/ns hands ripped apart the brown paper and untied the rope around the mysterious box, it revealed a soft purple journal, now torn apart, pages basically falling out from end to end all over the couch between them. 

“My journal.” 

Her voice shifted, she was no longer happy or full of anticipation, she was confused and slightly disappointed as her precious and private life fell out in front of her, photos, entries, and shards of her life. 

“Oh, y/n. I-” 

“No. Don’t say sorry, please.” 

“Why the fuck do people care? Just like why am I someone's target? Especially if it’s someone I know, what is so bad that you can’t just fucking talk to me about it? Sorry, I don’t know if that makes sense at all, but I just don’t get it.” 

“I think some people are just scared of genuine conflict, so instead of asking they make things about themselves and take the other person's feelings out of the equation to feed their own.” 

“Why give it back now? Am I expected to just ignore my privacy being invaded and be like well it’s over good? This makes me feel even more uneasy.” 

“Maybe they left you a clue or something by giving this back?” 

Minghao collected the various contents that were left as ashes for you, feeding you more alcohol and not talking while he did so. 

“y/n? Here.” 

A small envelope, matching the shade of purple of the cover of your journal was tapped inside the cover, inside a typed note. 

‘Just because it comes back to you, doesn’t mean it’ll always stay the same. See you soon. Xo.’

“What the fuck does that even mean?” 

“I guess they’re trying to tell you more will come out? And that they have no purpose for keeping the evidence anymore.” 

“Can we.. maybe, just for the rest of the night ignore this? I cannot focus on this anymore and it’s ruining my chance to have fun with you.” 

“Please. Let me distract you.” 

“Do you want to change? Or need clothes? I know Seokmin and Joshua left some stuff here in case they ever stayed over.” 

“They wouldn’t mind?” 

“No, of course not. I’ll be right back.” 

Y/n ran back into her room, gathering various styles of t-shirts and sweatpants to make Minghao more comfortable. 

“Here, there's some options. I know you care a lot about your style, so pick what you want.” 

Mingaho grabbed a black t-shirt with a logo from Joshua’s coffee shop on the front and an odd pair of Seokmin’s disney character pajama pants, just to make the air go back to it’s lighthearted space. 

“Oh my god, you look amazing.” 

“ I just wanted you to smile.” 

“Mission accomplished, Mickyhao.” 

“That is an awful nickname.” 

“Shut up, don’t be a dick.” 

“Got it. Okay, so let’s play a little game, y/n. I’ll ask you some questions, if you don’t want to answer you can drink and you can do the same for me. Got it?” 

“Got it. You go first.” 

“Okay, so what stops you from going after the things you want?” 

“Hmm, I’m shy, I guess? I don’t want to risk changing how things already are any more than they have changed on their own. I think confessions and love declarations are unnerving, I could ruin something good just for a single chance. Not knowing shit freaks me out.” 

“So you’re a control freak, got it.” 

“No. Not a control freak, just a loser.” 

“That’s accurate.” 

“You’re stupid. Okay, Minghao. What made you want to pursue art?” 

“I guess it was just always something I was good at? I loved being able to tell the truth about stuff without having to say it outloud, people can perceive anything they want, but I know how I truly feel and nobody can take it away from me. The truth, I mean.” 

“How are you so certain that its the truth?” 

“Well, it's my truth.” 

“Touche” 

“Why didn’t you tell Minnie about Seungcheol? Were you ever going to?” 

“Yikes. I guess, I didn’t feel like it was important. We hooked up way before they ever dated, he was just helping me out with something that scared me, which I didn’t think was a big deal. I knew she liked him, but she told me she’d never confess. I guess I didn’t think it was as big of a problem until it was. Does that make sense?” 

“Yeah it does, how did it happen?” 

“No, no, no. One question at a time. How did it happen for you?” 

“My virginity? I was at a party, junior year before college and I met a girl. She was nice, really pretty, and she seemed to enjoy my company. I guess I just asked her if she wanted to fuck and she agreed, but after she told me she had a boyfriend and that was that.” 

“So she cheated on her boyfriend just to fuck you? Alright, good for you I guess. Bad for the boyfriend.” 

“Have you ever cheated on someone?” 

“Me? God no. I haven’t even had the chance to be with anyone that seriously considers sleeping around cheating. I don’t think I could do that. Why? Have you?” 

“Nope, but I guess I’ve been the person someone used to cheat, so it feels sort of like cheating.” 

“Since we seem to be two overly honest people for this game, want to drink just for fun as well?” 

“Please. Cheers.” 

“Okay y/n, I have a question.” 

“Yes?” 

“What was it about Joshua or Mingyu that attracted you to them?” 

“With Shua it was how kind he was, everyone knows it and can see that. It just sort of radiates around him. I mean he’s beautiful, they both are. In such different ways. I’ll probably always view him as that first boy I loved, he’s really special to me. As for Mingyu, I guess I never knew why at first. He was just my hot friend that I hooked up with sometimes, but the more and more we hung out the more I realized how smart he was and how intriguing his character is.” 

“Do you still have feelings for them?” 

“I’m not sure what my feelings are for anyone at this moment, no.” 

“What about me?” 

“What about you?” 

“Would you ever consider me the way you consider them?” 

“Can I take a shot?” 

“Sure, but you still have to answer the question. Come on.” 

“Yeah, I would. I like getting to know you, I appreciate how fiercely committed you are to riding for the people you love. I like that you’re artistic like me, that we can laugh about wild stuff, but also be honest and talk about anything and everything in between. You’ve really made me happy even in the short time of knowing you. And to say that I’d have to think about considering you is silly, because I definitely already have. Seokmin and Jun think I have a crush on you.” 

“You don’t?” 

“Nobody needs to know.” 

“I do.” 

“You do what? Need to know if I like you?” 

“No, like you.” 

“Wait.” 

“A lot actually. More than I ever considered I would. I think you’re actually a really spectacular person despite everything.” 

“Oh. Thank you.” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

“Yeah. You can.” 

The smell of whiskey on Minghao’s breath made the hair on Y/N’s arms stand up as she fell into his touch, the kiss exploded into more and more touching and exploration of the pair's bodies. And continued on through the night, more than once. 

The next morning y/n woke up with a headache, checking the clock on her phone revealing it was almost time for Joshua to come and whisk her away from her new found bliss in bed next to Minghao. 

“Going somewhere?” 

“What?” 

“You have a suitcase in the corner and you keep checking your phone, is everything alright? I wasn’t that bad was I?” 

