(...) drip irrigation system. Excellent but they don't last long, they always break -- very high maintenance.

We have something like that at home also, left behind by the previous owner of the house. Rubber hoses with lots of small holes in it. I believe half the length is still working, then it's passing some tree roots, I believe the tree root has grown and shut the other half of it.

Smell of earth - yes, I can relate a bit to that ... but it doesn't get quite the same while living in a city like Oslo, there is too much air pollution ... not to forget the dust, here in Oslo the early spring is often dry and sunny, nice when being at the sea, but in the city it's all too dusty. Well, St.Petersburg can for sure be quite much worse.