Home and Garden, and Real Estate- May 14, 2023

CHESAPEAKE,

Living happily alongside 80 houseplants

By A manda L ong

The Washington Post

BEACH TRAFFIC ON a Friday afternoon is its own certain kind of hell, but toss in a pre-tunnel crash and a 40-minute detour through local, light-heavy roads, and you’ll know how frazzled I felt when Tracey Hairston invited me into her family’s home in Chesapeake, Va., for an interview.

The second I stepped through the doors, my traffic jitters and accompanying grumpy demeanor evaporated into the vaulted ceilings of her open-plan ranch home. The 2,913-square-foot space is as warm, welcoming, intentionally authentic and as vibrant as its owner, who greets me with a hug.

The fact I felt calmer is no accident, says Hairston. The interior design, fashion and plant blogger and military spouse has had to make eight locations in two states and Japan feel like home since she and Reggie, a retired Marine colonel, married 28 years ago. She blogs about her projects, vintage finds and all things fashion and flora at Mocha Girl Place and on Instagram.

“My style is led by the sense that I want you to be able to come in, take in the beautiful space, and just put your feet up, sit back and relax,” she says.

Hairston’s curated flow encourages visitors to linger, inquire and admire. The most powerful visual magnet is the first floor’s dual-sided fireplace, framed by alcoves leading to an equally vibrant gem: a 15-by-13.5-foot sunroom with 52 plants. “As soon as I saw this room, I knew this was our house,” she says.

Hairston has dreamed of a

leafy room of her own with every move and challenging layout of base housing. “It’s difficult to move with plants,” she says. “I’ve given away more plants and clippings than I’ve ever owned. If I don’t have the space, or we’ve got to move, why not bless someone else with them?”

In 2017, while living in California on Reggie’s last assignment before retirement, the couple shopped for a permanent roost and settled on this deceptively simple white ranch house. Six years later, Hairston is still building a tranquil bohemian lair filled with what she loves: 80 houseplants (so far), color, texture, more plants, natural fibers, brass, fake plants, baskets and vintage finds. We spent a couple hours chatting about her plants and how she lives with them. Here are edited excerpts from that conversation.

Q. This house is very you; how do you ensure Reggie, your husband, feels at home?

A. Didn’t you see that 75inch TV hanging over the fireplace? I hate that big ol’ TV, but we have to compromise, right? That’s all him!

Q. I didn’t even notice it; I was too busy taking in the pampas grass on the hearth beneath it. You’ve camouflaged it well.

A. When we moved here, my husband really gave me free rein. As that military spouse, that officer spouse, I was the one always holding down the home front. I was the one taking my son to the barber, taking my kids to A, B, C, D, you name it. A lot of our dynamic is him saying, “This is your house,” and the other part is that we work well together. He’s a wood-

worker who loves to build as much as I like to come up with things for him to build. We’ve done projects together, including the table and shelves in the kitchen. He’s got a different pace than I do, and that can be challenging, because once I have an idea, I want to

see it. It’s my vision, on his timetable. He really builds the bones of the home, and I bring it to life. He appreciates the fact that I want to take care of the house and make it distinctly ours.

Q. What advice do you have for first-time plant parents, especially those who got inspired during the “Plantdemic” when all things domestic took off?

A. Go slow! Get one plant at a time. I made the mistake of bringing in way too many plants during the pandemic. All these Facebook groups started popping up and everyone was sharing them for free! How could I resist? I had like 20 new plants all at once — and they all died. Start with an easy-care plant — a pothos or snake plant. If you can keep it alive for six months to a year, then get another one.

Q. Let’s get this out of the way: Fake plants or no?

A. There is this great debate, right? I’m not one of those plants snobs who thinks

Hairston’s Virginia home has 80 houseplants (so far). She uses both live and faux plants in her designs. (CARLOS BERNATE / THE WASHINGTON POST)

“My style is led by the sense that I want you to be able to come in, take in the beautiful space, and just put your feet up, sit back and relax.”

Tracey Hairston

Instant kitchen upgrade

FOR MOST PEOPLE, improving the kitchen is one of those home improvement projects that’s always on the “to do” list.

Unfortunately, that’s where it usually stays.

For do-it-yourselfers, however, now there’s a simple way to upgrade the kitchen without a time-consuming and expensive remodel.

This kitchen island project is a simple, attractive and inexpensive way to add work and storage space to any kitchen.

The project’s handsome and durable butcher block top provides eight square feet of counter space.

Down below, two big drawers and two open shelves (one with an optional wine rack) offer generous storage, and casters make it easy to move the island where it’s most convenient.

The project is easy enough for beginners. Just cut out the pieces, laminate the top and assemble using screws, glue and nails.

AMHERST Gardening series

Leslie Cerier, “The Organic Gourmet” chef, teacher and cookbook author, will host a Zoom demonstration on May 16 at 7 p.m. Cerier will show attendees how to make herbal-flavored oils and vinegars. Learn the best oil and the various vinegars to use to create global flavors with combinations of one or more herbs, fruits, species, wild foods and more. To register, visit the Jones Library website at joneslibrary.org. This free program is part of this spring’s Gardens & Gardening series, sponsored by the friends of the Jones Libraries.

John Root will present a PowerPoint presentation on “Majesty and Mystery of Crop Circles,” featuring designs that have been appearing with increasing sophistication during the past three decades in farmers’ fields and other locations all over the world. Guest fee is $5. Any questions, call Lil Fedora at 413-5661137.

The garden club also seeks plant donations for its upcoming Memorial Day Plant Sale. They will dig those plants that need to be thinned out or need a new home. Contact Lil Fedora ta 413-566-1137 or email her at Stonemeadowfarm@charter.net before May 20.

MONSON Plant sale

Once the project is put together, install the casters and drawers, oil the butcher block and enjoy your “new and improved” kitchen.

The island measures about 48 inches long by 24 inches wide by 36 inches tall.

The Kitchen Island plan, No. 932, is $10.95 and includes step-by-step instructions with photos, full-size traceable patterns, construction diagrams and a complete shopping list and cutting schedule. Please include $3.95 per order for postage and handling and allow about two weeks for delivery.

To order by mail, clip this

article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, c/o The Republican, 741B Olive Ave., Vista CA 92083. To order by credit card, visit U-Bild on the web at u-bild. com.

HAMPDEN Guest speaker, plant sale

The Hampden Garden Club will host a guest speaker on May 18 at 7 p.m. at the Academy Hall on Main Street.

Down to Earth Gardeners’ 25th annual plant sale will be held on May 20 from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine, at the United Methodist Church, 162 Main St. (across from Dunkin’ Donuts). There will be a large selection of plants for shade

Don & Dave Runyan Project of the Week

Project of The Week: Butcher block top. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Lee Reich | In the Garden

Best way to plant corn is in ‘clumps’

CONVENTIONAL

garden wisdom holds that sweet corn isn’t worth planting in a backyard garden. The reasons given are that it takes up too much space, pollination is poor from small backyard plantings, and corn from markets and farm stands is relatively inexpensive and of high quality. I take issue with this conventional wisdom on all counts.