“No, but I’m going to see my mom this weekend with Joshua, I almost forgot. He’s on his way.” 

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry.” 

“Stop apologizing. I’ll just shower quickly and sneak out. You can stay as long as you need, I have an extra key in the blue jar next to my door, just lock it up for me?” 

“Sure, but come here quickly.” 

Minghao pulled y/n in for a long sweet kiss, before she ran into the warm water of her shower. 

Minghao propped himself up in her bed, collecting himself before making an attempt at a small getaway. Coming face to face with the unlocking door of the same apartment he spent his night in before. 

“Y/n, hey can I- Oh, Minghao. Hey.” 

“Joshua, Hi. Sorry I was just leaving.” 

“Without saying goodbye?” 

“What?” 

“To y/n, she’s in the shower, you’re just leaving?” 

“I don’t need to explain myself to you, for your information we already said a very thorough goodbye. Have fun on your trip, take care of her.” 

“Hah. Alright.” 

“I’m serious. Make sure she knows I’ll miss her.” 

“I’ll be sure to do that.” 

Minghao grabbed his jacket and slid out of her front door, looking behind him before walking away from y/n already feeling jealous she’d be spending her weekend with Joshua and not him, but he had things he couldn't tell her. Not yet.

"Oh, Joshua. I didn't think you were coming yet. Sorry, let me just grab my stuff."

"No it's fine, I just wanted to grab some snacks, hope that's okay?"

"Of course, take whatever you want. Give my five?"

"I saw your overnight guest on his way out."

"Yeah, he stayed over. I made him dinner, we just got drunk I didn't want him to have to drive home like that. Unsafe, you know."

"Right, well I'll meet you in the car."

"No need, I'm ready. I cannot wait to have the Boston Creme Pie from Boi's, I'm literally salivating thinking about it."

"We should go when we get into town and order an entire one."

"I see why we're friends now. Come on."

Joshua grabbed y/ns luggage, waiting for her to lock up her apartment and the pair headed to his car waiting outside.

bonus:

note/s: y/n love triangle era starting fr. srry this took a second and is a lil chaotic, I've been a lil busy. but!! I already have the next part on hand and will be posting v soon, some shit will be going down at minghaos show, but I didn't tell u that. xoxoxo. ily.

taglist:  @sun-daddy-yoriichi,@hipsdofangirl @kissesfrmwonwoo, @minhui896, @wonwooz1, porridgesblog,, jasssy051, @soonyoungblr, @saucegirlreads, @musingsofananxiouspotato, @young-adult-summer, @punkhazardlaw, @bibs-world @the-swageyama-tobiyolo @wonuulvr @woozixo

[hyuge]

Japanese Rose

It started with a single yellow petal—small, delicate, virtually unnoticeable. One petal became two, then three, then four. Meguru brushed it off at first. He had heard the warnings about how it was dangerous to ignore the flowers that bloomed, but he didn’t think it was necessary to worry. He knew the source of the flowers. He had identified the genus, Kerria japonica, after looking up the petals online. They said it was bad to wait, but he had never met anyone that had suffered from the disease before. Could one count it as suffering when it was a confirmation of his love? It was beautiful, much like the yellow petals. They sort of looked like Sakura but instead of growing on trees, they grew in bushes. That made sense. All his life he had been on the ground with the dirt and the weeds, never one to be held in high praise and tower over others like a mighty tree.

Kerria japonica grew on mountain slopes and often scrambled over other vegetation and rocks. That made sense too. Meguru thought his love might seem suffocating. His feelings were grand, too big for the recipient to handle. It would weigh them down, snuff out the light in their eyes, so he kept his lips sealed. He zipped his mouth shut like a body bag headed for the morgue. His love may be grand and suffocating but he loved that he loved. Meguru kept every single flower he coughed up. When the old ones dried, he pressed them into bookmarks. He covered the pages of his journal. He filled shadow boxes with every loose petal. The ones that had droplets of blood were his favorite. They showed the depth of his love. The slowly growing vines that twisted in his lungs were monstrous. He had a monster in him, and he welcomed it with open arms.

Meguru didn’t want to completely keep his love to himself. He wanted to shower the source of his affection in his love, even if it might be suffocating. He started to anonymously share his love with his classmate and dorm neighbor, Isagi Yoichi. Meguru didn’t want to startle Isagi. He had to go about it strategically otherwise Isagi might not understand the monster that dwelled within him. He slipped one of the bookmarks pressed with dried yellow flower petals under Isagi’s door and waited. He smiled when Isagi noticed it. Isagi looked down the hall, left, then right, then waved the bookmark in the air. “Did anyone drop this?”

No response. Isagi took it into his room.

Meguru repeated the action a week later. Yet another bookmark was left tucked under Isagi’s door. His blue eyes widened in surprise to see a near identical bookmark. He tried again, but still no one claimed it. Again, he took it into his dorm. Meguru knocked on the door and cocked his head when Isagi answered. “Everything okay, Isagi?” His yellow eyes glinted with a hint of understanding.

Isagi nodded and opened his door to allow Meguru to step inside. “Yeah. I’m good. How are you, Bachira?”

The small talk was trivial, but Meguru felt a flutter in his chest, and he knew more flower petals were on their way. He spied the matching bookmarks on Isagi’s desk, and his cheeks warmed with satisfaction. Isagi kept them. He could have thrown Meguru’s love away but he didn’t. He left shortly after. He had to hurry to his room to cough up more petals. Meguru coughed into a basket, catching each petal as it fell from his lips like the confession he refused to spill. There were more now. They didn’t come out as one or two. It was usually ten or twenty, maybe more.

Bachira Meguru loved Isagi Yoichi, and the depth of his love grew every day. It twisted and coiled within his lungs. Some days it was hard to breathe but he powered through it. Meguru did not want to leave Isagi’s side. He skipped along as they crossed campus to their literature class. Meguru spun from a streetlamp that lined the sidewalk, holding the palm of his hand against the smooth metal surface, his face but a few inches from Isagi’s. Isagi’s eyes widened at the proximity.

“Bachira?”

Meguru smiled. He loved the sound of his name on Isagi’s pretty lips. He’d like to press his own against them—feel the warmth, taste his tongue, maybe share petals that spew out of his own mouth and let them fall into Isagi’s. Meguru believed Isagi had a monster in him too, they just weren’t the same. If they were, Isagi would understand him without Meguru having to explain it.

“I’m looking forward to class,” said Meguru. Then, he let go of the lamppost and skipped the rest of the way to the literature building, leaving Isagi to trail after him.

