Being a casual practitioner of Feng Shui, the landscaping project here at The Bohemian became somewhat of a personal event. As the old nostalgic shrubs, bushes and plants were wrenched from their foothold both of the earth and my sentimental soul, it became instantly apparent that we invent reasons which prevent us from moving forward. This can be reflected with our houses and the environment surrounding them. Just as a house may require painting for example, a great deal of work needs to be done causing the majority of us to postpone such tasks, silently restricting us from moving on. In my case, to remove the vintage spirea, or bridal wreath (even the name evokes beauty) was a daunting hurdle to overcome. The second they were gone, taking minutes balanced against the 6 years I have pondered about them, I knew it was the right choice. Instantly I felt a reprise from regarding life, joyful as it is, as an occasional uphill struggle. The overgrown unmanageable maintenance, which I incurred every spring and fall was a constant reminder of what I was not able to successfully accomplish, and frankly, not welcoming, however majestic, original and true to the original landscape. For years I have walked around the yard visualizing classically formal gardens interspersed with whimsy that guests might enjoy and a colorful style that would showcase the integrity of the house. I thought often 'instant landscape' as much as I wanted to do it myself. That law of attraction is no secret, so what we have now at The Bohemian is pretty much as close as one can come to what I have been hoping to evoke throughout the last several seasons. The gentle beauty of gardens long lost, the kind with blossoms and surprises that create a sense of space in which you want to linger and breath easy again. I am happy to be the recipient of another of life's graceful gifts, meeting Heather & Lynn Hacker, who with their honorable crew whipped up a delightful outdoor wonder I invite all to enjoy.

Full Meal Deal

This past weekend was like a smorgasbord for me, I didn't even eat with the guests and I am stuffed! Lasagna gardening?!? which doesn't have anything to do with being Italian, but it certainly added to the fun that someone in the party used to have a pizza joint. Since half of what I do here is all about food, this layer technique for the garden sounds right up my alley. I've got the first draft of landscaping plans, from A to Zinnia, and I am going to embed this carefree breezy style into the earth around here. Where else can the enchanted garden I am envisioning spring from? A lot of ideas served up here over the weekend,including dessert, on the menu?: Cakes by Barb, we even plated a side of sitcom: a slice of life from a guest job: "The Regulator", hey, we figure it could air along side 'World Championship Poker' (and it ties nicely to all the sugar running, cat house piano player antics my Great Grandpa Bockus was involved in when he ran the New Ulm Grocery Company, which is still around, as is The Still, pushed in the Cottonwood River by the old prohibition regulator.) Real History Reality TV, right here in New Ulm. Good Morning America, History Detectives all just in August, all for your viewing, but why aren't YOU here?