Home and Garden, and Real Estate- June 02, 2024

Luckily for cooks and gardeners, some herbs come back year after year

By JeSSICa DaMIano Associated Press

If you like to cook, odds are you’re painfully aware of the price of herbs at the supermarket. But for the cost of a 1- or 2-ounce plastic clamshell packet, you can buy a plant that will produce aromatic herbs for your kitchen all summer long — and even year after year.

Perennial herbs are among the easiest edibles to grow at home. All they require is sunlight (with some shade provided in the Deep South), modest amounts of water (more during hot, dry spells) and well-draining soil. They typically don’t even need fertilizer.

Where to plant them?

You can plant a dedicated herb garden or use herbs

as edging plants in your perennial flower beds; many of them are pretty enough. Consider sage’s fuzzy, purple-tinged leaves, onion chives’ purple spring flowers or garlic chives’ white summer blooms. Heck, just stick them wherever you have room, as long as the sun can reach them.

My thyme, oregano, chives, sage, tarragon, and Roman chamomile fill most of a 4-by-4-foot raised bed near the back deck steps, leaving just enough room for me to tuck in some annual herbs. All are cold-hardy down to zone 4, with chives pushing the limit as far north as zone 3.

Rosemary, technically hardy only to zone 8, sometimes surprises me and makes a comeback, but I don’t count

Above, perennial rosemary grows in a Long Island, New York, garden. At top is a photo of an herb garden via Adobe Stock.

on it in my zone 7 garden. And they all can handle heat down to zones 8 or 9, with oregano returning reliably as far south as zone 11. Mint and lemon balm are fast-spreading perennials hardy in zones 4-9, but they will take over your garden if you plant them in the ground. Grow them only in pots and keep the pots on a

Don’t water at night and other secrets to growing great basil

By K ate Morgan The Washington Post

Few things spice up a dish — or, for that matter, an herb garden — like basil. With flavor profiles that include sweet, spicy and even citrusy, the herbaceous staple is a favorite of both growers and chefs.

“Think of a perfectly rich basil pesto, or a topping that turns a pizza into an absolute conversation piece,” says Jekka McVicar, a U.K.-based herb grower and vice president of the Royal Horticultural Society. “Basil is the flavor and fragrance of the summer. Even the scent of it is evocative; there’s nothing better on a warm night than sitting next to a big basil plant.”

As an added bonus, it’ll keep the bugs away. “It’s one of the best mosquito repellents,” McVicar says. “I even rub my skin with it.”

But basil can also be a bit fickle. Here, experts offer tips to help you grow better basil — plus some ideas for how to enjoy it.

What basil needs to thrive

Though many people associate basil with Italian, Greek and

(JESSICA DAMIANO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Lee Reich | In the Garden

Start planting for autumn harvests today

ONLY A COUPLE OF weeks ago I finished planting out tomato, pepper, melon, and the last of other spring transplants, and here I am today, sowing seeds again for more transplants. No, that first batch of transplants wasn’t snuffed out from any late frost.

And no, those transplants were not clipped off at ground

level, toppled and left lying on the ground, by cutworms. Neither were they chomped from the top down to ground level by rabbits.

I’m planting seed flats today to keep the harvest rolling along right through late autumn.

Looking farthest ahead, I have in hand two packets of cabbage seed, Early Jersey Wakefield and Bartolo. Early

before it flowers and calls it quits.

porch, deck or patio.

Annuals might come back too

Some annual herbs tend to return, too. When self-seeders like dill and cilantro (aka coriander) drop seeds at the end of the season, leave them where they lie. They’ll germinate and sprout more plants the following spring.

Other herbs are biennials, completing their life cycles at the end of their second growing season. Parsley produces plenty of fragrant foliage in its first year and slightly stunted but still perfectly edible leaves in its second

Caraway, another biennial, produces seeds only in its second year, but getting to boast about growing your own spices makes the wait worthwhile. At the end of the growing season, you can dry or freeze your homegrown herbs for year-round, fresh-from-thegarden ingredients.

Another bonus? They’ll all attract pollinators and other beneficial insects, which will help make the rest of your garden more productive.

Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.

Jersey Wakefield is a hundred year old variety with very good flavor and pointy heads, due to mature a couple of months after transplanting. Once those heads firm up, they can keep well out in the garden for a few weeks in the cool, autumn weather.

