The wildflowers are beginning to poke up after their winter slumber, the leaves are budding, and the grass is greening again. What would you plant in the vegetable garden outside Laura's Little House in the Big Woods? With our downloadable dioramas by artist Renée Graef, only your imagination is the limit.

Have you ever wondered how Laura Ingalls Wilder's voice developed into the literary powerhouse behind the Little House books? In this article, we trace her artistic development back to when she became Mary's eyes, describing the sighted world to her blind sister.

In Little House in the Big Woods, Laura recalls how she and Mary would help Ma make homemade butter. Not only would they churn it, but then they would color it with carrot juice, and mold it into pretty shapes for their visitors. You only need a few supplies and some willing helpers with strong arms to enjoy this butter. 

We're celebrating a bunch of birthdays in April:

• Dabbs Greer was born 105 years ago on April 2nd. Best known for his role as the Reverend Alden, Dabbs' last role before his death was in The Green Mile (1999). 
• Kevin Hagen, born April 3rd, 1928, won our hearts as the doctor and veterinarian Doc Baker. Did you know he spent two years in the US Navy before his role on the show?
• Ed Friendly, creator and executive producer of the "Little House on the Prairie" series, was born April 2, 1922 and would have been a centenarian this month. Ed described how his daughter's love for Wilder's books inspired him to bring the stories to television viewers worldwide.
• Shannen Doherty may be better known for her role on the teen drama 90210, but we loved her precociousness as Jenny Wilder in the 9th season of "Little House on the Prairie". Shannen was born on April 11th.
• Jonathan Gilbert, born April 28th, captured Willie Oleson on the "Little House" show. Often vying for his parents' attention, he competed with his onscreen sister Nellie Oleson, played by Alison Arngrim.

Looking for your next great read? Check out these memoirs, written by members of the "Little House" cast. We've included Melissa Gilbert's eagerly anticipated book, Back to the Prairie, A Home Remade, A Life Rediscovered, a book about her experiences with a ramshackle home in the Catskills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book is available now for pre-order and will be released on May 10th.