Spring . . . and our thoughts turn to sprucing things up. John is burning piles of brush left from the great tree felling . . .
He's also mending, washing, and repainting the various blue benches.
Along with the benches, he painted the tuteurs in the little box bed garden.
The arched trellis, alas, was too far gone in rot and since I took this picture, John's pulled it down and set a blue bench in the little niche the arch occupied.
As soon as it warms back up a bit (we had freezing night temperatures Sunday night,) I'll start work on the box beds -- keeping in mind what the deer are less likely to eat. And the rabbits, curse them. Zinnias, along the upper wall, I think . . .
A freshly painted bench beneath the big willow -- I planted that willow soon after we moved here -- probably 1976. My, how it's grown!
Speaking of deer, I spent part of our last warm day, digging up hellebores, False Solomon's Seal, and periwinkle (vinca minor) -- three plants that deer evidently don't eat -- and planting them in other places.
Adapt is the name of the game. We had a lot of years of gorgeous azaleas and rhododendrons but, except for a few tall rhododendrons that still survive at their tops, that's over. I know there are various deer repellants but I also know I haven't the discipline or the desire to deal with re-spraying after each rain.
Instead, I'm going to enjoy watching the deer.