Meguru knew he should take things more seriously. Hanahaki was not a disease to be trifled with, but he wasn’t concerned. Even with the petals turned into whole flower blossoms, he still wasn’t concerned. The flowers were pretty. The coughing was painful, but it was worth it. He received these beautiful yellow flowers in exchange for a coughing fit. Just like the petals, he kept every single one.

It hurt to breathe now thanks to the vines. Meguru was more lethargic since he couldn’t get air in his lungs as easily. He would have to stop to catch his breath when walking or lay down in his room for long stretches of time. Everyone took notice, Isagi especially.

“Bachira, what’s going on with you?” Isagi leaned over Meguru as he laid in his dorm bed. Meguru waved him off.

“I’m fine, Isagi. Class has just been hard lately.” Meguru rolled onto his side. His chest ached and he could feel another coughing fit coming on. “I’ll be fine. You go on without me. I just want to rest.”

Isagi hesitated before saying goodbye and leaving Meguru alone. It was fine. He just had to get through the coughing. Just the fact that Isagi cared about his well-being was enough to put a smile on Meguru’s face. The flowers bloomed from his mouth with each cough that wracked his body. They were bright, yellow, bloody, and beautiful.

“The monster loves Isagi,” Meguru muttered to himself before falling asleep.

Things only seemed to progress from that point on. It was impossible to hide the coughing, though Meguru did everything he could to keep the flowers and petals from being visible. He would shove fistfuls of flowers into his jean pockets and the inside of his backpack. Anywhere he could stash them on his person, he would. It worked fine, until one afternoon when he had a coughing fit so bad that he blacked out. When he came to, he was laid out on a cot in the campus infirmary. Isagi sat beside him with a worried look etched in his brows.

“Bachira Meguru, I knew you would go it alone in the end, but I never expected this.” Isagi held up a fistful of yellow flowers. The Kerria japonica looked beautiful balanced in the palm of his hand.

Meguru tried to speak but his throat hurt too much. It was raw, he could taste blood on his tongue, and his lips were painfully cracked.

“Don’t speak.” Isagi dropped the flowers onto the bed beside Meguru, then pulled a bottle of water out of his bag and unscrewed the lid. He held it out for Meguru to sip on, then sighed. “I recognize these,” he said. Isagi reached into his bag again. Two bookmarks with yellow flower petals were in his other hand. “I thought they were strange, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out. They were handmade, after all. You have Hanahaki and you didn’t say anything.” Isagi studied the bookmarks intently, then flicked his gaze to the pile of flowers on the bed. “It’s me, isn’t it?”

There was no denying it now. He already knew the truth. Meguru nodded his head, his throat still too raw to speak.

“Well… That’s a relief.”

Meguru cocked a brow and tilted his head to the side. Why would it be a relief that the source of his Hanahaki Disease was Isagi? He didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Isagi dropped the bookmarks, he set the water aside, and rested one hand on the mattress of the cot as he leaned in. His warm lips pressed against Meguru’s and his dark eyelashes fluttered shut. Meguru sat stark still, surprised by the action, then let himself melt into the kiss. It was over far too quickly.

“Bachira Meguru,” said Isagi as he leaned back, “I’m in love with you.”

Oh. That was a relief then. Meguru felt the coiling pain in his chest slacken. The vines that had crept up his lungs and into his throat quickly receded, leaving a rush of air in its place. He could breathe, and then he couldn’t. He coughed violently. It was more painful than any other coughing fit he had ever felt before. All the air was sucked out of his lungs as he gasped, choked, and wheezed. Finally, he felt something creep up the length of his esophagus. With one last cough, a long stem with dozens of flowers fell onto his lap. His throat hurt, but his lungs felt free for the first time in months.

“I guess the monster is no longer inside of me,” he mused. Meguru’s throat was hoarse, and it hurt to speak, but the words bubbled out of him with ease. He stared at the flowers in his lap. His monster was gone, but his feelings remained. There was an emptiness inside him now, like the loss of a close friend. Meguru turned to Isagi with a bittersweet smile. “Thank you for freeing me from my monster, though I’m sad to see it go.”

Isagi shook his head, not sure what to make of the scene. He reached for Meguru’s hand and held it between both of his own, then sighed. “Bachira, what am I going to do with you?”

“Date me?” asked Meguru.

Isagi nodded. “Yeah. I’m definitely going to do that.”

This fic is part of the Blue Lock Secret Santa Exchange. My gift to @aristarr. I hope you enjoy.

You can also read it on AO3.

[turtlesandfrogs]

A basic starter project if you want to start growing your own food but have no money & no experience, assuming you like green onions.

Supplies needed: Dead potted plant from free pile/dumpster/friend or family member, used food container, green onion ends.

Steps:

1. Remove lid from container, it's now your plant pot's saucer

2. Either poke holes very carefully and slowly (not ideal) or slice the corners off with scissors (better)

3. Remove soil from the dead plant's pot, put in container. This one was super heavy in perlite (the white stuff, helps with drainage), so I mixed in another pot that had more organic matter (brown stuff, mostly helps retain moisture, sometimes provides nutrients). Water until water comes out the bottom, then let drain in sink until until it's done. Put pot on lid:

4. Stick the green onions in, deep enough that they can stand up on their own, or until the white part is covered:

5. Stick in window, water when dry, and wait:

Why not just stick them in water?

Because they make the water really smelly.

Just change the water often, then it won't stink.

I will forget, and then it will stink. Plus, I prefer growing in soil.

Why do you prefer soil?

Thanks for asking! I started because growing them in water didn't work well for me. But on top of that, if you regrow in water, eventually their growth will peter out. This is because in addition to water and carbon dioxide, plants need other nutrients. These are stored in the bulbs of green onions, but they will be depleted by growth if the plant can't replace them. Potting soil often has leftover nutrients, and if you've got compost you can also mix that in.

Why not just put fertilizer in the water?

Two reasons. First off, that's a great way to grow algea, unless you make sure the water isn't getting light. Secondly, most cheap, widely available fertilizers are meant to be used for plants that are in soil, so they're not complete (they're missing iron and maybe some other things? It's been a while since i looked it up). So eventually, if you use water and normal ferts, the plant will stop growing. If you have access to hydroponic ferts, those would work, but you also have enough money that you're not the target audience for this post.

I don't trust the potting soil from random plants.

Completely understandable, and probably smart too. In that case, you have a couple other options if you want soil for free. First off, you could look for dead vegetable or other edible plants in pots, and know that those will not have been treated with something that makes them inedible to humans. You can also look for free bags of partially used potting soil in your local buy-nothing/free stuff groups/craigslist/nextdoor/mutual aid groups.

