It has been a while since I last spent time gardening.

For the past three years, we mostly left the soil in our garden alone to restore itself naturally.

Recently, my wife mentioned that she would like to grow vegetables at home this year.

That brought back memories of my earlier gardening attempts.

Three years ago, I casually tossed coriander seeds into our raised garden beds.

To my surprise, they grew abundantly in late October after planting them in August.

The following year, I tried again in May.

Nothing.

Back then, I did not yet understand how important timing and seasonal cycles really are.

This year, I want to approach things differently.

Not by forcing growth.

But by working more with the rhythm of nature itself.

Today, I trimmed the grasses and weeds in our garden.

Carefully.

Not wanting to disturb the soil too aggressively.

Not wanting to create dry brown patches again.

Not wanting dormant weeds to return even more aggressively afterward.

And while trimming, I noticed something interesting.

Healthy growth does not always require removing everything.

Sometimes it only requires taking away what prevents growth from happening naturally.

Nothing more.

I even shaped our shrubs into karikomi forms, something I had imagined doing years ago when I first became interested in gardening.

Will all of this eventually lead to healthy and nutritious vegetables?

Honestly, I still do not know.

For now, I am simply learning to pay more attention to timing, cycles, restoration, and the quiet balance between growth and restraint.