Spring update---Prospect Place mansion-------

This season is starting off just as busy as last year. If any of your groups want a weekend you better get in touch with George soon. Email is best because most of the time the cells don't work on the big side of the house. The historical tour dates are listed on the web site.

We are concentrating on the landscaping this spring but what a project. George built our new green house and it is filling fast. The main house is so big you loose prospective quickly. It has got to be a little at a time each year.

Out front along the road I am doing a stand of Gray stripe sunflowers followed by some smaller rarer varieties and then a row of Gaillardias. That alone is 3200 square feet of tilling and soil prep!

Under the large Norway Maple in front, we are doing a 30 foot diameter circle of Adams Needle, Regal Blue Hosta, Red Trinity Plants, Mixed Astilbe, Double Blue Barlow Columbine, Lily of the Valley, and Cinnamon Ferns. That will be great when the school kids are here for a tour and have their lunches under the tree.

On the north side of the servants quarters under the Mulberry will be completely covered in indigenous, shade loving, wildflowers. 26 different varieties of perennials and annuals! Right next to the house I am putting in Ostrich ferns by the brick patio and along the fence. It should make a wonderful sitting area. This will also keep people from walking on top of the main cistern. You don't want to fall in that thing.

The greenhouse is toward the back and side of the smokehouse. A cedar fence was put up to hide it from site. In front of the fence and on the south side of the smokehouse will be a patch of bulbs and some Wisterias. There will be Glads, Lilies, Blazing Stars, Windflowers, Peacock Orchids, and some Freesias. We are testing out the Wisteria and see how they do. The plan is to kill all the poison Ivy that has taking over the carriage house and replace it with the Wisteria next year.

Either side of the south entrance to the main house will be a combination of things. Moonflowers on both sides with Poppies, Balloon Flowers, Phlox, Carnations, Sedum, Zinnia, Hollyhock, and whatever is left over.

A little field to the south of the house will have ornamental pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn. I have one hill of pumpkin that is supposed to produce several hundred pound fruits. The other pumpkins are the Jack-O-Latern type with some white ones and others that are covered in bumps. Also a hill of Bushel gourd used as baskets and for storage that get several feet across.

A field to the north and one in back of the house is our personal veggie gardens with corn and all the other good stuff.

The bushes out front that our bestest buds from STARS put in several years ago are all trimmed up and weeded. We need to pull one and replace it as it gave up the ghost this winter (pun intended).

The archeology team from university is still coming out this year. But, we don't have a date yet or know for sure where they will doing their dig this time.

That's the main activity right now. We have had our normal share of trespassers and are moving the driveway in front of our neighbors house. We are being forced to put in another gate to keep people out. Our neighbor has the cutest little gal and we are very concerned with people driving past her play area especially when they shouldn't be there at all.

Happy spring to all-------------------------Paul