Tree, steps and lavender

Two years ago, when I visited a friend in Lund in southern Sweden, we went to the botanical garden to eat lunch. I fell in love with a Japanese maple and when I got home again I ordered it in the local "plant-school". The tree should have arrived in September last year but they managed to miss my order so I wouldn't get it until April this year. It arrived today and here it is, planted in front of the house, I hope it will like it here.

While in the garden I found myself starting to work on some steps in the steep slope, where it can get very slippery when it rains. It took me a few hours of sweaty work before it was finished, I'm not entirely pleased but it will do until I get the energy to make improvements. I also planted some Lavender next to it, hoping the plants will attract insects and give me some nice scent in the summer evenings. 

I hadn't planned to do all this at once and of course I didn't have a hat on to protect me from the sun. I regret that now.