Those I set out in spring, once mature, are apt to burst open from rapid growth in summer weather. Bartolo yields firm, round heads that store in good condition after harvest, well into winter. They are ready for harvest 115 days after transplanting.

I plan for any of today’s sowings to spend about a month in their containers before being planted out. Cooler weather and lowering sunlight dramatically slow plant growth around here by early October, so any late ripening

Perennial onion chives are pictured growing in a Long Island, New York garden. (JESSICA DAMIANO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS)

GARDEN NOTES

NORTHAMPTON Garden tour

The 30th annual Northampton Garden Tour, presented by the Friends of the Forbes Library, will take place on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. This year the tour will include a raffle of items that appeal to both gardeners and other library supporters, and this year they will be selling limited edition artist designed T-shirts for $30 at Forbes Library and garden 3 on the day of the tour. Tickets for the tour are $20 if bought by Friday, June 7, at Bay State Perennial Farm/Whately, Cooper’s Corner, State Street Fruit Store, Gardener’s Supply Company/Hadley, Sugarloaf Gardens/Sunderland, or Forbes Library. On the day of the tour, June 8, tickets are $25 and available only at Forbes Library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

STOCKBRIDGE

‘Forest Bathing’ program

Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming program: Saturday, June 8, 2 to 4 p.m., “Forest Bathing.” Forest bathing, or “Shinrin Yoku,” is centered around opening oneself to the healing power of the natural world. Studies have shown that forest bathing helps lower stress and anxiety, strengthen immune function, improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, and boost overall well-being. Rissman will guide participants through a two-hour experience where they can slow down and experience deep rest, relaxation, presence, and healing. Cost is $25 members, $40 nonmembers; To register or for more information, visit berkshire botanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.

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

The ‘Home Alone’ house is for sale

(Booby traps not included)

By Jenny G ross New York Times

One of the most famous movie residences is for sale.

The “Home Alone” house, in the Chicago suburbs, is on the market for $5.25 million, according to a Zillow listing. “It’s a chance to own a piece of cinematic history,” said the listing, which went live on Friday. The house was last sold in 2012 for $1.59 million.

The redbrick Georgian home, built in 1921, is at

671 Lincoln Avenue, in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, Illinois, among the most expensive neighborhoods in the United States, according to Realtor.com. At 9,126 square feet, the house has four fireplaces, five bedrooms and six bathrooms, as well as an outdoor and indoor hot tub. The listing was reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Parts of the house will be recognizable to fans of the film, a Christmas classic that premiered in 1990 — notably its exterior, but also its foyer and the main staircase where 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, goes sledding.

The film crew worked at the house for four months

in 1990, according to an interview, published in Vanity Fair, with the couple who owned the house at the time. The crew built an exterior staircase to the basement on which a burglar, played by Daniel Stern, slips down in the film. But because most of the interior sequences were filmed on sets built at a nearby high school, much of the house looks significantly different from how it is depicted in the film. In one scene, for example, Kevin is sent to the attic. “The third

floor? It’s scary up there,” he says. In real life, the top floor features a light-filled bedroom as well as a bathroom with a bathtub. The renovated kitchen has an open-floor plan, with a sunroom attached to it, and the basement has a basketball court and home theater.

After the film opened in November 1990, news of which house had been featured in the film traveled fast. The Chicago SunTimes reported in January 1991 that about 400 cars pulled up outside the house on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to the family that lived there at the time. Ever since, the house has attracted a stream of visitors who come by to take photos.

The filmmakers returned to 671 Lincoln Ave. in 1991 to shoot a few scenes for “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” Vanity Fair reported.

In 2021, up to four fans of “Home Alone” were allowed to spend one night at the McAllister family home as part of an Airbnb marketing campaign. Devin Ratray, the actor who played Kevin’s brother, Buzz, welcomed guests into the house.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

The original house used in the "Home Alone" movie is located in the North Shore suburb of Winnetka, Illinois. (ERIN HOOLEY / CHICAGO TRIBUNE / TNS)

Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting

A ‘rainbow’ of spatterware

SPATTERWARE AND spongeware pottery are often grouped together, with the names used interchangeably. While they look similar, with color applied in patches of tiny dots instead of brush strokes, they are different techniques. As the names suggest, spatterware was made by spattering paint with a brush or stick or by blowing it through a tube, and spongeware features paint dabbed onto the pottery with a sponge or cloth. Spongeware is often considered a less expensive, easier-to-make version of spatterware.