What if I have some money for soil?

Then you can look for potting soil, or make your own (plenty of recipes online for this)

Help! There are tiny flies that look like fruit flies!

Those are probably fungus gnats, and there's plenty of ways to get rid of them. My two favorites are watering a bit less and adding half an inch of sand to the top, making your plants an unsuitable habitat, or getting a mosquito dunk and keeping it in your watering can. Mosquito dunks have Bt, a type of bacteria that kills mosquitos, fungus gnats, and other related insects. There are other types of Bt that go after other types of insect, such as cabbage moths. It's considered an organic treatment.

What about other pests?

I've literally never seen them get other pests indoors.

How much light do they need?

As much as you can give them, probably. If you have a window that gets midday sun, use that. Or a grow light. If they don't get enough light, they'll be floppy and pale, still edible, but not as flavorful.

When can I harvest?

When it wouldn't look silly to harvest them. I generally wait until they're at least a foot tall (30cm). I'll post an update when I do.

Why didn't you just use the dead plant's pot, dumbass?

A) it didn't have a saucer to protect the surface underneath, B) this is a concept post, and often plant pots are too wide to fit in window sills, and C) I didn't like the pot.

Won't it just grow into a bulb?

Nope, green onions are actually usually a different type than bulbing onions. Usually. And they're perennial! I've never had one try forming a bulb, but you can just eat them if yours do.

Can I ask you another question?

Yep! I'll add it to the update.

[alwritey-aphrodite]

hi!! can i request “fresh fruit” with your modern!poe?❤️ i love your writing by the way!!

Ahh thank you so much <3

2023 Summer Blurbs

If there was one thing Poe loved to do in the summer, it was attending farmer’s markets. He’d spend hours online, looking at the times and locations for any farmer’s market within one hour of your apartment, and then he’d buy you anything you even mentioned liking.

He’s bought you bouquets and handmade jewelry and pastries, but you were always guaranteed to come home with at least one bag of fresh fruit. There were always plenty of local farmers, with strawberries and cherries and raspberries, and sometimes if you were lucky you could find apricots or plums.

There was nothing better than fresh fruit, there was just something about fruit right from a local farm that seemed like summer. Even though it’s not possible for every type of summery fruit to be sold at your local markets, the berries that stained your hands and the apricots that dripped down your fingers always reminded you of childhood summers spent outside, of times when everything was simpler.

A majority of the time, any fruit you picked up from the farmers’ stands would be mostly gone before you even got home, sometimes before you even left the market. If you managed to save any, though, you and Poe would spend hours together in the kitchen, making pies and fruit salad and any other dessert you craved. Of course, you always saved plenty to eat fresh, kept in a large bowl on your kitchen counter.

You loved the routine you’ve made together, the early weekend mornings spent exploring the market before the day became too hot to be outside, the close inspections and playful arguments about which fruits to buy, the snacking on the way home and the hours spent in the kitchen, baking or picking at the bowl of fruit throughout the day.

Really, it didn’t matter much about what type of fruit you bought or the dessert you decided to make with it, it mattered that you and Poe had something special to do together, something for just the two of you to do every weekend.

Sometimes, though, the bed was too cozy and the idea of sleeping in would be too tempting, so Poe would head out to the farmer’s market without you. By the time you finally manage to roll out of bed and make yourself some coffee, Poe would be returning with his arms laden with reusable bags full of vegetables and pastries and flowers, and always fresh fruit.

Being the thoughtful man he is, he always managed to bring home your favorite fruit, even if he needed to drive an extra twenty minutes to get to the market in a neighboring town, just to ensure he brought home your favorite. You definitely preferred getting to spend time with Poe in those early mornings, but seeing how proud he looks when he comes home to surprise you with fresh fruit he knows you love is a close second.

If Poe’s favorite summer activity was walking through farmers’ markets, your favorite summer activity was watching how excited Poe got when he found little treats that reminded him of you or of his childhood summers. You’d give anything to see the way his eyes light up and his smile grows, so you feel unbelievably lucky that something as simple as a basket of strawberries can make him that happy.

[artificial-condition]

Growing Garlic 101

It's summertime and that means it's about time to order garlic! Garlic is one of the easiest vegetables I have ever grown, although it takes a while from planting until harvest. Most of that time is hands off, so garlic is something I would recommend to grow if you're new to planting and want something easy (or just want lots of yummy garlic)

What to know before starting

Before getting further, I just want to say that I am in hardiness zone 6b (near zone 7) in the US, so that is my growing experience (what is a/my hardiness zone?). To my knowledge and research, garlic can be grown in a wide variety of climates, including very hot and very cold ones. This post is going to be oriented around US geography and terminology because that's what i know

The first thing to know about garlic is that it is typically planted in the fall, but not harvested until the following summer. Why is it planted so early? Garlic goes through a process called vernalization, which means that it needs a cold period before in order to grow to its fullest potential. In garlic, vernalization is what causes the bulb to split into cloves (rather than just having one big chunk of garlic). The first year I grew garlic, I didn't know that it had to be planted so early so I planted in January. It did pretty good and I was happy with it! Some heads didn't have cloves and some did, so even if you get to it late you'll likely still have something yummy to eat by the end of it!

The next year I grew garlic, I planted it out towards the end of October and I had an amazing harvest! The bulbs were bigger and all had divided into cloves. All this to say, you'll have better garlic if you plant in the fall but if you forget or don't know and get to it late it'll be okay!

Step 1: Picking your garlic varieties

This is such a fun step!!! You can find all sorts of different varieties of seed garlic online, with different colors, tastes, and growing habits. My first year I started with seed garlic I found at lowes; the type I found was your generic grocery bought garlic, which for the most part is a softneck variety called California Early (or California Late).

Softneck vs. Hardneck

You should pick softneck or hardneck depending on the climate you are growing in. Softneck varieties do better in warmer climates while hardnecks are more cold hardy. In my zone 6b, I can grow both hardneck and softneck varieties because I am in the middle of the temperature range for hardiness zones. If you are in zones 1-5, hardneck varieties are recommended for your area while zones 8-12 softnecks grow better. If you are in the middle zones 6-7, you should be able to choose either variety and end up okay :)

Hardneck features

Hardneck garlic differs from softneck most obviously in that it will form a hard flower stem, often called a scape:

These are delicious and should be harvested before the flower opens, when they start to curl. They can be chopped up and used like other vegetables (they're also great in pesto I've heard). I roughly chopped mine this year and put them in a bag in my freezer so I can take them out and add as needed. They have a mild garlic flavor, more herby than the bulbs, and can be used in greater quantity without an overpowering garlic taste

Other differences in hardneck varieties is that they have larger (but fewer) cloves and the cloves peel easier.

