It rained for much of the morning. We love the rain. No outside irrigation required today. By noon it cleared up and was perfect outdoor working weather.

I returned to the BRC and continued weeding the apples, all the while taking notice of what’s blooming and what is ready to harvest. The Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia), Buttercups (Ranunculus acris) various Clovers—red and white—and Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) are all flowering. We’ll harvest the Chamomile soon and dry it for tea. The buttercups attract pollinators. They’re also useful if you wonder about lactose issues around butter. Hold the buttercups under your chin to see if butter is really good for you. My chin glows. I also cut a lot of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), a tall, single-stemmed fern that spreads from rhizomes and shades out all low-growing plants in its path. It makes good mulch too.