My vegetable garden has three-foot-wide planting beds, and down a bed I can plant two rows of corn hills, which are clumps of plants that provide for good pollination. Hills are 18 inches apart in the row, with five seeds planted per hill. In this case, I am following the conventional wisdom of planting “one seed for the mouse, one for the crow, one to rot, and one to grow”; once the plants are up and growing, I thin each hill to the three sturdiest plants.

With such spacing, each of my 10-foot-long beds will end up with 52 stalks of corn. Some varieties yield two ears per stalk, but assuming an average of only an ear and a half per stalk, I still reap a very respectable yield of 78 ears of corn from a mere 30 square feet of growing area.

And who says that that 30 square feet need to be dedicated only to corn for the whole season? I’ve preced-

ed beds of corn with early, cool-season vegetables like lettuce, spinach or radishes, and followed it with later crops of bush beans or autumn lettuce, broccoli or cabbage.

Reaping such a harvest demands good growing conditions; otherwise ears develop into nothing more than nubbins. Light is important, a minimum of six hours of unobstructed sunlight a day. I maintain soil fertility by each year sprinkling a nitrogen-rich fertilizer on the ground, then topping it with a one-inch blanket of compost. My fertilizer of choice is soybean meal, an organic source of nitrogen that releases nutrients into the soil slowly throughout the growing season.

Here in the Northeast, rainfall is usually sufficient to quench a corn plant’s thirst, but not always. So I water my corn, my whole vegetable garden, in fact. A sprinkler would suffice, but even better is drip irrigation which uses less water, lessens disease by not wetting the foliage, and can be easily automated.

Timely plantings let me free up the beds for other vegetables to precede and follow the corn and spread out the harvest season so I have sweet corn from midsummer on. The first seeds go into the ground about a week before

the average date of the last killing frost.

One way to get a jump on the corn planting season would be to presprout the seeds before planting. A half day soaking in water, then twice daily rinsing in a screentopped jar kept handily in the kitchen, awakens the seeds

and has them ready to plant within about a week. Avoid using fungicide-treated seeds (usually dyed some bright color as a warning) because it would be imprudent to have fungicide solution sloshing around your kitchen. For that matter, I take care to provide good growing conditions generally for my corn so I can avoid use of such seed altogether.

I haven’t yet mentioned anything about the quality

of backyard sweet corn. Yes, the new varieties that you can buy in markets are truly supersweet and do hold their sweetness long after harvest, but is sweetness really all you want from sweet corn? Not me. I grow Golden Bantam, a variety that was introduced in 1906 and whose rich, corny flavor still maintains a devoted following. Silver Queen is another old variety — although not rich and chewy

Planting corn in clumps (called “hills”) allows

Terry and Kim Kovel | antiques & collecting

Perfume stands test of time as popular Mother’s Day gift

PERFUME IS ALWAYS a popular Mother’s Day gift. It combines luxury and sentiment — the sense of smell is closely linked to emotion and memory — and lasts much longer than a bouquet of flowers. Perfume bottles are often works of art in and of themselves, increasing their appeal. They are popular collectibles, whether they contain perfume or not.

There is even a major club for their collectors: the International Perfume Bottle Association (https://perfumebottles.org/). Antique and vintage perfume bottles sell well at auctions. As with most antiques, a famous maker increases the value, whether it’s a perfume by a celebrated designer or a bottle by a wellknown glass artist or company.

This one, made by Stevens & Williams, a famous English art glass company from the 1840s to the 1930s, sold for $1,968 at Brunk Auctions, surpassing its high estimate. Its bold color, elegant design and skilled technique contribute to the high price. The bottle is almost heart-shaped and features a white flower and leafy vine cameo cut to a bright red ground. Cameo cutting is an old glass-decorating technique where layers of glass are cut away to create a design against a different color of glass in the layer below. It was fashionable in the late 19th to early 20th century.

Q. Our church received an electric mixer for a yard sale. It has a juicer attachment, a metal bowl and several beaters. “Electricmaid” is printed on it. Does it have any value?

A. Your mixer was made by the A.F. Dormeyer Corporation, Chicago, Ill. in the 1930s. Electricmaid Model 3300A was Dormeyer’s first multi-speed mixer designed to rival Sunbeam and Kitchenaid mixers and grinders. It could be used either as a hand mixer or attached to its stand. Mixers included meat grinding and

juicer attachments. Kitchen appliances or “kitchen aids” became popular in the 1930s as electricity use spread across the United States, revolutionizing household chores. A similar mixer recently sold for $85.

Q. Recently I got an unusual porcelain coffee mug as a gift. It is called Calamityware and looks like the Blue Willow pattern. My mug has added images of a Sasquatch, giant frog, pirates, sea monster, UFOs, pterodactyls, zombie poodle and robots. Is it old? Or a new joke?

A. Calamityware porcelain was created by artist Don Moyer. He designed it and had it made at the Kristoff workshop in Poland. Kristoff is one of Europe’s largest porcelain producers. The company was founded in 1831 and is still in business. Calamityware, the popular blue-and-white pattern, uses the old Willow design that has been made since 1789. A modern designer has copied the old pattern and added features like the creatures you mentioned, as well as sea monsters and flying monkeys. Moyer has created over 40 humorous dishes since 2011. Calamityware is sold on the internet and through Calamityware.com.

Q. I have a Montgomery Ward catalog from 1920 or earlier. It is in perfect condition. What is it worth?

A. Aaron Montgomery Ward, the founder of Montgomery Ward, started his mail-order business in Chicago in 1872. The company’s first catalog, a single sheet, listed 163 items. Millions of catalogs were published each year beginning in the early 1900s. The first Montgomery Ward retail stores opened in 1926. The last of the stores closed in 2001. The company was sold in 2004 and was sold again in 2008. It is now part of Colony Brands, Inc. and is an online-only retailer. Value of

To a perfume bottle collector, it’s what’s on the outside that counts. An eye-catching design by a famous glassmaker brought a high price for this 19th-century Stevens & Williams bottle. (COWLES SYNDICATE INC.)

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Royal Doulton porcelain teapot, eight panels, rosewood pink flowers, dark blue ground, black and white chevron stripes in between, green handle & spout, eight-sided lid, Royal Doulton backstamp, c. 1920, 5 x 8 3/4 inches, $45.

Cane, handle with carved frog and lizard, varnished wood, spiral accents, glass eyes, D.P. Dahlquist, 35 inches, $190.

Toy, pedal car, Fire Chief, pressed steel, red, white stripe and trim, Garton, 33 inches, $350.

Waterford cut glass snifters, set of 12, Colleen pattern, bulbous bowls, pedestal base with short stem, each marked Waterford, 5 1/4 x 3 inches, $415.

Poster, travel, Europe, Qantas, Australia’s Airline, stylized image of St. Bernard dog, on hind legs, barrel around neck, green ground, 20 x 14 1/2 inches, $540.

Advertising, cigar tin, Pent’s Sobo, 5 Cents, multicolor graphics on white ground, cylindrical, set diagonally on a triangular stand, hinged glass lid, 8 inches, $625.