Softneck features

Softnecks don't have the hard stalks and also keep good for much longer than hardnecks, so their stems and leaves are better for forming garlic braids:

Because of their superior ability to store well, softneck varieties are the type of garlic most commonly sold in grocery stores. There are much fewer varieties of softneck garlic than hardneck (only a couple dozen vs hundreds of varieties of softneck). There are more cloves in softneck garlics but the cloves are smaller and harder to peel.

Where to order seed garlic

Here are some good places I've found to order seed garlic:

Hudson Valley Seed Company

Johnny's Seeds

Urban Farmer (my favorite, I ordered here last year)

You can also just buy garlic from local farmers/hardware stores! They'll likely have varieties well suited to grow in your area.

Step 2: Planting

After you receive your garlic, keep it whole in the bulbs until time to plant. The general rule is to plant 6-8 weeks before your typical first frost date (where is that for me?), but I found that its okay to do it later than that, especially since climate change is messing with the dates. For reference, my average last frost date is October 11th but I didn't plant last year until October 22. Typically they are planted around September-November, the warmer your climate the later you plant.

Before planting, I recommend adding an inch or two of compost to the top of the soil. This will give them nutrients for the year ahead :)

If you are planting late or have pretty mild winters, one trick is to keep the garlic heads in the fridge (not freezer) for a month or two before planting. This will simulate vernalization and will help them to form cloves and bigger heads!

It is good to plant in a fairly sunny area. Mine has partial shade but they do great there!

When you are ready to plant, separate the bulbs into cloves. Try to keep as much as the papery skin on your cloves as possible as it helps to protect them in the ground, but don't beat yourself up about it. I plant mine roughly four inches apart, shoving them about two inches down with them upright (the hairy root end is the bottom and they taper to a point at the top):

After they're all planted, water pretty deep and mulch about an inch or two deep. This will help protect them from hard freezes in the upcoming winter. You can use whatever you have access to, I recommend things that will decompose so they add nutrients to the soil. I raked up fallen leaves from my yard last year and used those

Step 3: Wait

Now relax! The garlic won't be ready for a long time, so just let it do its thing. I don't really ever water mine because I get pretty consistent rainfall, but you can water periodically if you are in a dry climate. It is good to water before particularly hard freezes, it helps the bulbs have what they need to survive.

You might see the greens popping up if you have warm sprees in the late fall/winter. It is fine to ignore these, they will likely die back when it gets cold again but they will still come right back in the spring. You'll want to remove any heavy mulch in the spring when they start growing (my leaves had mostly decomposed so I didn't need to do this)

Step 4: Harvest time

I water mine occasionally as they are growing in the spring or summer, but for the most part I don't bother. I have fairly regular rain and garlic seems very resilient to water differences.

Your garlic will be ready sometime in May-August, depending on what varieties, when you planted, and your climate.

When it is getting close to harvest, it is natural for the leaves to start dying back a bit, especially with softneck varieties. You'll see the garlic scapes form on hardneck varieties, and will need to cut these off once they begin curling, before they flower:

For softneck garlic, harvest when about half of the leaves have yellowed and died off, starting with the bottom leaves. The tops may start to flop over when ready.

For hardneck, the appearance of scapes means they'll be ready in about 4-8 weeks. The leaves will die off as well, but not near as much as softneck varieties in my experience.

Do not water for a week before harvesting. You want your garlic to dry out some before harvesting :D

Since my garlic is in a raised bed, I have fairly loose soil. Therefore, I can just pull the neck of the garlic right above the ground to harvest my garlic. If you have more compacted soil, it would be best to dig around the clove some before you harvest so that it comes out whole and unbroken.

Congrats!!! Your garlic is ready!!

Step 5: Eating and preserving

At this point, your garlic is all out of the ground and ready to be eaten. If you have more garlic than you can eat within the next couple months, you'll need to preserve it. There's a lot of ways to preserve it, but I'll go over a couple I have done.

Idea 1: cloves in a vinegar

This one is primarily how I preserved my garlic last year and I'll be doing it again this year. It is very simple: just peel your garlic, place in clean jars, pour over hot boiling vinegar, seal, let cool, and store in the fridge! Make sure the cloves of garlic are completely submerged in the vinegar or you risk foodborne illnesses. The garlic has enzymes that prevent the cloves from absorbing the vinegar, and the vinegar prevents any bacteria from growing and causing the garlic to spoil. The cloves don't taste like vinegar and can be chopped and added to dishes as needed!

Idea 2: cure whole heads

This is best done with softneck garlic as they store better for longer than hardneck.

This is essentially letting them dry so they keep longer. After harvesting, keep the heads as is with dirt and leaves still attached (brush off any big dirt clumps but don't scrub them clean). Place the heads somewhere flat, warm, well ventilated, and shaded from too much direct sunlight (can get some indirect sunlight). This can be in a garage, on palattes, hanging somewhere, in a shed, whatever you have that seems best. I did mine on my front porch just laying on the concrete.

Leave them alone to dry for at least two weeks, then store as desired! You can trim the leaves and roots off and clean with a brush if desired, or leave the leaves and dirt and roots and store. I trimmed the roots off, left the leaves, braided them together, and hung in my kitchen:

(here is a video about braiding garlic) (note: it can only be done with softnecks)

Idea 3: make garlic confit

This is such a yummy way to use up garlic. Peel your cloves, add to a saucepan, cover in desired liquid oil, and cook on low until the cloves are soft and smushable. Store in the fridge after letting cool and eat within a week :)

Idea 5: Roasted garlic

Here is a recipe

And that's about it! Enjoy your garlic :D

@yourfriendfrogs

[nourishandthrive]

How to Practice Sustainable Living on a Budget

Living sustainably doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, many eco-friendly practices can save you money in the long run! Here are some practical tips for practicing sustainable living while sticking to a budget:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce: Buy only what you need to minimize waste. Avoid single-use items and opt for products with minimal packaging.

Reuse: Repurpose old containers, jars, and bags. Get creative with DIY projects to give new life to items you already own.

Recycle: Follow your local recycling guidelines. Make sure to clean and sort recyclables to reduce contamination.

