How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I walked down the stairs and into the lot and found the girl's plants. You don't plant beans till the weather's hot. Then I saw what had kept her seeds from freezing. The refrigerator in front of them had bounced the sunlight back on the soil, heating it up like an oven. I bent down and gave the dirt a feel. It was hard packed and light colored. I studied the plants. Leaves shaped like spades in a deck of cards. Definitely beans. I scraped up a ring of dirt around the first plant, to hold the water and any rain that fell. I picked up the pitcher and poured the water slowly. (3.11)
Wendell sure is a sweet guy to be taking care of Kim's beans. And he seems to know just what to do to make sure they grow big and strong (got water?). Plus, did you notice how Wendell is like a plant detective? He searches the plant for clues like the shape of the leaves and the feel of the dirt. Nicely done, Mr. Plant Detective, nicely done.
Quote #5
He studied the sun. Then the soil. He felt it, then smelled it, then actually tasted it. He chose a spot not too far from the sidewalk. Where my mother changed busses she'd gone into a store and bought him a trowel and four packets of seeds. I cleared the trash, he turned the soil. (4.8)
Tío Juan knows exactly what he's doing in the garden. He looks at every bit of the lot and doesn't miss a thing. If Wendell from chapter 3 is Mr. Plant Detective, then we're dubbing Tío Juan Mr. Soil Detective. In fact, Tío Juan doesn't just look at the soil, he even tastes it. Now that's some thorough detective work. What do you think of Tío Juan's relationship with the soil? How do you think smelling and tasting the soil will help Tío Juan to plant his seeds better?
Quote #6
Squatting there in the cool of the evening, planting our seeds, a few other people working, a robin singing out strong all the while, it seemed to me that we were in truth in Paradise, a small Garden of Eden. (6.3)
Sam seriously loves this community garden. In fact, he doesn't just love the garden, he thinks it may just be the greatest place ever. Check out how Sam compares it to the Garden of Eden. What do you think makes this garden a paradise for Sam? Is it the nice weather? Or the industrious folks? Or something totally different?