This day is peaceful and sunny. Birds are chirping and the garden is watered in preparation for the thirty degree day. And as I pull atrophied plants from their spring places of glory, I can’t but reflect on the wonder of nature. The certainty of it and its constant desire to grow, to be beautiful, to endow and then quite graciously end. As humans we regard endings with sadness and grief and often I feel that way when a plant, a flower, a vegetable, leaves me. So what do I do? I dig over the soil, wait a bit and start over.

Today my sadness and rejoicing is at the imminent departure of a dear and beautiful plant known in the human world as Jack Youens. We were children when we met. We danced, we sang, we acted together. We cared for each other during our adventures in London. We grew up and lived in different cities, but always the spirit, the kindness and the creativity of this man has remained deep in my cellular constitution. So dear Jack, my flower of peace and beauty, I look forward to when we plant another garden with freshness, vitality and colour within the graciousness of whatever it is that makes things grow. My love to you dear one and thank you for you.