Furniture, card table, George III style, rectangular top opens to gilt tooled leather playing surface, drawer, square tapering cuffed legs, accordion action, metal tag with “Maitland Smith,” 30 1/2 x 36 x 18 inches, $700.

Tea caddy, Georgian, apple form, fruitwood, stained, shaped metal escutcheon, c. 1775, 4 3/4 inches, $810.

Spatterware, plate, rainbow spatter, three colors, diagonal stripes all over, red, blue, green, England, 1800s, 8 3/8 inches, $1,045.

Daum vase, cameo glass, enameled landscape scene, green trees, field of multicolor flowers, frosted powder blue shaded to white ground, cylindrical, Cross of Lorraine mark, 1900-1914, 4 1/2 inches, $1,345.

an old catalog depends on age, content, cover art and condition. Some sell for about $35 to $50. If the catalog pictures a new invention, old tools or

items that have historic value, it could be worth more. Catalogs printed before 1900 bring higher prices. Only a few sell for $100 or more.

Q. I’d like some information about a cedar chest made by the G.S. Stewart Company of Norwalk, Ohio. A label inside the lid reads “Stewart Safe Seal cedar chests.” Can you tell me something about the maker, age and possible value?

A. George Swayne Stewart (1866-1939) practiced law with his father from 1888 to about 1890, when he became the secretary and treasurer of the C.W. Smith Co., a planing mill and furniture manufacturer. By 1894, he was president of his own furniture company, the G.S. Stewart Co. It was the largest employer in Norwalk at that time. The company was listed in the 1907-08 city directory as manufacturers of furniture and lumber. It made cedar chests in several styles and in different woods. The company was still in business in the 1970s. It’s not known when the company closed. G.S. Steward cedar chests in good condition have sold for $150 to $325.

TIP: Wash art glass in lukewarm water with a little softening agent and some mild dishwashing soap.

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try.

Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.

30-year US mortgage rate falls to 6.35%

By A LEX VEIGA

And M ELISSA W IndER Associated Press

THE AVERAGE RATE

on a long-term U.S. home loan is down to the lowest level in five weeks, welcome news for house hunters facing a market constrained by persistently high prices and a near-historic low number of homes for sale.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan inched down to 6.35% from 6.39% last week. The average rate a year ago was 5.30%.

The average benchmark rate has now edged lower seven of the last nine weeks since reaching a high for this year of 6.73% in early March.

“This week’s decrease continues a recent sideways trend in mortgage rates, which is a welcome departure from the record increases of last year,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While inflation remains elevated, its rate of growth has moderated and is expected to decelerate over the remainder of 2023. This should bode well for the trajectory of mortgage rates over the long-term.”

High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for homebuyers on top of already high home prices.

The elevated rates combined with a stubbornly low inventory of homes on the market have weighed on U.S. home sales this spring homebuying season.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell 22% in the 12 months ended in March, marking eight straight months of annual sales declines of 20% or more, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Many homeowners who locked in a mortgage rate in

2020 and 2021, when rates averaged below 3%, are reluctant to sell now that rates have since doubled, which is limiting the inventory of homes on the market.

The number of homes for sale has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, with roughly 1.63 million homes listed for sale in the first quarter, down 40% from the first three months of 2019, according to the NAR.

The dearth of listings has led to a resurgence in homes receiving multiple offers, especially on the most affordably priced properties, and helped keep home prices from falling significantly, despite a housing slump dating back to early last year.

The national median price for a previously occupied single-family home was $371,200 in the first quarter, down only 0.2% from a year earlier, according to the NAR.

“The decline in mortgage rates is good news for prospective homebuyers, but housing supply is still too low in many parts of the country,” said Bob Broeksmit, CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The average rate on 15year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, slipped this week to 5.75% from 5.76% a week earlier.

Deeds

AGAWAM

Cheryl L. Walker to Victoria L. Walker, 157 Elmar Drive, $250,000.

Chicopee Kendall LLC, to Partnership Rosewood Way Townhomes Limited, 586 Mill St., $700,000. Coleen E. Gruska, Coleen E. Hebert and Michael Gruska to Van Phap Nguyen and Thi Thanh Huong Vu, 33 Cleveland St., $315,000.

Gloria P. Stowe to Stuart W. Stork and Polly A. Stork, 74 Pleasant Drive, $226,100.

Howard A. Kanegsberg to Howard A. Kanegsberg, trustee, and Howard A. Kanegsberg 2023 Trust, trustee of, 184 River Road, $100. Kevin Wright and Janice B. Johnson to Louis E. Conte Jr., and Jennifer M. Conte, 39 Losito Lane, $465,000.

Lorena Bratnichenko and Lorena Lozada to Konstantin Bratnichenko, 2 Mansion Woods, Unit E, $54,500.

Mark E. Slinsky and Dawn Slinsky to Ben Joseph Masse and Shelley Anne Masse, 31 Wilbert Terrace, $344,100.

Michael P. Viara and Melissa E. Viara to Matthew B. Coppellotti, 46 Independence Road, $425,000.

Ronald G., Ronald G. Jean and Eleanor M. Jean to Shawn T. Battles and Shawn Timothy Battles, 288 North St., $285,000.

SM Real Estate Investments LLC, to Timothy James Bailey and Mary Helen Bailey, 1 Sabrina Way C, $349,900.

V & K Realty LLC, to Aga Brothers LLC, 44 Russo Circle, $300,000.

AMHERST

Filion Leasing Inc., to Hamshaw Amherst LLC, 150 College St., $1,300,000.

Ming Yan and Lin Tang to Nan Wang, 16 Summerfield Road, $730,000.

Carol J. Avonti, trustee, and Richard S. Stein Revocable Living Trust to Lisa Stein-Lesure, 5 Berkshire Terrace, $100.

Samuel G. Moody and Perry E. Conley to Gorge Road LLC, 311 West St., $320,000.

Carol J. Avonti, trustee, and Richard S. Stein Revocable Living Trust to Lisa Stein-Lesure, 872 North Pleasant St., $100.

Sarah E. Thomson and Catherine Madsen to Mei Jiang and Gui Dong Liang, 17 Shumway St., $460,000.

Ronald M. Loescher to Robert Gustafson and Melissa Renzi, 105 Pondview Drive, $495,000.

ASHFIELD

David R. Hansen and Jeremy J. Young to Vincent M. Biggs and Brigid E. Demers, 1823 Hawley Road, $721,000.

BELCHERTOWN

Audra A. McLeish, Audra Ekmalian and Michael J. Ekmalian to Michael J. Ekmalian, 118 Railroad St., $200,000.

Marie-Claire Foley, Marie-Clair Foley, Marie Claire Foley and Marie-Claire A. Foley to Marie-Claire Foley and Sean Foley, 36 Dana Hill, $100.

Richard I. Cole III, Robert L. Cole and Patricia Pickett to Miguelina A. Hernandez and Daniel M. Sullivan, 108 North Main St., $270,000. Antonio Carvalho to Bryan St. Cyr, 397 Rockrimmon St., $349,000.

