Noodle in the land of plenty
Do you share? You should. I share some, but there’s plenty to go around. For example, you’ve got stories to tell and so do I. Here’s one.
A well-intentioned individual with plenty to do felt like taking a mosey to his garden for just a quick look-see to check on recent transplants and then back to the long list of important things to do. This individual, let’s call him Noodle, sauntered through the gate, nodded to the lilac now taller than he, noticed up ahead pathways needing weeding but turned right toward the heart-shaped bed.
According to Noodle’s plan, three kinds of bush beans – yellow, red, golden – will command the three curved corners of the heart ‘til July. Between gold and red was a patch of basil seeds – and this is important – these seeds developed from basil plants in the nearby asparagus bed last year. Cool! If they sprout, the plan of Noodle would be to make pesto for those who have no pesto, but also continue saving seeds year-after-year.
The bush bean varieties Noodles planted were Gold Rush, Red Swan and Marvel of Venice. Noodle speculated bush beans were developed by folks without poles. Bush beans take up more space on the ground than pole beans, but the heart-shaped bed called for bush beans. In years past, this bed hosted the strawberry kingdom, flowering and making fruit all summer, sending runners (high-speed railways) from one strawberry community to the next. It was an artistic delight, but the bed is a novel and here comes a new chapter.
The bed reminded Noodle that a couple empty spots remained for certain seedlings in the greenhouse ready to go. It wouldn’t be much of a sidetrack (very important things awaited) to quickly transplant a couple Sakata melon seedlings among the bean patches. Turned out to be three transplants, but then Noodle’s sauntering was free to continue before the busy things inside.
Plenty to do… such as reclaim a hügelcultur bed full of weeds. Even the pathway needing clearing… maybe someday… though the grass and rudbeckia were fairly easy to remove, and maybe if a little was done just to get to the project started… clear a bit of the pathway, then remove a bit more… and a bit more, etc., for 45 minutes until the pathway and the bed were clear. The hügelcultur bed was created two years previous and suddenly it was time to put transplants in. Noodle heard thunder not far away as he sprinkled on soil amendments and compost while “thinking about women and glasses of beer” and other fun lyrics.
A delightful rain fell during which Noodle ate noodles. Then he gathered pots of melon seedlings from the greenhouse. “Yippee!” said Noodle’s spirit because transplanting is transcendental. The uncovered hügelcutur became the summer home of three melon varieties, and Noodle had extra seedlings left over for sharing.
Since the pathway was opening up there was access to the bed next door. It had a trellis, so Noodle planted seeds of Red Malabar spinach, a climber, at one end. Ancestors of these seeds originated in India, so what was their story … how did they get here? Noodle hoped it was on a clipper ship staffed half male, half female, with equal pay and universal health care.
Planted along the rest of the trellis were seeds of white cucumbers (for white pickles!) plus purple and golden snow peas. It was a colorful though cloudy day. And underneath the redbud tree, Noodle planted spinach varieties from the Netherlands and Ghana. Every continent except Australia was represented so far, so Noodle found a place for Kamo Kamo squash from New Zealand because why not!
Three hours of weeding, transplanting, dreaming comprised his quick look-see through the garden. Noodle (thoroughly satisfied), however, had plenty important things waiting inside, and that’s the story of Noodle.