Who’s the greenest of them all? Our vote gets cast for Tricycle columnist and Zen gardener Wendy Johnson, the subject of a big splashy ol’ profile in the New York Times Home and Garden section (”Dharma in the Dirt,” May 8, 2008). Wendy’s “On Gardening” column has been a prize rose of the Tricycle garden for over ten years, and with the publication of her new book, Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate, she’s getting a wave of much-deserved attention.

In the Times article, Wendy discusses her lovingly cultivated garden near Green Gulch Farm and the path that led her to appreciate the Buddha-nature of hemlock and lilacs alike. Basically, her life is awesome: meditating with trowel in hand, serving visitors homegrown lemon verbena tea, teaching, composting, writing… We want in! In the meantime, we can always content ourselves with reading about it. Check out one of Wendy’s columns for free here, and learn about upcoming readings and events on her website.

While Burma is embroiled in tragedy, the junta presses ahead with its sham constitutional referendum.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s house by the University is reported to have no electricity, which is not surprising, and may have lost part of its roof in the cyclone. She has not spoekn publicly since the storm.

The junta has impounded some aid deliveries, which has slowed relief efforts considerably. This has led some  to suggest air-dropping the stuff might be better, but U.K. International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander calls this idea “incendiary.”

For updates on the cyclone and its aftermath in Burma, you can’t do better than check in with Buddhist Chaplain Danny Fisher. He’s got a whole host of posts full of great information on this. Drop by, you won’t leave unenlightened.

The junta is willing to receive aid but not aid workers. One relief flight was turned away because it contained “an unauthorized media group.” They will have lives on their conscience for this.

While the junta fiddles. Aid workers need to be allowed access.

Five days after the storm, Burma’s main city of Rangoon is paralyzed and lacks basic services, but the death toll there was small, 400 or so, compared with the Irrawaddy Delta. Food, water, and other necessities are desperately needed on the delta, which was slammed by the incoming storm, and aid teams are stuck waiting in Thailand for permission to cross the border.

Meanwhile, with very little fanfare outside the Chinese media echo-chamber, the torch summits Everest.

And relief is needed.

If humanitarian conditions worsen, and they will if aid is not allowed in, the toll could reach 100,000.

We’re a week into the month of daily videos from celebs such as Will Ferrell, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Silverman, and Eddie Izzard on Burma from the U.S. Campaign for Burma. Go to their website to see them all so far, and to read updates on the disastrous cyclone.