Shop Second-Hand

Thrift Stores: Shop for clothing, furniture, and household items at thrift stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces. Not only do you save money, but you also give pre-loved items a new home.

Clothing Swaps: Organize clothing swaps with friends or community members to refresh your wardrobe without spending a dime.

Cook at Home

Buy in Bulk: Purchase staple foods like rice, beans, and pasta in bulk to reduce packaging waste and save money.

Meal Prep: Plan your meals to avoid food waste. Use leftovers creatively, like turning roasted veggies into soups or stir-fries.

Use Energy Efficiently

LED Bulbs: Replace incandescent bulbs with LED ones to save on electricity bills.

Unplug Devices: Turn off and unplug electronics when not in use to reduce energy consumption.

Use Natural Light: Maximize natural light during the day to reduce the need for artificial lighting.

Grow Your Own Food

Start a Garden: Even a small herb or vegetable garden can reduce your grocery bill and your carbon footprint.

Container Gardening: If you don’t have outdoor space, grow herbs and small vegetables in containers on a windowsill or balcony.

Make Your Own Cleaning Products

DIY Cleaners: Use simple ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon to make effective and eco-friendly cleaning solutions.

Reusable Cloths: Replace paper towels with washable cloths to reduce waste and save money.

Conserve Water

Fix Leaks: A dripping faucet can waste a significant amount of water over time. Fix leaks promptly to conserve water and lower your water bill.

Shorter Showers: Cut down on shower time to save water. Consider using a water-saving showerhead.

Opt for Public Transport or Carpooling

Public Transport: Use public transportation to reduce fuel costs and decrease your carbon footprint.

Carpool: Share rides with friends or coworkers to save money on gas and reduce emissions.

Use Reusable Items

Reusable Bags: Bring your own bags when shopping to reduce plastic waste.

Reusable Bottles and Containers: Invest in a reusable water bottle and food containers to minimize single-use plastics.

DIY Personal Care Products

Natural Ingredients: Make your own personal care products like shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant using natural ingredients.

Zero-Waste: Look for zero-waste options, such as bar soap, shampoo bars, and bamboo toothbrushes, which are often more economical in the long run.

Practicing sustainable living doesn’t have to be expensive. By making small, mindful changes in your daily habits, you can contribute to a healthier planet and save money at the same time. Remember, every little step counts, and collectively, these efforts can make a big impact! Start with one or two changes, and gradually incorporate more sustainable practices into your lifestyle. You’ll not only be helping the environment but also creating a more cost-effective and conscious way of living.

[des8pudels8kern]

I have returned from vacation!

It's been so. Good.

Madeira is gorgeous. Everything is green and growing, with different kinds of plants, depending on which side of the island and elevation you are. Even on the mountain tops, the yellow broom was in full bloom. The weather is unpredictable, but almost always a flavour of moderate. All of our tour guides made a point to explain that Madeira doesn't have one climate, but is a patchwork of micro-climates, so you can drive through one tunnel/over one ridge and suddenly it goes from windy, cloudy 19°C to calm, sunny 24°C (and the sun is strong - always wear sunscreen). The sea is gorgeous and you can see it from almost everywhere, albeit there are few opportunities to go for a swim as the coast is mostly cliffs and rocks.

We spent most of our time staying at a place in Funchal and doing organised tours and trips out of the city. Funchal itself has a bus system that makes it easy to get around town without a car. We did do a lot of walking, but you appreciate having an alternative to cover a distance of not even two kilometres by bus when it comes with a difference in height of 500 metres. Outside of Funchal... well, there are several bus companies, covering different parts of the island, but these overland buses only run a handful of times a day and most of the bus stops and schedules are impossible to find online. If you don't want to, or can't, rent a car, doing tours our of Funchal is by far your best option to see Madeira. We finished our vacation with two days in a smaller town up North, and, while ending with a few slow, chill days worked well for us, we were very limited in our options and actually had to use taxis.

Food has been a mixed bag for me. There is so much fresh produce growing all over the island, and the fruit is delicious, but restaurants and the ever-present snack bars focus almost exclusively on meat and fish. Funchal at least offers plenty of options for vegetarians, but even there I couldn't find a place with Madeiran vegetable dishes. I assume it's the same trend as everywhere else: The traditional vegetable dishes are/were poor people food and got sidelined with increased wealth. Either way, I was lucky to be a flexitarian who can eat bolo do caco or a chicken or ham sandwich rather than a proper vegetarian.

The Madeirans do like to drink. Poncha (Aguardente de Cana (white sugarcane rum), sugar, and fruit is everywhere, especially in the original Pescador (with lemon; the perfect drink to keep the fishermen warm at sea and ply them with Vitamin C to ward of scurvy) and Regional (lemon and orange; sweeter than Pescador for those soft city folks), plus Madeira wine, local beer, a very nice, refreshing local apple cider, and all kinds of different liquors, rums, and I even found Madeiran gin for my collection.

Also, I really want to go back (and ideally at a time when I've not been struggling with health problems for months prior and can do proper hikes). Usually, after a big vacation, I do a mental check mark next to that destination and start dreaming about where to go next time, but, yeah, Madeira is definitely worth a second visit.

[decorworks]

How to Avoid Food Poisoning Over the Holidays

The holiday season is a time for joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious meals with family and friends. Amidst the festive cheer, it's crucial to stop and prioritize food safety to ensure everyone enjoys a healthy and happy holiday season. When traveling abroad, try to avoid foods that are raw or might not have been cooked fully. Look for steaming hot food to ensure the dish is fresh and bacteria-free. Follow the locals and eat where they eat. Check reviews online before choosing a place to eat. Wash your hands regularly, especially before eating, and carry hand sanitizer with you. If you do get food poisoning, drink lots of water and replace lost salts and minerals with rehydration sachets.

