Prairie House LLC

Good day from the Prairie House!
The tree peonies had a brief but glorious bloom time and the prairie is greening up nicely after the spring burn. We’re having a late spring and the kitchen garden’s slowly getting established. Spied a newborn fawn on wobbly legs in the prairie the other day and we’re happy to see the eagles back at the nest after losing their eaglets last February.
Best spring wishes!

We are grateful to the Prairie House guests who have graced our doorstep through every season for the past 16 years and wish you and our family and friends a wonderful and healthy holiday season!

We still have a few weeks available for Prairie House rentals in May/June of 2022 and going forward we’re taking a sabbatical from short term rentals and will keep you posted if this changes.

Meanwhile, Laurie continues to provide health coach services and Larry manages the Kettle Moraine Youth Aviation non-profit mentoring local high school students to develop aviation and teamwork skills building an RV-12. Donations to the non-profit and seasoned pilots and airplane builders who want to share their expertise as a volunteer mentor, please reach out to Larry to learn more. With love and best wishes this holiday season,
Laurie and Larry

Don’t forget the clocks fall back an hour tomorrow - wishing you and your families a blessed pre-holiday season!

Wishing you health and joys amidst the quickly passing summer - just taking a moment to share the beauty of Wisconsin in summer and to express gratitude for family, friends and our wonderful Prairie House guests!

This beauty was so intent on getting nectar from every flower on the rosinweed plant she didn’t seem to mind my taking a few photos. The female black swallowtails tend to be larger than the males with blue markings on the back, and males have yellow markings! The underwing is more colorfully marked with yellow, blue and orange. Unlike the monarch, they don’t migrate but instead overwinter here in Wisconsin in the chrysalis form that resembles a dried leaf. Their favorite plants are in the carrot family - dill, parsley and queen Ann’s lace (wild carrot).

Hope you enjoy this virtual mid-summer prairie walk. There were 139 species of prairie forbs and grasses planted in 1999 and we’ve identified about 85:

We wish you and your families a safe and wonderful 4th of July!
After a dry spring we’re grateful to have gotten some rain last week for the prairie, gardens, cherries and berries. . . here are some rainy day photos - take care and hope that you enjoy this window of summer in bloom!

Wishing you a great summer from the Prairie House!
This thistle photo was taken at the rhubarb festival at the Art Farm near Holy Hill in the town of Erin last weekend. We have one rhubarb plant in the Prairie House garden and we learned some tips on how to make strawberry/rhubarb salsa.
Thistles are prickly and one good thing about them is that they’re a favorite food for goldfinches.
We hiked around the farm fields and sampled strawberry/rhubarb jelly and rhubarb wine and listened to the Seigmann Family Band play bluegrass/gospel music. This was a first visit to the art farm and we recommend stopping in at their beautiful farm tucked away in the hills of Erin overlooking Holy Hill. Their events are listed at www.Holyhillartfarm.com

The purple finches have adapted the front door wreath and are working on their second brood.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Wisconsin spring is finally in full swing - wishing you joy amidst the busy spring season!

“Come with me into the woods where spring is
advancing, as it does, no matter what,
not being singular or particular, but one
of the forever gifts, and certainly visible.”

- Mary Oliver (Dog Songs)

Happy Mother’s Day from the Prairie House! Erin captured the photo of the baby sandhill crossing the road - the other baby was dawdling behind in the grass. . .what’s a mom to do?
The spring songbirds are nesting around the farm - a purple finch family has taken over the wreath on the front door. With gratitude for the miracle of birth and our innate capacity to nurture, mentor and care for others, the world, ourselves💖🌎.

It’s a lovely spring day at the Prairie House - Blessed Easter to all who celebrate!
It’s a joy to see the daffodils finally blooming today and the prairie starting to green up after the recent prairie burn. The garden seedlings started 2 weeks ago are coming along - heirloom tomatoes, roasting peppers and eggplant at this point. We’ll plant the cool weather lettuce, spinach, kale and peas outdoors this week and look forward to May when the spring tulips, lilacs and asparagus are blooming.
Wishing you a healthy and joyous spring from the Prairie House!