I’m amazed that I used to think flowers superfluous. That if we can’t eat ’em, why have ’em? I look back on this former, merely, sheerly, “practical” self with stunned awareness. How far I’ve come! And: how did I get so far away from Beauty?

My gladiolas, planted three weeks ago? — are starting to shoot up. Yay! See em (inside the wild strawberries and tiny jewel weed sprouts).

And, right next to them, a flourishing little greens and kale plot in the back yard.

One more word about flowers . . . I used to only plant annuals. Now I only plant perennials. I view this as a good sign that I have moved away from my lifelong apocalyptic self: i.e., I newly assume they will come up year after year (and how I love seeing them again and again!); yes, I newly assume there will be a next year — despite current worse-than-usual apocalyptic rumors. Is this assumption my unconscious way of shifting the direction of the future into a timeline of human and earthly flourishing?

Here’s a close-up on the front porch kiwi vines; notice the dead leaves (from the freeze we had for two nights a couple of weeks ago) are now being pushed aside by new leaves.

Motherwort trying to take over in back, as usual . . .

Lots of other herbs in that garden. Hope they get a chance to come up . . .

Then there’s horsetail (very ancient), and some type of sedum (I learned these names just now, on a plant ID site), both around the pond (which, was taken over by some kind of bamboo a few years ago).

Yesterday, we planted basil, tomatoes, peppers, more potatoes and sweet potatoes.

We’re still early, but willing to cover the plants if necessary. So far, only the outside beans haven’t survived. Here’s the potatoes we planted a month ago, obviously recovering from frost! The one at bottom right still looks burned, but sports tiny new leaves.

Here we are, prior to planting yesterday. Marita, Joseph, Ben.

Yes, that weirdness in front of the above photo is this pile from the past few months . . . About time to borrow neighbor Dave’s truck again and haul it all off to Good Earth.

And here’s Joseph, with the sweet potatoes. We have 12 slips, and he’s planting them in two rows, down the center. After May 15th, we’ll plant bush beans around the edges.

Believe it or not, most of the beds in view here have been planted. Just wait a few weeks! 

We still have a number beds in back yards and one front yard to plant, but, the stock in the greenhouse is reducing rapidly, and we’re going to give some tomato plants away.

I’ll end with a montage of Joseph’s newly renamed fairy garden, in front of the house where he lives.