The recent rains have left my garden lush and green, filled with unruly violet leaves and impertinent creepers, and I’m sure a new crop of broken glass (a prolific crop in any urban community garden) is pushing forth into my plot.

I hadn’t visited in two weeks. Since they’ve been cool and rainy and I expected nothing to be ripe, the only real risk to a prolonged absence was that the weeds would overrun the plants I wanted to grow. When I’d last been down there, we’d harvested our cauliflower and some of the sorrel, which has shown its displeasure by becoming even more overgrown. When I head down again this week, I’ll need to make sure to bring a bag big enough to pick several handfuls.

The tallest shoot of my peas has grasped its way to the height of my waist, and others are climbing up our string trellis in fast pursuit. The vines are strong and covered with flowers, with one transforming into a pod.

It’s impossible to tell I pulled out violet leaves at the start of the month to give our strawberries more light, but it doesn’t seem to have harmed them any. All of the plants I could see had early berries on them, which means they should be red by Memorial Day.

Whatever seemed to be munching on my bok choy has moved on, and all three plants are looking good. The basils, too, are solid, as are the rest of my herbs. And even this 42 Days tomato, the lone one we’ve planted so far (my Sheep & Wool plants remain in my hallway), is thriving, with yellow flowers cheerfully promising fruit to come.

Later this week, I’ll need to head back down and plant tomato and pepper seedlings, beans, and potatoes, but for now I’m pleased with how the garden grows.