"All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today."
~Indian proverb

So what is going on in the garden these days? Today I noticed the first aphids munching away on one of the kale plants. This particular plant seems closest to bolting of all the kale plants and is not getting quite enough sunlight now that the cardoon is taking off and shading that part of the garden. I was, however, able to gather enough kale for dinner and then some without bringing in a single aphid by simply leaving that plant alone. I prefer to leave the aphids outside if I can help it and I think the aphids are in agreement with me on this one.

I saw the first chamomile flower today, the first calendula flower two days ago, the first green strawberries yesterday and today, the first pea flowers yesterday and today, the first sweet pea (white!) today.

The mesclun is officially gone and the tomatoes have been planted in their place. The beets are thriving; there are literally dozens of carrots and poppies and borage plants. Oh! And there are some potatoes coming up that I was unaware of. Always fun to find potatoes where you didn't expect them. Eva and I planted sunflowers in several places and are crossing our fingers. None of the seeds I planted last year grew into sunflowers. We also planted scarlet runner beans. I am hoping to plant more of those once I figure out where to put the cucumbers I hope to buy this weekend at the market. It is a busy and vibrant garden and an inspiration to me in its optimism.

I am very simply in love with the plants and flowers this time of year and am looking forward to the first irises whose buds are now visible. Peonies too! For now, there are bleeding hearts and especially columbine-