Thomas J. Pelissier and Maureen P. Kirk to Thomas J. Pelissier Jr., Maureen P. Kirk, trustee, and Kirk-Pelissier Living Trust, 18 South Main St., and 18 S Main St.,$100.00.

Ann E. Brigham, trustee, and Brigham Investment Trust to Sara Lily Patnaude, 85 North Main St.,

$330,000.

Craig Amelisko to Craig Amelisko and Emma L. Amelisko, 37 Dressel Ave., $100.

Michael Benoit and Breanna Benoit to Myckey J. McNutt and Laura I. Francis, 399 Michael Sears Road, $515,000.

Andrew Conith, Andrew J. Smith, Moira Conith and Moira R. Concannon to Beth E. Rabasco, 55 North Main St., $325,000.

Shufang Chen to Adam D. Chapin and Szu-Yin Lin, 458 Bardwell St., $440,000.

Modern Homes LLC, to Arelene Soleimani, 67 North Washington St., $459,900.

Laurence L. Ruell to Sean Ruell, 24 Autumn Lane, $325,000.

BRIMFIELD

Dmitriy Lissitsine and Irina Lissitsine to Daniel Dougan and Cheryl Dougan, 39 Knollwood Road, $327,000.

Jewel Real Estate Inc., to Richard A. Buck Sr., and Cindy L. Buck, 55 Haynes Hill Road, $545,000. Kirsten M. Desjardins and Paul J. Jones to Tyler J. Bigda and Laura J. Bigda, 68 St Clair Road, $545,000.

BUCKLAND

Bank of America NA, to DC Cote Properties LLC, 89 State St., $86,500.

Ronald G. Pierce to Shelburne Falls Enterprise Center LLC, 50 State St., $420,750.

CHARLEMONT

Diana M. Herrera and Susanne G. Weis, trustees of the Phyllis Herrera Trust, to Frances W. Hall and Richard A. Hall, 64 Heath Stage Terrace, $300,000.

Bayard C. Austin to Steven G. Moseley, Avery Road, “aka” Avery Brook Road, $180,000.

SEE DEEDS, PAGE F8

740. Conventional loans are based on loan amounts of $165,000. Jumbo loans are based on loan amounts of $548.250. Points quoted include discount and/or origination. Lock Days: 30-60. Annual percentage rates (APRs) are based on fully indexed rates for adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). The APR on your specific loan may differ from the sample used. Fees reflect charges relative to the APR. If your down payment is less than 20% of the home’s value, you will be subject to private mortgage insurance, or PMI. FHA mortgages include both UFMIP and MIP fees based on loan amount of $165,000 with 5% down payment. VA mortgages include funding fees based on loan amount of $165,000 with 5% down payment. The Republican does not guarantee the accuracy of the information appearing above or the availability of rates and fees in this table. All rates, fees and other information are subject to change without notice. The Republican does not own any financial institutions. Some or all of the companies appearing in this table pay a fee to appear in this table. If you are seeking a mortgage in excess of $548.250, recent legislation may enable lenders in

Deeds

CONTINUED FROM PAGE

CHESTER

Joan E. Deloy-Stalcup and Joan E. Deloy to David M. Briggs Jr., 73 Ingell Road, Par A, $20,000.

CHICOPEE

Christa Giannini to John C. Wolanski and Dorothy Wolanski, 72 Sunnymeade Ave., $375,000.

Debbie Burkott to Brian P. Loud, Nikki Loud, Fred Loud and Sue Loud, 1230 Rear Burnett Road, $550,000.

Gregory S. Assarian and Kelley A. Assarian to Samual Laurin, 191 Arcade St., $280,000.

HSBC Bank USA, trustee, Ace Securities Corp. Home Equity Loan Trust, trustee of, and Ace Securities Corp. Home Equity Loan Trust Series 2007-HE2, trustee of, to Sareen Properties LLC, 129 Catherine St., $176,000.

Jane C. Labak, Gary F. Labak, Thomas F. Labak and Diane M. Gould to Weary Travelers LLC, 11 Pearl St., $275,000.

Jennifer L. Weisgerber and Aaron J. McMurray to Travis J. Haley and Kylie J. Miller-Haley, 123 Newbury St., $263,000.

Kimberlee Ann Cournoyer, representative, Patricia M. Guay, representative, and Robert A. Cournoyer, estate, to Cheryl Moore-Sevelo, 76 Garland St., $273,000.

KV Properties LLC, to Thinktree Realty LLC, 30 Canal St., $708,150.

Larry Whitman and Angela M. Whitman to Larry Whitman, 53 Emmett St., $45,000.

Laura Scibelli, Laura Scibelli James and Brett James to Jennifer Weisgerber, 37 Coolidge Road, $266,900.

Mark Goebel, Craig Goebel, Jay Goebel and Glen Goebel to Richard Martin Ramos, 39 Broad St., $140,000.

Mark Hebert to Griselle Figueroa Carrion, 96-98 Hilton St., $385,000.

Michael A. Kroell to Audriana

Lissette Vargas and Amedee Ortiz Amy, 49 Stedman St., $380,000.

Michael P. Michon to Caroline Cyr, 32 Boutin St., $283,000.

Mildred E. Tracy and Mildred E. Squires to Christa Giannini, 137 Manning St., $285,000.

Norman Grandbois and Michele Grandbois to Dustin A. Blair and Chantal M. Blair, 35 Langevin St., $295,000.

Paulette Neubauer, Donald LaBonte and Anne Marie Larocque to Michael Disley, Adalid Bobowicz and Erin Siler, 137 Lawrence Road,

$270,100.

Peter Arthur Bilodeau and Courtney Lynnette Bilodeau to Patricia Marrow, 328 Broadway St., $300,000.

Raymond N. Laroche and Raymond N. Larouche to Ronald F. Hartling, 104 Mount Vernon Road, $215,000.

Sonia I. Soto to Katarzyna Letowska, 58 Edbert St., $349,999.

Travis J. Haley, Kylie J. Miller and Kylie J. Miller-Haley to Susanna M. Butler, 33 William St., $232,900.

Wicked Deals LLC, to Ivan Carrasquillo, 590 Broadway St., $165,000.

Wolfpack Realty Corp., to Marie Pouliot, trustee, and John & Marie Duffey Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, 114 Anderson Road, Unit C10, $207,500.

COLRAIN

John J. Dawid Jr., and Mari Craig to Charles Coates, 397 Main Road, $25,000.

CONWAY

Janet B. Ryan, individually and as personal representative of the Estate of David Scott Barker, to Amanda Kirk and Robban Toleno, 1733 Roaring Brook Road, $400,000.

DEERFIELD

Mark A. Wightman to Zachary Wright and Alexxis J. Young, 65 Whately Road, $410,500.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Erin O. Lynch to Erin O. Lynch, trustee, and Erin O. Lynch Revocable Trust, trustee of, 27 Fields Drive, Unit 408, $100.

Shao Qin Ma to Mary Anne MacDonnell and Charles E. Royster, 6 Townview Circle, $472,000.

Steven H. Clark and Kathleen A. Coleman to Ryan F. Wheeler and Maria V. Wheeler, 10 Lester St., $375,000.

