Pruning and the corona virus

March 12th.

This morning the sun was shining. By now it is clear that I have to do jobs in the garden as soon as the sun is showing itself, because it might be totally different a few hours later. So when I got up today, I had a quick breakfast and went out to prune the roses growing over my garden gate. As always a job I dread because I have to stand on a ladder to reach the rose, and the thorns know no mercy! I have to dress for the job, protecting myself with a soft-shell jacket, a hoody, with an additional layer on top of it, Wellingtons, a very thick pair of jeans, workmen’s gloves, a baseball cap and glasses. Luckily nobody sees me, and if they did, they would not recognize me. Once I started many more jobs had to be done. They are not the only roses I have, and they all had to be trained and tied up. Anybody with a garden knows it is a never-ending job and a work in progress. But satisfying as well. I finished by 2 pm, had a shower and put on “normal” clothes. Just when I was ready to go out and do some necessary errands, it started pouring down! Fortunately, the sun came out again, so that I did not get wet at all.

 The magnolia stellata in bloom, always a joy. 

Below: Rain! From behind my kitchen window

In spite of the scare of the corona virus, the talk of the day, not only here but everywhere in Europe and even in the USA, nature doesn’t care. It only knows it is spring! The goldfish in my pond appeared again, happily swimming around, and I even spotted several very tiny young fish. The magnolia stellata tentatively shows its first flowers, white and virginal, and even more beautiful after the shower, decorated with watery diamonds sparkling in a ray of light.

From tomorrow on our country will be more or less in quarantine, museums closed, concerts and big venues cancelled. We were so lucky to enjoy the Maritime Museum only the day before yesterday. Not being able to visit museums during the coming weeks, go to concerts or other events and gatherings, is perhaps the perfect opportunity to start spring cleaning! Not something I fancy, but something which is at least productive. Let us see what happens.