Winnie-ther-Pooh, Kuzzin Kris, and Me

While Farmer Nyel is planting bush beans and onion sets in the Kitchen Garden, I’m in the South Garden sowing nasturtium seeds and missing my Kuzzin Kris.  She and I are at one when it comes to nasturtiums because both of us know that Winnie-ther-Pooh was right about them:
“Christopher Robin gave me a mastershalum seed, and I planted it, and I’m going to have mastershalums all over the front door.”
“I thought they were called nasturtiums,” said Piglet timidly, as he went on jumping.
“No,” said Pooh. “Not these. These are called mastershalums.” A.A.Milne.

Nyel ordered a quarter of a pound of mastershalum seeds for me.  I didn’t count them but, it’s a Bunch — capital B!  I’ve been planting for days and days — well, for three going on four.  Never mind that bad knees prevent me from crawling around the garden beds.  And never mind that I can no longer sit on an upturned bucket and get back up to my feet without help.  I’ve been doing the stoop-labor trick each day for as long as my back will let me.  Which might be twenty minutes.  Hence: “days and days.”

Fortunately the weather has been cooperative.  I hope the seeds will be, too.  Nyel just informed me that these are the “vining” variety which came as a bit of a shock.  The package didn’t say so — as in buy in bulk and take your chances?  It should be interesting.  We’ll probably have mastershalums all over the place.  I think Winnie-ther-Pooh would be pleased.

Oh.  And about Pooh’s name:
When I first heard his name, I said, just as you are going to say, “But I thought he was a boy?”
“So did I,” said Christopher Robin.
“Then you can’t call him Winnie?”
“I don’t.”
“But you said–“
“He’s Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don’t you know what ‘ther’ means?”
“Ah, yes, now I do,” I said quickly; and I hope you do too, because it is all the explanation you are going to get.  A.A. Milne.

One Response to “Winnie-ther-Pooh, Kuzzin Kris, and Me”

  1. Mrs. Marilyn Tower Oliver says:

    Here in Los Angeles the nasturtiums are already blooming in my garden. It’s a bit warmer here than in your area. I also have cactus orchids in full bloom.

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