William Raleigh and Lynn Raleigh to Rebecca Osborn Lewis, 65 Westernview Circle, $387,000.

EASTHAMPTON

Kathleen M. Dunham, trustee, and Dunham 2007 Revocable Trust to James P Dunham II, trustee and 7 Overlook Drive Trust, 7 Overlook Drive, $100.

Nancy L. LaFleur to Andrea J. Luchini, 35 Lazy D Drive, $100.

Patricia L. Duda Declaration of Trust, Patricia L. Duda, trustee, and Paul J. Duda, trustee, to Monica Theroux, Main Street, $110,000.

Loudville Condominiums LLC, and West Co. Investments LLC, to Adolf Olbert and Diane Olbert, 2 Conrad Circle, $590,475.

Donald John Tymkowiche and Diane Christine Tymkowiche to Laura E. Jefferson, 195 East St., $361,000.

GRANBY

Ning Jiang to Rachelle Lemieux and Tessa Morneau, 19 Kendall St., and Kendall Street, $92.000.

Ian Anthony Cooke and Marguerite Vere Nicoll to Thi Thanh Thuy Nguyen and Van Loi Vu, 17 Lyn Drive, $296,000

GRANVILLE

Byard T. Miller, representative, and Stephen T. Miller, estate, to Shawn A. Lindsay and Samantha J. Lindsay, 279 North Lane, $185,000.

Douglas Max to Jacob Samuel Schultz, 199 Barnard Road, $225,000.

James F. Wackerbarth to Daniel Woodger, Off Granby Road, $30,000.

GREENFIELD

Greenfield Self Storage LLC to All Purpose Storage Greenfield-North LLC. 78 Woodard Road. $3,900,000.

Donna M. Kilgour and William D. Kilgour to King Triton Properties LLC. 381 High Street. $290,000.

Robert Long and Skye Long to Christina Zorzi. 165 Barton Road. $280,000.

HADLEY

Martha Watson-Lorentzen to Leah Grace and David Grace, 7 Arrowhead Drive, $485,000.

Hadley Rentals LLC, to David Lippa and Katherine Lippa, 35 Spruce Hill Road, $550,000.

Carol J. Avonti, trustee, and Richard S. Stein Family Trust to Carol J. Avonti, 65 Aqua Vitae, $100.

Stephen H. Belgrad and Anne C. Belgrad to Hao Zhang and Xiaolan Chen, 1 Nikkis Way, $765,000.

HAMPDEN

Christina Mateer to Kimberly Darney and Kimberly J. Darney, 61 Bennett Road, $259,000.

HATFIELD

119 Real Estate LLC, to Lisa Farrick, 52 Elm St., $425,500.

Ernest T. Booth, trustee, Carolyn A. Booth, trustee, and Ernest T. Booth Trust to Andria Lyn Moglia and Ramzi Kareen Moushabeck, 124 Elm St., $405,000.

HEATH

Bayard C. Austin to Steven G. Moseley, Avery Road, “aka” Avery Brook

Road, $180,000.

HOLLAND

Dana Hintz and Nicole Bugryn to David Lussier, Butterworth Road, $100,000.

Michael G. Peltier and Gail Asadow to Jennifer Bellino, 11 Fenton St., $400,000.

Nicholas C. Ellsworth, Emily Ochs Ellsworth and Emily Ochs to Eric Raymond Robinson Lefebvre, 34 Leno Road, $315,102.

HOLYOKE

George Yeramian and Karl H. Hastings to Mark P. Vaclavicek and Josee A. Vaclavicek, 25-27 Claremont Ave., $390,000.

Maryjane Mejias and Maryjane R. Bessette to Katherine Hopkinson, 87-89 Pearl St., $277,500.

Michelle B. Lonergan, John R. Lonergan, Paul N. Beaulieu and John P. Beaulieu to Elizabeth Lauren Atkins, 42 Richard Eger Drive, $326,000.

Nicholas P. Boccio to Carmen A. Luna, Maple Crest Circle, Unit 10E, $165,000.

NJRE Property Group LLC, to Arthur D. Johnson and Maureen L. Johnson, 26 Lower Westfield Road, $420,000.

Scott Family Properties LLC, to Felix Rivera Soto Jr., Onaida Soto Carrion and Virgilio Soto Carrion, 645-647 Hampden St., $350,000.

Shirley Donkor to Elissette Marie Marquez, 13-15 Meadow St., $230,000.

Suzanne Rataj and Sylvia Megan Rataj to Stephanie Sawyer, 185 Sargeant St., $185,000.

HUNTINGTON

Gaylon R. Donovan to Dwayne Amstutz, trustee, and Thomas Road Land Trust, Thomas Road Off, $275,000.

LONGMEADOW

John W. Miller Jr., and Jamie B. Miller to Lindsay Maloni-Kuntz, 86 Pleasantview Ave., $459,000.

Joseph C. Suse to Kevin J. Czaplicki Jr., 88 Berwick Road, $299,000.

Lindsay Maloni-Kuntz, Lindsay Maloni and Rodney Kuntz to Jamie Brickley Miller and John William Miller Jr., 7 Farmington Ave., $825,000.

LUDLOW

Casey L. Mendrala to Jonathan Michael Belanger and Michael Belanger, 258 Howard St., $278,900.

David W. Puzzo and Kim F. Puzzo to Ross J. Bennett-Bonn and Monique A. Bennett-Bonn, 160

Wedgewood Drive, $440,000.

Deborah Lee Costa, Debra Lee Wainwright, Albert Stephen Costa and Paula Jane Brassard to Kathleen M. Morgan, 369 Lyon St., $305,000.

Jeffrey C. Dias and Tiago Andre Boacas Martins to Sean M. Niles-DeMarco, 40 Arch St., $305,000.

Liam Powers to Tiffany Yvonne Hernandez and Ricardo Adam Hernandez, 56 Hillcrest Lane, $360,000.

MONSON

Dimitri Krutov to Meghan Alves and Soren Savoie, 214 Cedar Swamp Road, $425,000.

Glen R. Peck and Karen C. Conners-Peck to Jennifer Wolowicz and David Wolowicz, 31 Woodhill Road, $526,000.

MONTAGUE

Debra A. Austin and Philip M. Austin, trustees of the Austin Investment Trust, to Caryl L. Mayrand and Joseph L. Mayrand, 400 Montague City Road, $150,000.

Edward F. Sulda and Marcy L. Sulda to Gretchen M. Parker, 16 Chestnut St., $277,500.

Herbert E. Phillips Jr., to Michael Alger and Chelsea Swasey, 125 Chestnut Hill Loop, $239,000.

MONTGOMERY

Gaylon R. Donovan to Dwayne Amstutz, trustee, and Thomas Road Land Trust, trustee of, Off Thomas Road, $275,000.

NORTHAMPTON

Melissa MacGillvray, representative, and John W. MacGillvray, estate, to Patricia Joan Myerson, trustee, and Patricia Joan Myerson Trust, 409 Fairway Village, $343,500.

Peter J. Bienkowski to Bryna Cofrin-Shaw and Yotam Tubul, 97 Mountain St., $650,000.