The most common types of food poisoning are caused by various bacteria and viruses. Some of the most common causes of food poisoning include: - Campylobacter: It is the most common cause of food poisoning and is often associated with raw or undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, and contaminated water. - Salmonella: This bacterium is commonly found in undercooked poultry, raw eggs, and raw meat. It can also be present in fruits and vegetables due to cross-contamination. One of the biggest source of salmonella food poisoning comes from the popularity of romaine salads, so wash your green leafs well. - Escherichia coli (E. coli): E. coli can be found in undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized milk, and raw vegetables. It can also be transmitted through person-to-person contact and contaminated water. - Norovirus: This virus is a common cause of food poisoning and can be transmitted through contaminated food and water. It is highly contagious and can spread quickly in settings such as cruise ships and nursing homes. - Listeria: Listeria can be found in unpasteurized dairy products, deli meats, and certain soft cheeses. It poses a higher risk to pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. These are just a few examples of the many types of food poisoning. The symptoms of food poisoning can include diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. It's important to seek medical attention if you experience severe symptoms or if you belong to a high-risk group, such as pregnant women, young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems. The holidays are a time for feasting with family and friends, but it's important to take precautions to avoid food poisoning. Here are some tips to help prevent foodborne illness during the holidays: - Thoroughly Wash Your Hands: The foundation of food safety begins with proper hand hygiene. Before handling any food, especially raw meat and vegetables, wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Encourage everyone involved in meal preparation to follow this practice diligently. - Separate Raw and Cooked Foods: Cross-contamination is a leading cause of foodborne illness. Keep raw meats, poultry, seafood, and their juices separate from ready-to-eat foods to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria. Use separate cutting boards, utensils, and plates for raw and cooked items. Prevent juices from meat, chicken, turkey, and seafood from dripping or leaking onto other foods by keeping them in containers or sealed bags. - Cook Food to the Right Temperature: Cooking food to the proper internal temperature is crucial for killing harmful bacteria. Invest in a food thermometer and use it to ensure that meats, poultry, seafood, and leftovers reach the recommended temperatures. Refer to USDA guidelines for specific temperature recommendations. Germs can grow rapidly in the danger zone between 40°F and 140°F. Keep hot food hot (above 140°F) and cold food cold (below 40°F). Use pasteurized eggs for dishes containing raw eggs. Salmonella and other harmful germs can live on both the outside and inside of normal-looking eggs. Many holiday favorites contain raw eggs, including eggnog, tiramisu, hollandaise sauce, and salad dressings. Store eggs in their original carton. - Chill Perishable Foods Promptly: Refrigeration is your ally in preventing bacterial growth. Perishable foods, including leftovers, should be refrigerated within two hours (or one hour if the temperature is above 90°F/32°C). Ensure your refrigerator is set to 40°F (4°C) or below and promptly consume or freeze leftovers. - Mindful Thawing Practices: If you plan to serve frozen items, such as turkey, make sure to thaw them safely. The safest methods include thawing in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Avoid thawing at room temperature, as it can lead to bacterial growth. Thaw turkey in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water that is changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave. Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. - Be Cautious with Buffets: Buffet-style meals are common during the holidays. However, they can pose a higher risk of foodborne illness due to extended exposure to room temperature. Keep hot foods hot (above 140°F/60°C) and cold foods cold (below 40°F/4°C). Use chafing dishes, ice trays, and other equipment to maintain safe temperatures. - Stay Informed about Recalls: Before heading to the grocery store, check for any food recalls that may affect the items on your shopping list. Stay informed about potential contamination or safety concerns related to specific products. Many authorized food and safety departments offer email alerts on food notifications. - Practice Safe Egg Handling: Raw or undercooked eggs can harbor Salmonella. Use pasteurized eggs in recipes that call for raw or partially cooked eggs, and cook egg dishes thoroughly. Avoid recipes that involve raw or lightly cooked eggs, especially for vulnerable populations like young children, pregnant women, and the elderly. - Hydrate and Use Safe Water Sources: Ensure that the water you use for cooking and drinking is safe. If you have any doubts about the water quality, use bottled water or bring tap water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it in food preparation. - Trust Your Senses: If something looks, smells, or tastes off, trust your instincts. Discard any food that seems questionable, and don't take chances with items that may have been improperly stored or handled. You can significantly reduce the risk of food poisoning during the holiday season. Remember that food safety is a shared responsibility, and everyone involved in meal preparation plays a crucial role in ensuring a safe and enjoyable celebration. Prioritize hygiene, follow recommended cooking temperatures, and stay informed about potential risks to safeguard your festive feasts and make cherished holiday memories for everyone. DecorWorks showcases the latest trends and tips in home decor and interior design to inspire your best life. We curate architecture and design inspiration for global audiences, and show you practical tips to create any imaginable space. Read the full article

[mad4india1]

Woman From Bhopal Creates Her Own Jungle By Practicing Terrace Gardening – Has 4,000 Plants In A “Jungle Vase”

This is one of the best solutions to all of the environmental issues we currently face: having more green babies. Things would have been different if we had a larger green cover on earth, but some people use the justification that “we live in a concert jungle, we don’t have enough space for plantation or gardening in an apartment culture” 

Agriculture assistant professor Sakshi Bharadwaj has grown plants that have therapeutic properties, produce a lot of oxygen, and absorb radiation. The young gardener has transformed her 850-square-foot backyard into a miniature forest.

An environmentalist from Bhopal, Sakshi has grown about 4,000 plants of 450 species, including 150 rare ones. And the catch is – she is upcycling kitchen waste and household plastic trash while growing her green babies.

Sakshi Bharadwaj’s environmental initiative is classified as “creating an 850 sq ft sustainable, urban, vertical, & overhead mini jungle” in the 2021 OMG Book of Records.

She is not just a gardening enthusiast but is also a creative innovator of a brighter greener future.

A New Look To The Old Idea Of Terrace Gardening

Recall the garden your grandparents had in their youth. Back then, they would plant oxygen-emitting trees like neem, pipal, and banyan. Today, however, we live in bungalows, flats, and studio apartments that are severely space-constrained. From housefront gardens to terrace gardening, the concept of gardening has undergone a significant change due to our lifestyle change.

As a result, Sakshi, who also conducts online workshops on gardening and horticulture nationally and internationally, wanted to plant lesser-known species that could replace these traditional large plants and serve the same purpose.

Sakshi started terrace gardening as a mental stress reliever but quickly discovered a pure form of love for it. Along with terrace gardening, Sakshi eventually began to show concern for the planet’s future.

All households have organic kitchen waste like leftover vegetables, fruit skins, empty bags, single-use boxes, and the list goes on, which takes a while to decompose, so she started using it in unique ways and converted kitchen waste into vermicompost and bio-enzymes.

To reduce urban waste, Sakshi believes that recycling non-biodegradable household waste in creative ways is a good idea. Newspapers, plastic bottles, cans, milk pouches, and other items we sell are a few examples of such materials. She consequently planted flowers in milk pouches, bottles, cans, and dried and empty coconut shells.

Spread The Love For Green

In the year 2020, she stumbled upon a group of online gardeners who were cultivating rare and exotic plants. The young lady then got in touch with them, bought some of these unusual plants, and then got in touch with people who could help her expand her collection.

