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"Early morning and hard work are stimulating to the appetite," scientifically speaking. L takes a piece of toast, (jamless.)

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"And eating outside, with all the air and wind and sky, and all the green..." A realizes that he likes picnics very much, and will make his garden an excellent place for them.

"This will be nice, won't it? The garden, and the place in it for picnics?" He looks at L and Kusuriyuri. "You'll like it, won't you?"

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"Very much," Kusuriyuri murmurs, nodding. He is enjoying A's reactions and the kittens antics more than the food. "Very nice to be with nature," he adds with a smile.

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"Of course," he agrees, before taking another meditative bite of his toast.

"Especially with the scent of the flowers."

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"And there will be a good deal of scent from the roses and lavender." A remembers that part of the discussions at the nursery clearly. "The jasmine will have a strong scent too, won't it?"

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"More so at night, and early morning, when it blooms," Kusiriyuri nods in agreement. "It is a relaxing scent."

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"I don't know if I have seen growing jasmine?"

He may have, but not recognized it.

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"I don't know what it looks like." Hardly a surprise. He turns to Kusuriyuri. "What color are the flowers?"

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"It is a white flower with deep green leaves (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmine). The scent is pleasant and the flowers hold their scent some time after being picked and can be used to infused tea, though I am not a tea maker." Specialized skills were required to produce the tea.

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"It's a staple-scent used in making perfume, if I'm not mistaken."

Important, to be able to recognize the scent of a lingering perfume.

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"It must be a pretty smell, then."

Roses, lavender, jasmine... it will be a fragrant garden. A is too sheltered to think about the bees it might attract, or the butterflies.

"It will make it very nice to rest here, with the sweet-smelling flowers." Despite the appetite he'd worked up, A's real hunger is to see the plants in the ground. "Is it time to start?"

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Kusuriyuri smiles. "You may begin with the side that is cleared. I will finish clearing, then." He turns to L. "Thank you for breakfast. Did you wish to join us?" he asks, thinking that L might enjoy planting with A.

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"I'll help, yes, if you'll show me how to clear. We can finish quicker, and A can do all the planting he likes."

He rises to his feet, dusting toast crumbs off his hands.

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"First we should plant your peas," A says softly, touching L's hand. "You've helped me so much, and they're your peas."

The jasmine isn't here yet, or that would be second. And everything else, he would contentedly plant on his own, but he wants to plant the peas with L.

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Kusuriyuri rises and picks up the shovel he'd been using to clear again. After a brief show that he would not feed them anymore, the kittens began playing in the dirt he moved, Schrodinger chasing Einstein and pouncing on him until Einstein swatted her and stalked over to a soft mound of dirt and flopped with great dignity, in the manner of all scornful kittens.

Schrodinger hissed at him a moment and was soon distracted by a large beetle.

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L watches their antics, with a smile, then picks up A's discarded shovel, to join (and mimic) Kusuriyuri while he works.

"What plant will you start with, A?"

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"Peas first, because they're yours. Then... the rest of the seeds, I suppose. Catnip, calendula, lavender. After that, the violets, then the roses, and the pear tree last. And by the time the morning glory seeds are ready, the jasmine might be here."

He looks from L to Kururiyuri and back a little anxiously. "Does that sound right?"

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"That is good," Kusuriyuri murmurs. He is pleased L has joined him in finishing the clearing. By himself, it would take to noon to finish, but he knows A's attention would not be fully on clearing even if he were asked to help. A would help, he knew, if asked, but Kusuriyuri wanted to respect A's decisions, as well, when possible.

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L does not have tremendous arm strength, but he works efficiently and with determination that most people just don't have, so he makes up for it.

"Have you told Kusuriyuri about the varieties of the plants we have? I hope Sherbet Fizz calendula has the same properties as the other kinds."

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"I hope so. That was why I chose it. The Sherbet Fizz variety was just to look better with the other plants." He holds up the seed packet to show Kusuriyuri the picture.

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Kusuriyuri thinks a moment. "If it was bred for looks with only other calendula, then it should be fine. I can teach you to test it when they are ready. If it was mixed with another plant, then it will need to be tested first, though, it will depend on what it was mixed with if will be safe. If it is a mix, I will test it first."

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"It would be moderately easy to research the history of it, and see if it is mixed, as you say."

Plant growers usually have good records.

"We could ask when we return for the jasmine."

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"The catnip will have blue blossoms, and the lavender was bred for a strong scent," A says. "I don't have the seed packets for the morning glory, but some will be light blue and some will be deep violet. And the roses are both strong-scented as well, one bush will have dark purple flowers and the other will have red and white flowers."

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Kusuriyuri smiles at A's list. He turns to L and murmurs, "It is good to see him happy. Thank you for supporting him in this."

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