Across
- 2. Sweet treat worthy of a Paris café
- 6. Social evenings’ battlefield of facts
- 8. Red jewel of summer beds
- 9. Prehistoric cat, nod to feline fascination
- 12. Volume he’d happily flip through
- 13. Purring companion on lazy afternoons
- 16. One who nurtures roots and shoots
- 18. Solver of grids and clues alike
- 19. River crossing memories in France
- 20. Study behind thriving blooms and veggies
- 23. Spicy resident in John’s garden
- 24. Group where minds meet
Down
- 1. Home of the Loop, but not a necklace
- 3. Vintage variety prized by green thumbs
- 4. French word for what John devours in quiet hours
- 5. Advanced stats John might debate over hot dogs
- 7. Fiery condiment for backyard creations
- 10. How John strolls the Seine in his mind
- 11. Backyard heat measured on this scale
- 14. Quiet haven lined with spines
- 15. Blooming star in late-season gardens
- 17. Shade-giving tree John might admire
- 21. Tool or title for a patient plot-tender
- 22. Returns year after year, like his blooms