Professor (almost) Nathan Xavier
August 05, 2016 11:42 AM
Beginning Herbology by Professor (almost) Nathan Xavier
With the year now advanced into early spring, practical Herbology lessons were becoming not only possible but very nearly ideal. This was the time of year when most plants were supposed to be seeded or put into the ground. Also, the greenhouse constructions were very nearly complete and ready for student occupancy. Just a few final touches remained, but nothing that would prevent the class from being moved out of the CoMC rooms and into its own space. Mostly, he just needed to fill up his bookshelf with some Herbology related volumes and actually get some plants growing, the later of which the students could actually help him accomplish."Hello, and welcome to the new Herbology greenhouses. I'm glad you were all able to find your way here," he greeted pleasantly once the clock over the door read 9:15, the start time of the beginners' lesson. "We'll give your classmates just a few more minutes in case anyone got lost or forgot we were meeting here today."
After those grace minutes passed, Nathan took roll call, then began the lesson proper. "As you can see, you each have a tray of dirt in front of you." The students each sat on tall stools around three long work tables lined up end to end down the center of the greenhouse. The table height was set so grown adults and older teens could easily and comfortably work at the tables while standing, but most of the 11 and 12 year olds in the class now would probably need to use the stools to reach their work areas.
"You should also have a bag of seeds next to you. These are flitterbloom seeds, which are completely harmless, so using your dragon hide gloves today is entirely optional. The dirt does contain some dragon dung for fertilizer, so that may influence your decision, however the hide gloves will make it harder to pick up and manipulate your seeds. Flitterblooms can grow fairly large, sometimes reaching sizes up to two meters, or six and a half feet high, and even wider around, but only about 20 percent of their seeds actually sprout, so we'll be planting about ten in each of the trays in front of you and we'll replant the sprouts in a later class into a larger pot."
"Each seed should be planted in a hole two inches deep, and no less than three inches away from its nearest neighbor so their roots don't get entangled before we replant. Cover them up with more dirt, but don't pack it down too hard. Flitterblooms like soft loose soil. Use the spray bottle to dampen the soil when all your seeds are planted, but don't overwater them. You may talk amongst With the year now advanced into early spring, practical Herbology lessons were becoming not only possible but very nearly ideal. This was the time of year when most plants were supposed to be seeded or put into the ground. Also, the greenhouse constructions were very nearly complete and ready for student occupancy. Just a few final touches remained, but nothing that would prevent the class from being moved out of the CoMC rooms and into its own space. Mostly, he just needed to fill up his bookshelf with some Herbology related volumes and actually get some plants growing, the later of which the students could actually help him accomplish.
"Hello, and welcome to the new Herbology greenhouses. I'm glad you were all able to find your way here," he greeted pleasantly once the clock over the door read 9:15, the start time of the beginners' lesson. "We'll give your classmates just a few more minutes in case anyone got lost or forgot we were meeting here today."
After those grace minutes passed, Nathan took roll call, then began the lesson proper. "As you can see, you each have a tray of dirt in front of you." The students each sat on tall stools around three long work tables lined up end to end down the center of the greenhouse. The table height was set so grown adults and older teens could easily and comfortably work at the tables while standing, but most of the 11 and 12 year olds in the class now would probably need to use the stools to reach their work areas.
"You should also have a bag of seeds next to you. These are flitterbloom seeds, which are completely harmless, so using your dragon hide gloves today is entirely optional. The dirt does contain some dragon dung for fertilizer, so that may influence your decision, however the hide gloves will make it harder to pick up and manipulate your seeds. Flitterblooms can grow fairly large, sometimes reaching sizes up to two meters, or six and a half feet high, and even wider around, but only about 20 percent of their seeds actually sprout, so we'll be planting about ten in each of the trays in front of you and we'll replant the sprouts in a later class into a larger pot."
"Each seed should be planted in a hole two inches deep, and no less than three inches away from its nearest neighbor so their roots don't get entangled before we replant. Cover them up with more dirt, but don't pack it down too hard. Flitterblooms like soft loose soil. Use the spray bottle to dampen the soil when all your seeds are planted, but don't overwater them. You may talk amongst yourselves as you work, and when you finish, you may begin your homework: a short essay on how to tell the difference between a flitterbloom plant and its much more dangerous cousin, the devil's snare. You may begin. Raise your hand if you have any questions."
Also at each table was a trowel, but the dirt was loose enough that Nathan would probably just use a finger to poke the holes for planting, but if some students preferred to use the tool, it was available to them.ourselves as you work, and when you finish, you may begin your homework: a short essay on how to tell the difference between a flitterbloom plant and its much more dangerous cousin, the devil's snare. You may begin. Raise your hand if you have any questions."
Also at each table was a trowel, but the dirt was loose enough that Nathan would probably just use a finger to poke the holes for planting, but if some students preferred to use the tool, it was available to them.
ooc: Normal posting rules apply, You can assume Nathan left a note on the door of the comc room if your character went to the wrong location. Enjoy!
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Professor (almost) Nathan Xavier
Beginning Herbology
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Professor (almost) Nathan Xavier
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Nevaeh Reed [Aladren]
August 08, 2016 6:27 AM
Yay! by Nevaeh Reed [Aladren]
Herbology was easily Nevaeh’s favorite class. For one thing, Professor Xavier was one of the nicest people she’d ever encountered. For another, the practicality of most of the lessons was something Nevaeh greatly prized. The learning process was a bit different for her; she sometimes had to do things differently from her classmates and hope for the best, relying on senses that other people possibly took for granted. But Herbology let her literally get her hands dirty, something it shared with Potions but was somehow different. The physicality of it gave her more of a connection to the world around her, whereas in wandwork-based classes she could not perceive success by touch.Professor Xavier said their gloves were optional, and with a grin, Nevaeh eagerly pulled hers off, resting her now-bare hands on top of the dirt. The soil was so soft and loose, it was wonderful. The Aladren assumed her fingers were probably about two inches long, so she poked a hole the length of her finger into the dirt, swirling it around a little to widen the hole. Then she picked up one of the seeds and placed it at the bottom, brushing the dirt back over it thereafter. The professor also said they should keep each hole about three inches away from the others, so she decided to go four inches so she could just put her two index fingers together and guess from the length of the two together.
Humming quietly to herself (a little earworm from the Lord of the Rings movies), she went about her task merrily. She’d placed about three or four seeds in their holes when she stated in a neighbor’s direction, “If I’m getting too far that way and impeding on your dirt, let me know, okay?”
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Nevaeh Reed [Aladren]
Yay!
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Nevaeh Reed [Aladren]
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