Old and New

This week we've had snow, rain, sunshine, hail, wind... not necessarily in that order.
The garden, with a light snow cover that melted off by the end of the day... Snow is definitely getting old. I don't think we've had a week yet where there hasn't been some kind of snow, even if it's just flurries that didn't stick.
But spring is trying to arrive. The climbing vine is budding.
When it's not covered with snow, the garden is growing, a little, maybe (at least it's not dying).
The geraniums are budding.
There's a mix of old and new - plants breaking into bud and old structures crumbling. Old and new. Living and dying. All inextricably knit together into the pattern of the world.

Old walls....
new green....
My neighbor's scaffolding, as they work on repairing the old.
The lemon thyme I planted growing through snow, hail, gropple, and rain, just waiting for the sunshine.
It's all good.

Garden Reclamation Project

So, in my copious spare time (hmmm, work 40 hours, work 10 hours, volunteer 2-5 hours, job search time.... :-), I have taken on the project of reclaiming the area at the side of the house for a lovely little garden and sitting area.

This is the area before anything has been done. The orange in the background is temporary fencing to keep people from plunging over the edge and down into the someday to become parking area below. Fixing this is on the list for later this summer.
This is the same area after all the spare lumber, etc. has been hauled off, the weeds dug out, the bed raked out, the whole area swept. Better, no?
The area near the stairs - an old gate is propped against the stairs to block the view of underneath. Instead of hauling the old toilet off to the dump, it will become a planter.
Garden bed with plants and the addition of decorative rocks (hey, they are everywhere, so you might as well use them!).
You can see the area where the chair is, with the addition of toilet planter and a few other planters. The upper area gets more sun for longer, so pots of geraniums, the garlic chives and a nasturtium have made their homes there.
Stripy sun slats - with more rocks and some transplanted moss (we'll see how that grows)
Toilet planter and other planters (and more rocks)
The old gate - I love the weathered boards, and the rusty hardware
The view across the street, through the fences, with gorgeous blue sky for the first time in so, so long

I'll be posting more pictures as things start to grow (hopefully). I think with the addition of something for a small table, it will be a nice place to relax for me and Callie. I'm thinking a little hibatchi and some folding canvas chairs, and we could entertain small (!) groups of people.