Sakshi decided to major in microbiology. The already intense interest grew even more intense as soon as she started working as an assistant professor.

She said, “As I taught plants’ genetics, I thought of having a first-hand experience of these theories in my own garden.” To satisfy this desire she decided to start her own space where she can experiment and grow her own jungle.

She practises different methods at home. She claimed to have lost a lot of plants while conducting experiments, but she had always learned something new, which she later applied to her gardening skills.

She sourced from various places, explored a number of varieties, and has grown a mind-blowing space for herself. Just like a human child Sakshi believes that every plant has different requirements.

Some require black soil, while still others require regular tilling (gudai) to promote air circulation. Some grow best in soil that is mixed with sand. The young gardening expert went on to say that while some plants can withstand direct sunlight, others need shade.

A True Plant Mom

This plant mother is very concerned about raising her little plants, Sakshi has thoroughly experimented with terrace gardening and its science.

Based on her observations, she developed a soil with a charcoal mixture & coconut husk that can retain water for a longer period of time. The soil first-hand created by her is so reliable that she waters her plants once every two days even when the temperature soars to 46-48 degrees, and the green babies still thrive.

Among the rare species found in the garden are Albo monstera, Variegated Syngonium, Philodendron mexicanum, Begonias,  Palms, Peperomia, Ficus, Philodendron Millettia, Epipremnum, Calathea, Sansevieria, Chlorophytum,  Black JJ,and others.

The young environmentalist hopes to connect with like-minded people and work to replenish the declining green cover in Bhopal, the state capital. In fact, she believed that the study of plantations should be a part of both school and college curricula.

Despite environmental science being taught in schools, the young environmentalist bemoans the fact that children still lack fundamental knowledge of plants. The 26-year-old asserted that it is impossible for any 10- to 12-year-old to understand how to plant a sapling.

Sakshi adds that this ought to be considered in civil engineering as well so that we can have durable, green buildings that incorporate vegetation into urban planning. This young woman thinks that change only occurs when we change our little steps.

[coopdigitalnewsletter]

9 Dec 2022: More than a shop? More than AI?

Anselm Kiefer, The High Priestess/Zweistromland

Newsletter news

Hello! The Co-op Digital newsletter ends this month after an excellent run. We’ve been wrapping up with 3 newsletters considering questions about membership being more radical, shops being more than just shops (this one), and the material world. 

Thank you all for reading and sending ideas. The Co-op story continues on the brilliant Co-op Digital blog. Rod will still be writing about climate change and carbon transformation at Holdfast, and about how to do personal finance at Checksies. See you there?

More than a shop? More than AI?

Shopping today is often convenient, quick purchase of both essentials and discretionary products, presented as inventory and merchandising (high street shops) or marketing and search (online), and an underlying goal: grow. What if shops did more? What if shops were slower? What if they were more meaningfully embedded into the communities they serve?

Related question: how does technology help? Typically technology makes products repeatable, processes automatable, data insight-able (etc), and reduces costs. Can it do more than that? Can it free up *all* of colleague time, to spend with customers?

Anyway, here is the newsletter and new conversational AI ChatGPT trying to write a story about a supermarket together. Assuming that tools like ChatGPT continue to improve, it’s also worth thinking about what the world looks like when machines can initiate human conversation. And when anyone can generate plausible text (or imagery or…), using tools whose models may have opaque biases and insufficient consent. What happens to trust?

2035

Let's write a story together. I'll go first and you respond. OK? Here's the opening: Xavi parks their ebike at the rack outside the Freshco supermarket. It bloops to let Xavi know it’s secured and charging up. 

[ChatGPT] Xavi smiles to themselves as they walk into the Freshco. They love their ebike, it's been such a game changer for them. As they enter the supermarket, they grab a cart and start to make their way down the aisles, picking up all the items on their shopping list. As they move from one aisle to the next, they can't help but feel grateful for their ebike, which has made it so much easier for them to get around town and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Inside, Xavi shivers after the cold draft of anti-viral air at the entrance.

[ChatGPT] They quickly make their way to the produce section, where they select a few fresh fruits and vegetables for their meals this week. As they move through the aisles, they notice that the Freshco is not as busy as usual. Xavi wonders if it's because of the cold weather outside or if it's due to the ongoing pandemic.

Down the right side of the store, shoppers are using the kiosks, and at the counter is a screen and a worker, both with a smile.

[ChatGPT] Xavi continues to make their way through the store, grabbing everything they need for the week. As they approach the checkout, they see that there are several kiosks available for self-checkout, but they decide to go with a human cashier instead. They approach the counter and greet the cashier, who smiles and greets them back. Xavi notices that the cashier is wearing a mask and gloves, and there is a screen between them to help protect against the spread of the virus.

Xavi checks out, but then remembers that he needs to talk to the community service team, and heads over to an open area with armchairs. Xavi puts the bag on the floor and drops into a chair. Evie, a staffer, joins him, says Hi, and the green padlock on the chair's arm lights up, indicating that their conversation will be private. Evie: "How can I help?" Xavi: "Well, ..."

[ChatGPT] Xavi pauses for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He looks at Evie, who is patiently waiting for him to continue. Xavi then says, "Well, I wanted to talk to you about the community service programs that Freshco offers. I've been thinking about getting involved and volunteering my time, but I'm not sure where to start. Can you tell me more about what's available and how I can get involved?"

[ChatGPT] Evie nods and smiles. She begins to explain the different community service programs that Freshco offers, and how Xavi can sign up to volunteer. She tells him about the different causes they support, such as food banks, environmental conservation, and community outreach programs. She also gives him information about the schedule and requirements for volunteering, and how he can sign up online or in-store. Xavi listens intently, taking notes on his phone as Evie speaks. He is grateful for her help and is excited to get involved and make a difference in his community. He thanks Evie for her time and assistance, and they say their goodbyes. Xavi picks up his bag and heads out of the Freshco, feeling motivated and inspired to make a positive impact in the world.

He turns back and says "Yeah, but where to start?" Evie says: "Look, it's more... dynamic than looking at what's available. I can point you at a project right now, or you can look for a team online. Either way, they’ll need to decide if you can help make a difference to their mission happen."

[ChatGPT] An error occurred. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com.

Evie sighs at the error message, and uses her team badge to restart the openai service.

Xavi leaves with the shopping, considering what “making a difference” means. Xavi forgets to collect the ebike.

[ChatGPT] Too many requests, please slow down

Are you ok ChatGPT?

Thank you for reading

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