Boris only received his patch of land after his retirement 10 years go. It is about 10 miles from his home, a long, hot drive in his 1976 Moskvich car, located just at the edge of the woods. There, he and his wife built a tiny A-frame house, leaving the rest of the land for their garden. The minute the weather started to break, they rushed out, with the seedlings in the back of the car, and began to plant. It is getting worse.
Prices go up every day.
In the midst of their dreary, difficult lives, these gardens provide a chance to take control, to get out of tiny, stuffy apartments and to experience the creative fulfillment from watching something grow. I have 50 different kinds of flowers. It gives me pleasure. Nina's garden is robust, with everything from pumpkins to garlic and beet root. But the unusually hot weather this year has only made it more difficult, threatening to dry up the well that she uses not only to water the plants but also to cook and drink.