Trick decided to be the official egg sorter.
Over at Cookbook Of The Day, we wrote about Welty’s one “cookbook” a limited edition recipe for White Fruitcake. Like many Southern women, Chestina cook amazing meals but never used a recipe, telling her daughter, "Any cook worth her salt would know, given a list of ingredients, what to do with them." So Welty never became a cook. Luckily, she did better under her mother’s tutelage as a gardener.
Unlike cooking, gardening can always use a strong back and extra pair of hands. Welty’s love of nature grew in her mother’s garden and the natural world of the South became a common feature in Welty’s work. But few people realized how much of her love of Southern flora and fauna was quite literally rooted in her back yard. In her second- floor bedroom at 1119 Pinehurst Street, Welty looked out of her window and gazed into her mother’s garden, seeing it grow with her reputation as a writer.
The relatively small garden, measuring in at roughly three-quarters of an acre, it bordered the Tudor-style house on the north, south and east sides. Like the English styled house, the garden took on the air of a cottage garden with trellises, boarders, and hedges dividing the garden into different areas. The garden held over 30 varieties of camellias, Miss Eudora’s particular favorite. The earliest of the camellias planted around 1926.
Gardens, however small, need a committed and driving force. When Chestina died, that driving force was gone. Welty continued to maintain the garden, becoming the chief gardener and delegating her self-proclaimed “yard-boy” status to another gardener. But Welty grew older and her garden help moved on and her mother’s garden became a tangled mess.
In 1994, noted garden restorer, Susan Haltom, sat down with the aging Welty who lamented, “I can't bear to look out the window and see what has become of my mother's garden.” Haltom planned to "fix up" the garden as a favor for an aging and beloved writer, but soon the project took on a life of its own. Welty had already made arrangements to deed the house to the state to become a literary museum. Haltom saw the garden as a vital extension of that museum. A way to tell the story of the time: a rising middle class, conservation, technology, women’s clubs, garden clubs, and civic beautification were becoming prevalent and this garden was a reflection of those changing times. The restoration focused on the garden’s peak, a period from 1925 to 1945. Haltom’s discussions with Welty began to uncover old borders with stone rubble. Day lilies from the 1920’s began to emerge into the sunlight as well as some of Welty’s beloved camellias. A rose garden, a favorite of Chestina's, was quickly carved out. Welty, an avid photographer once climbed to the roof for aerial shots of the garden. Haltom researched every plant from that period, nixing newer varieties. After Welty died, her niece, Mary Alice White, found Chestina's 1930s gardening journal. Like the consummate gardener that she was, Chestina had drawn the garden layout complete with plant names and locations.
Photographer Langdon Clay documented Haltom’s work. Jane Roy Brown conducted additional historical research. This magnificent collaboration is documented in One Writer’s Garden. On a visit to Jackson, Mississippi, one can now wander through one writer’s garden, smelling the camellias as Eudora Welty did for over 50 years.
A small group did venture out but soon tried vigilantly to get into the greenhouse.
Teddy explained if he couldn't get in, neither could they and they dispersed quickly.
For a less frozen idea, check out Book II: The Best of Food Eggs and Poultry at Cookbook Of The Day.
7 Middagh
George Davis
Designer Oliver Smith, who was a bit pre-cusp on February 13.
Writer Carson McCullers, February 19
Writers Jane Bowles, February 22, with husband Paul.
Poet Stephen Spender, February 28.
Gypsy Rose Lee
Sometimes we just close our eyes and take a deep breath and ask ourselves, "Has Spring really sprung?"
She was my source for the exceptionally riveting exhibition entitled Rimbaudmania. I know you missed it but there is still the catalogue.
Jodie recently posted about really fun Japanese textiles on Etsy. So do check her out. You won't be sorry.
The causality of our recent stormy weather was our bee hive. At some point during the 50 mile-an-hour wind, the top blew off and the driving rain drownd the hive.
For six years the hive thrived while others faced mites, hive collapse, and disease.
It survived rain, wind, sleet, hail and even snowmageddon. Every year I would think it was gone, and on the first warm day of spring, bees would emerge and begin hunting for pollen.
Every year it provided honey for the farm and friends. It will be missed.
At a time when people are mourning the loss of loved ones, we came the the storm messy but unscathed.
Here are a few during the storm. It would eventually cover all four bridges and flood the garage.
This is about 4PM. By eight this whole area was submerged.
The next day, it was like being on another planet. It has been impossible to get the car out.
The normally green field was covered under 6 inches of sludge.
Our foot bridge is worse for wear, but it stayed put. It will take us most of the weekend to dig out. 