John H. Selden and Kim G. Selden to David Lederer and Joan M. Jouzaitis, 116 Moser St., $785,000.

Barbara J. Baatz to Elizabeth Manlin and Anne Anderson, 117 Olander Drive, $360,000.

Carol J. Avonti, trustee, and Judith B. Stein Revocable Living Trust to Anne M. Stein, 235-237 State St., $100.

Joyce Swing Goodlatte to Barbara J. Baatz and Eric L. Baatz, 117 Olander Drive, $522,500.

Harold A. Asher Jr., Harold J. Asher Jr., and Mary Ellen Asher to Benjamin D. Premo, 65-67 Nonotuck St., $530,000.

Deeds

CONTINUED FROM PAGE F8

Robert V. S. Redick and Kiran Asher to Ariel Guitron and Ashley Guitron, 35-37 Willow St., $315,000.

Zaka LLC, to Stephanie Levin, 205 Nonotuck St., $530,000.

Mary Ellen Bruce and Stephen B. Files to Julie Marie Blevins and David Allan Blevins, 23 Randolph Place, $276,100.

US Bank NA, trustee, RMAC Trust and Rushmore Loan Management Services LLC, attorney-in-fact, to Bradford Spry, 80 Damon Road, $169,000.

Jeffrey Caplan to Jeffrey Caplan Revocable Trust, 20 Bridge Road, $100.

ORANGE

Oakland Development Company LLC, to Evelyn Toro, Winter Street, $315,000.

Carmella C. Brown, trustee of the Beary Family Trust, to Rodney Bixby, Todd Bixby and Kelli Gervais, 113 New Athol Road, Unit 39 Pioneer Place Condominium, $325,000.

Betty Kwan and William Waichow Kwan to Tyler Adams and Tyler Hauth, 3 South Main St., $35,000.

PALMER

Anita L. Nacsin-Councilman and Anita L. Nacsin to Russell N. Bergeron and Roy F. Bergeron, 160 Peterson Road, $65,000.

Beverly A. Dudek to William Smith, 381 Rondeau St., $325,000.

Jean C. Ciukaj and Stanley Ciukaj to Dore Real Estate Co. LLC, 1461 North Main St., $160,000.

Oleg Loginov, Svetlana Loginov and Svetlana Loginova to Jeremy Greene and Laura Lee Polchlopek, 1152 S Main St., $240,000.

Plata O Plomo Inc., to Andriana Macri and Guy Badeau, 57 Mount Dumplin Road, $279,900.

Raymond Dranka to William Peckham and Kellee C. Peckham, 60 Beech St., $351,000.

PELHAM

John V. Lombardi and Cathryn L. Lombardi to Cathryn L. Lombardi, trustee, and Revocable Indenture of Trust of Cathryn L. Lombardi, 115 Amherst Road, and Amherst Road, $100.

PLAINFIELD

Lawrence J. Kardynal, trustee, Cynthia G. Rosendale, trustee, Rudolph E. Kardynal Revocable Trust and Cynthia E. Rosendale, trustee, to Lawrence J. Kardynal and Cynthia E. Rosendale, 191 River Road, $100.

SHELBURNE

Lisa A. Fusco and Kevin A. Lennon to Rodney L. Martin and Aileen Thomas, 650 Little Mohawk Road, $56,000.

SOUTH HADLEY

E&G Realty Trust and Elizabeth E. Berard, trustee, to Mary Couture, 13 The Knolls, $315,000.

Lucas B. Wilson to Lucas B. Wilson and Martha A. Guild, 18 Roundelay Road, $100.

William R. Sasseville, Sandra Sasseville and Sandra Rogers to Diego Calle, 33 Hillcrest Park, $165,000.

Howard J. Wailgum Jr., Doris R. Wailbum, Karl R. Wailgum, trustee, Denise G. Delillo Wailgum, trustee, Karl R. Wailgum Revocable Trust, and Karl R. Wailgum to Mary A. Callahan, 5 Pine St., $465,000.

Harvey Ashman and Linda Doucette-Ashman to Caitlyn Shabshelowitz and Joshua Dion, 3 Sunrise Circle, $700,000.

Phillip A. Chesky to Michael McElhaney and Amanda McElhaney, 12 West Parkview Drive, $485,000.

PAH Properties LLC, to Jose L. Ortiz, 192 Brainard St., 192 Brainerd St., $330,000.

OnStar Properties AA LLC, to Jessica Ayala and Marlene Ayala, 333 North Main St., $333,000.

Francis J. Dawnorowicz and Michael Hooker, power of attorney, to Phillip A. Chesky, 117 Alvord Place, $250,000.

SOUTHWICK

George A. Romeo and Whitney Thompson to Alyssa Chambers and Ryan Samuelsen, 1 Iroquois Drive, $298,000.

John E. Klar and Lori L. Klar to David M. Murphy and Lisa A. Murphy, 24 South View Drive, Unit 24, $315,000.

Marjorie C. Currie to Francis E. Perusse and Jacquelyn L. Perusse, 12 Veteran St., $314,900.

SPRINGFIELD

Aguasvivas Realty LLC, to Margarita Garcia, 38-40 Pasadena St., $416,000.

Aguasvivas Realty LLC, to Rosa Espejo, 73 Randolph St., $379,900.

Alexsis K. Alvarez, Alexis K. Alvarez and Humberto Cruz to Nadiyah Arisa King and Naomi Hill, 11 Metzger Place, $262,000.

Andrew M. Murrell to Steven Dunn and Jasmine Melendez, 29 Bruce St., $350,000.

Arminda Esteves, Mario Pereira and Fernando Pereira to Kim H Tran, 115 Berkshire St., $275,000.

Beth A. Nolan, Beth A. Dubuque

and Doug Dubuque Jr., to Patrick K. Treffon, 83 Pennsylvania Ave., $304,900.

Brickhouse Homes LLC, and Brick House Homes LLC, to Frances Yates, 114 Melville St., $250,000.

Carlos M. Hernandez and Neidy Guzman to Kepler Senecharles and Dyna Rene, 99 Edendale St., $250,000.

Clevan Cooper, Sarah Georges Cooper and Sarah Georges to Patrick Tacho, 138 Wollaston St., $360,000. Community Loan Servicing LLC, to Springfield Preservation Trust Inc., 7-9 Stockbridge St., $180,000.

Cynthia L. Jones to Jose Rivera, 43 Wellington St., $275,000.

Dakota Lamont Cotton-Smith to Hedge Hog Industries Corp. Inc., 0 Seymour Ave., Lot 441, $40,000.

Evergrain Orchard LLC, to Jose Lopez, 44 Cheyenne Road, $250,000. Fallah Razzak to Skyspec LLC, 142 Cloran St., $150,000.

Gabriel Martinez to Janeiah Fickling, 19 Colonial Ave., $235,000.

Herman Cohee and Christine Cohee to Devin Thomas, 57 Merwin St., $266,000.

Inas Sarmad Alitbi to Carola M. Espada Sanchez, 55 Redlands St., $240,000.

