A little bit of gardening

Today I finally managed to get out into the garden. Not just a ‘quick pop out’ or a ‘glance out of the window’, but a proper visit – with my hands in the soil, feeling as though life is slowly getting back on track.

First thing, I got to work on the hibiscus. It had spent the winter indoors, had stretched out, and had become rather homely and delicate. I repotted it into a large planter — let it get used to the outdoors gradually. But I immediately had to take safety measures: I covered the soil with pieces of tile. Because Miska isn’t just a dog, she’s a little archaeologist with boundless enthusiasm. Turn your back for a moment, and any plant pot turns into the excavation site of the century.

Then I got round to the pampas grass. To be honest, I’d been putting it off for ages – it was either too cold, I didn’t have the time, or I simply didn’t have the energy. Today, I finally planted it in the ground. Now I walk past it with cautious hope. I don’t know if it’ll take root or not. With plants like this, it’s always a bit like a lottery: you’ve done everything right, but after that it’s out of your

I had a look at the rest. The lilacs and magnolias are almost ready to go — you can see how the buds have swollen, how they’re ready to burst open any moment now. That state just before flowering is always special, like a pause before taking a breath.

The hellebore, as usual, is living its own life — blooming and paying no attention to anything else. A reliable plant, without any unnecessary drama.

The fritillaria has buds — small, but already confident. It’s nice to spot them, because they’re not the sort that catch your eye straight away.

The crocuses have also started to emerge, but there aren’t many of them. And then I realise it’s my own fault: I closed off the flowerbed from the dogs too late. Apparently, some of them simply didn’t survive their curiosity. It’s a bit of a shame, of course, but that’s just how it is.

Overall, the garden is now in a state where it isn’t beautiful yet, but it already shows promise. And, to be honest, that’s enough.