Hello all,  As we head into the warmer summer months, there is a lot going on in La Crosse.  You could plan a trip around one of several festivals or performances.  We just got our Fall season schedule from Viterbo University Theater and I checked off three things to see.  Tickets are very reasonable, starting with Sweeney Todd in October and several other musicians, plays, comedians.  Also the Weber Center for Performing Arts has a calendar online:  https://www.webercenterarts.org/events-ticket/. Check out John Denver, Paula Poundstone, Oliver!  (Thats a favorite since I saw it as a kid). We will be here ready for you!  We have made a few updates to your favorite guest suites, but the garden and grounds around the Castle have taken the most energy this season.  Take a walk around, you’ll see many new regional plants, several new trees that replaced some very old ones we had to bid farewell to in the last couple of years.  It’s been a real joy to read several new garden magazines, seed catalogs and garden books.  I smile when there is a rainy day coming, that means some research time for the garden.  I enjoyed reading the book by HRH The Prince of Wales (now King Charles of course) giving us a good look at his home Highgrove and what he’s accomplished over the past 35 years.  Isn’t it amazing when you walk through house gardens and think about the dozens or thousands of people that have walked those paths. Most of the time each plant was chosen for a spot, which would involve whittling down a large list to get to one specific plant that does all you need for that spot.  The right height when fully grown, when does it flower and what color, how much water or mulch does it need and does it play well with others around it.  More than once we’ve had to say no to an amazing plant because it just didn’t work, not matter how pretty.  It’s funny as you get older what excites you, I had a twenty minute discussion with a couple of guests the other day about golden kiwis.  Funny how priorities and interests change.  We are gardeners, plantsmen if you will.  Need a quick pick-me-up, stop by any of a number of garden centers or plant nurseries in this region.  Somebody will eventually combine a winery and a plant nursery, I bet you!  I think it’s fun to figure out what will grow best around your home, taking into consideration the light, soil, water/rain and exposure to those brutal winters when we have them.  The last two have been more mild here, but I’m ready for a rough one, just in case.  Then I stumble upon a new word, yesterday I read “hoggin” and that sent me on a google search for more info:  Hoggin is a natural, compactable ground cover made from a mixture of clay, gravel, and sand or granite dust that binds together when compacted. It’s often buff-colored and has a smooth, semi-permeable surface that’s easy to sweep clean. Hoggin is commonly used in the south of England and at National Trust properties for footpaths, walkways, and woodland paths.  Who knew!  As we study the more than 500 homes owned by the National Trust in the UK, we are learning more and more.  Those homes are many times the size of Castle La Crosse, yet there are things we can learn about how rooms were used and why, what was planted and why and how they lived.  Our job has always been to protect the house, maintain the house and share it with others.  That won’t change.

Speaking of, we hope that you will refer a friend or two to come stay at the Castle.  Come yourself and enjoy some self-care with a nice getaway, Brandon will be cooking whatever looks best at the market.  It really is a lot of fun to share our home with you!  Safe Travels

This week we have the La Crosse Story Telling Festival on the 19th and 20th, the Mediterranean Festival on the 21st and Artfair On the Green (wonderful art festival) on July 27th, there is time to get into any of those events!