Jacqueline A. Holden and Evelyn Baymon to Edgar Fabian Criollo Criollo, 7-9 Cornell St., $315,000.

Jeannette M. Ramos to Maria Gonzalez, 86 Cuff Ave., $170,000.

Jennifer L. Hogan to Adilenia Ramos, 67 Thompson St., $300,000.

Joana Perje Palero to Casey Mendrala, 74 Gilman St, $255,000.

John M. Turner to Omeiry Cruz, 75 White St., $219,000.

John N. Mbugua and Elizabeth Kamau to Anthony Raymond Mazza and Suhey Yates, 144 Bristol St., $295,000.

Jose A. Lopez to Shayne A. Spencer and Katherine M. Ortiz, 69 Silas St., $155,000.

Jose L. Ortiz to Pah Properties LLC, 60-62 Windemere St., $165,000. JV Properties Inc., to D&M Realty & Investments LLC, 213 Pine St., $50,000.

Katherine C. Garvey to Michael Martin O’Brien and Karen Puricelli O’Brien, 38 Yorktown Drive, Unit C, $300,000.

Kenny J. Soto to Daisy Rivera, 15 County St., $125,000.

Lachenauer LLC, to Stephanie Martinez and Matthew Pagan, 35 Stuart St., $225,000.

Luz Adina Herrera to Justin Vasquez, 85 Hampshire St., $260,000.

Maureen M. Pilon, Maureen M. Peczka and Mark Pilon to Kayla Schlenz, 300 Tremont St., $267,500.

Nina St. Laurent, trustee, Susan Hitch-

cock, trustee, and Van Orman Family Realty Trust, trustee of, to Merlyn M. Martinez and Orville M. Anderson, 338 Hermitage Drive, $239,000.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., trustee, and Aames Mortgage Investment Trust 2006-1, trustee of, to Anthony Santaniello, 172 Garvey Drive, $200,000.

Olga Campbell and John Campbell to Wieslaw Kanar and Ines Aguilera Ortiz, 2020 Wilbraham Road, $305,000.

Patricia G. Marrow to Matthew Nichols and Allison Santi-Nichols, 89 Agnes St., $215,000.

Phyllis L. Dobosz to Anne M. Bilodeau and Peter D. Bilodeau, 641 Nassau Drive, $214,000.

Sanjeev K. Bhatia to Tracy Dotterrer, 360 Eastern Ave., $259,900.

Sareen Properties LLC, to Kashelle Marie Rodriguez Feliciano and Johnathan Aponte Basco, 61 Suzanne St., $264,000.

Timothy Perkins and Sarah Perkins to Angel Mendez, 114 Ellsworth Ave., $225,000.

Wendy K. Newton to Alyssa Koske and Charles Camarillo, 185 Senator St., $315,000.

Winners O LLC, to Priscilla Nkwantabisa, 62-64 Davenport St., $293,000.

SUNDERLAND

Cindy Lee Benjamin, “fka” Cindy Lee Hubbard, to Joseph J. Hubbard, 21 Russell St., $150,000.

WARE

Dorothy Szczepanik to Dorothy Szczepanik and Edwin F. Szczepanik Jr., 8 Union St., $100.

Christopher Robare to Kelsey Shea, 63 South St., $290,000.

Wilmington Trust NA, trustee, MFRA Trust, and Planet Home Lending LLC, attorney-in-fact, to Connolly Family Trust and Gregory Connolly, trustee, 5 Ross Ave., $170,000.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Alison M. Bartlett-O’Donald, conservator, and Joseph Bacile to Aga Brothers LLC, 21 Russell St., $225,000.

Deborah A. O’Neil and Deborah A. O’Neill to Desiree Law and Brett Smith, 182 Ely Ave., $295,000.

James M. Burke, representative, Katherine P. Pendleton, estate, and Katherine R. Pendleton, estate, to Melissa J. Small and Shana M. Dubay, 37 Nelson St., $263,000.

Priscilla P. Peret to Lashiyra Foster, 496 Cold Spring Ave., $140,000.

WESTFIELD

Alfred J. Albano Jr., commissioner,

and Tanya Joubert to Mark Lavoie, 186 City View Road, $115,000.

Donna F. Dubour to Conor Dalton and Rachel Dalton, 56 Western Ave., $361,000.

Francis T. Edwards and Carol Anne Edwards to Patrick T. McMahon and Kathryn A. McMahon, 13 Leonard Ave, $200,000.

Jose J. Bermejo and Magali Del Rocio Verdugo Vinces to Jeffrey Tobias, Jeffrey M. Tobias, Allison E. Tobias and Allison Tobias, 38 Salvatore Drive, $605,000.

Lisa Bricault, Lisa M. Barlow and Kurt M. Bricault to Preston G. Webb, 46 St James Ave., $275,000.

Michael B. Wilson and Lisa M. Lilienthal to Daniel W. Stephenson and Sandra C. Wheeler, 49 Ingersoll Drive, $422,550.

Robert A. Stoops and Vicky R. Stoops to Matthew S. Gray, 38 Castle Hill Road, $480,000.

Robin A. Watras and Janice L. Watras to Keith E. Tremblay and Rosiane Larose, 59 Scenic Road, $490,000.

Westfield City to Salim Abdoo, 11 Howard St., $162,750.

William R. Covill and Cathleen S. Covill to Centura Bay LLC, 24 Hampden St., $86,000.

WESTHAMPTON

Sharon P. Lewis to Judith Lewis, 197 Southampton Road, $440,000.

WILBRAHAM

Daniel J. Falvey and Amanda Gould Falvey to Jennifer Lugo Lopez and Adam Glenn Vehr, 215 Maynard Road, $500,000.

Grahams Construction Inc., to Eva Rodriguez, 1 Squire Drive, $755,000. IJN Equities LLC, to RS&D Ventures LLC, 24 Dumaine St., $170,000.

Joseph P. Cronin, Deborah Cronin, Stephen J. Cronin, Kathleen Cronin, Thomas E. Cronin, Gina Cronin, Gregory J. Cronin, Leah Cronin, Michael G. Cronin and Lisa Cronin to Nicole Cronin, 2205 Boston Road, Unit G-58, $255,680.

Judy L. Van Raalte and Britton W. Brewer to Amanda Teresa Theocles and Andrew Nicholas Theocles, 10 Echo Hill Road, $550,000.

Kelly Nygren and Kenneth Nygren to Roland Nkwanyuo, 7 Victoria Lane, $655,000.

Meredith Lee Jacobson Marciano, representative, Eric A. Marciano, estate, and Eric A. Marano, estate, to Patrick Roach, Lake Drive, Lot 285, $20,000.

Thomas C. Cebula and Beth A. Cebula to Daniel J. Falvey and Amanda G. Falvey, 10 Kensington Drive, $730,000.

Plants

plants have to be alive to be giving life. There are some people who just can’t keep a plant alive. They’ve tried and it’s just not happening, or they have cats or kids or a dark room or allergies. But they love the thought of having greenery and that feeling of life in their home. As long as you don’t have your grandmothers’ fake plants that change color as soon as they hit any form of sunlight, then you’re good. There are so many options for beautiful faux greenery.

Q. Are any of your rooms live-plant free?

A. I don’t have any real plants in my bedroom, or any of the bedrooms. I get this (wiggles shoulders squeamishly), this feeling that there may be something creeping out of the leaves.

Q. But you do have them in your bathrooms?

A. Yes, bathrooms are humid, and ours have windows. I can’t deny plants all that humidity, and my eyes aren’t closed when I’m in the bathroom so I don’t have to worry about being surprised by a bug.

Q. With 80 plants, you can’t avoid bugs entirely, though, right?

A. No, you need to be okay with a few bugs flying around. They happen. You just have to look out for infestations, swarms of them, often from overwatering, and tackle them right away.

Q. Where did this desire to care for plants take root?

A. I’m a caretaker. It’s what I do. I chose to be that person to stay home and take care of our kids and our home. I’ve always had these little side hustles here and there (selling jewelry, operating an online store for vintage finds). I’ve always wanted to create a space that’s happy to come home to.

Q. Do you move your plants around to accommodate your redesigns?

A. No! Once a plant is happy and thriving, I leave it there. Nature wins. I’ll move a couch. I’ll paint a ceiling, but the plants live where they are the happiest. If I want that look of greenery or life in a certain area, I could use a fake plant or get creative with wallpaper or fabric that has texture.

Q. How much time do you spend with your plants — do you have a schedule?

A. I am always walking around the house, touching my plants. The truth is that I am a lazy water-er, that’s why I check in daily. I’m a bottom water-er as much as possible. I’ll take a big container, fill it with water and put the plants in there to soak up what they need. My time with plants ebbs and flows with the seasons.

Q. You call yourself a plant whisperer and plant designer. What’s the difference between a plant expert, plant designer and plant collector?

A. I’m not an expert because I’m still learning and researching. Some plant collectors just have tons of plants, all gathered together, with no real design. That’s wonderful, but that’s not me. I love fashion. I love interior design.

I’m intentional about how all the elements play off of one another. See how I have these rubber trees flanking this love seat, draping over it on each end to create a little nook? The leaves complement the peacock feather prints on the seat, and that plays off the peacock chair over there. It’s all telling a story.

Q. Tell me about the house you grew up in.

A. I am a product of the’ 70s and ’80s. My mother was big on warm colors. There was a lot of browns, a lot of wood, a lot of wicker and lots of plants. I know that look has become fashionable again, but I don’t really follow the trends to an obsession. If you do, then you risk letting those trends dictate who you are as a person, because I believe that’s what your home is — a reflection of you. I want my home, like my mother’s, to be based on how comfortably lived you want your life to be.

Q. But you love to switch things up! I’ve counted (on Instagram and your blog) at least three different paint jobs on one living room wall, and DIY projects on the regular. What’s that about?

A. I just finished redoing the dining room, so I may need to recover a bit. We’re used to moving every two to three years. When you stay in one spot for longer than that, you get a little antsy. Maybe that triggers me to always want to change up a space because I’m used to seeing a new location or new layout.

Amanda Long is a massage therapist and writer in Falls Church, Va.

Notes

CONTINUES FROM PAGE F3

or for sun including perennials, ground cover, shrubs, herbs and more. For more information, contact Debi at 413-267-5207.

STOCKBRIDGE Upcoming events

Berkshire Botanical Garden presents these upcoming programs:

• “The Language of the Flowers,” May 15 and 16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This introductory class teaches fine basic skills in botanical illustration techniques to help participants make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite. Led by botanical artist Anastasia Traina. Cost is $225 members, $250 nonmembers. For a list of materials needed, visit berkshirebotanical.org.

• “An Evening of Georgian Food & Wine,” May 19, 6 to 8 p.m. Join in for the next chapter in the food & wine discovery series to travel to the Transcaucasia region of Georgia with acclaimed author and food scholar Darra Goldstein.

The evening seminar will feature a recreation of some of Goldstein’s very own recipes from her book “The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia.” Guests will sample a spread of small servings of traditional Georgian foods, such as chikhirtma, pkhali, and Khachapuri paired alongside traditional wines of Georgia. Cost is $85 members, $100 nonmembers.

20 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Conant Park on Route 10. Proceeds will benefit activities and scholarships for seniors at Hampshire Regional High School.

SPRINGFIELD Flower show

The Springfield Garden Club will host “Welcome to the Park,” a National Garden Club Standard Flower Show, on May 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. and May 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Carriage House at the Barney Estate in Forest Park. The show will have both a design and a horticulture division. The Design Division of the flower show will take place in the Carriage House with 40 different fresh floral interpretations on display, including large, illuminated arrangements, table design and 8″ petite arrangements. The Horticulture Division is an opportunity for local amateur growers to showcase their work and connect with other gardeners to share knowledge and expertise in gardening skills. The show will also include a youth division for children in grades 1 through 8. Youth exhibits do not compete with adults in the show and are divided into categories by age groups stated in the schedule. The event is free and open to the public.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Plant sale

CONTINUES FROM PAGE F4

enough for me — that has maintained a strong following over the decades..

Mention of varieties highlights one of the other pluses of home-grown sweet corn: You get to grow exactly

what you like, whether it is a white, yellow, whiteand-yellow, heirloom or supersweet variety. Other assets of backyard corn are the ease with which it can be grown without the need for toxic sprays, the honey-sweet aroma of corn in tassel and the convenience of just stepping out your

back door to pick a few ears for dinner. I’ll always have room for sweet corn in my garden.

Any gardening questions? Email them to me at garden@ leereich.com and I’ll try answering them directly or in this column. Come visit my garden at www.leereich.com/blog.

For more information or to register for these programs, visit berkshirebotanical. org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.

SOUTHAMPTON Plant sale

The Southampton Woman’s Club will host its annual plant sale on May

The West Springfield Garden Club will host its annual plant sale on May 19-20. There will be a selection of their own hand-raised plants including herbs, annuals, perennials, vegetables, and hanging baskets. The plant sale will take place at Mittineague Park by Santa’s House, on Route 20. The hours for the sale are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days.

Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.

Aaron Posnik

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Golden Retrievers Puppies, 1st shots & dewormed. $650. 2 females & 1 Male Call 802-895-2784

Labradorpuppies,9wks old,blackandyellow available,vet-checked, 1stsetofshotsand wormed,parentsonsite, asking $900 413-813-1585

3-PieceLivingRoomTable set,Removablemarble tops,drawers,$150firm, 413-896-0232

Queen box spring, excellent condition, $50. Call 413-538-7758

Lowrey Royale Organ, beaut., walnut finish, incl. Tufted bench, cost $60K, ask. $1,620. 413-519-8108

Peavey 3 speaker Bass guitar enclosure, great condition, $125. call 413-388-9744

TechnicsStereoSytem,5 component,5speaker, withremote&audiocabinet.Excellentcondition, $225. Call 413-388-9744

Cash paid, LP records 45’s, CD’s, reel-to-reel tapes. Rock, Jazz, Blues, Classical. Scott 518-424-8228

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German

1,000’s of sports cards, all big stars, at least 50% off. 1950’s to present.