Spatterware and spongeware were made in England in the late 1700s, and in Scotland by the 1800s. The most famous pieces were made in Staffordshire in the early 1800s and exported to America. Collectors look for bright colors and designs reminiscent of folk art. Some popular designs have a picture, often a flower, house or animal, in the center of a plate and a spattered or sponged border. Others are entirely spattered or sponged in stripes or concentric circles.

Multicolored spatterware is often called “rainbow,” even if it has only two colors. With five colors in slightly slanted vertical lines, this mug lives up to the name. It sold at Conestoga Auction Company, a division of Hess Auction Group, for $1,062. Its unusual design and multitude of colors make it a rare design and very appealing to buyers, even with minor damage like a chip along the edge.

Q. I would like to sell my Beacon Hill flame mahogany breakfront/secretary cabinet, but I know it is a limited market. I have found a similar one that sold for $5,000, or at least was listed for that. This piece is in great condition and even has its keys and curved glass intact.

A. You are right to question the $5,000 sale you found; it is probably an asking price.

Large Beacon Hill furniture pieces have sold for about $750 to $1,500 at recent auctions. Very large furniture pieces can be hard to sell, but good condition and an intact label always increase the value. Beacon Hill furniture was created by the Kaplan Furniture Company, which started in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1905. Legend says that cabinetmaker Isaac Kaplan was asked by a resident of Beacon Hill, a historic neighborhood in Boston, to make a copy of an antique Sheraton chest for a wedding gift. Kaplan turned out to have a talent for imitating American Federal furniture and designed the Beacon Hill collection, which was sold by Kaplan and other furniture dealers. We recommend contacting an auction house in your area or checking local antiques or consignment stores to see if they sell similar furniture.

Q. I have a small painted opal glass box. Can you tell me anything about it?

A. Glass boxes like yours are often called dresser boxes, trinket boxes, powder jars, vanity jars and other names. As their names suggest, they were kept on dressing tables to store small items like jewelry, trinkets, hairpins or cosmetics. They usually had gilt metal fittings; some, like yours, had feet to match. They commonly were used in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. This was the age of art glass. Glassmaking factories in Europe and North America experimented with new colors, finishes and decoration methods. Opalescent, or opal, glass, which has a bluish-white or off-white color and slightly iridescent finish, was made by adding a heat-reactive chemical to the glass while it was molded,

This mug features more colors than most spatterware pottery. That adds to its appeal — and its value. (CONESTOGA AUCTION COMPANY

then reheating it. Hand-painted designs, usually flowers, outdoor scenes or figures in old-fashioned dress were favored decorations on finished glass pieces. So were raised enamel patterns. Boxes like yours tend to sell for between $50 and $100. Check the base for a mark; they are usually worth more if you can identify a maker.

Q. Can you assess an item just by looking at a submitted picture?

A. We do not provide appraisals, and it is difficult to determine the value of an item from a picture alone. The item’s condition and material are important factors in its value and are not always obvious from a picture. To get an accurate estimate of the value, an expert would have to see the item in person. What we can do is provide information and suggest resources. Check your items for makers’ marks and look them up on

Kovels.com or look for reference books at your library. Visit local antique shops, look for similar items and talk to the dealers. Check the directories on Kovels.com and AntiqueTrader.com for clubs that collect items like yours; they often have resources to help with identification and evaluation.

TIP: Cups are best stored by hanging them on cup hooks. Stacking cups inside each other can cause chipping.

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

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.

Castor jar, pickle, pressed glass, Daisy & Button, silver plate frame, lid, tongs, Victorian, 11 x 4 inches, $55. Basket, tray, Northwest Coast Salish, round, coiled, four spokes, alternating brown and black, shallow rim, side handles, 10 inches, $80.

Doorstop, cottage, white, black roof, red chimney, rose arch over door, white fence, green grass, painted, cast iron, marked, Sarah W. Symonds, Salem, Mass., 4 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches, $185. Clock, garniture set, Japy Freres, ormolu, marble, urn finial, side handles, two candelabra, five-light, urnshaped base, square plinth, clock, 24 inches, $275 Furniture, table, card, Federal, mahogany, pine, hinged rotating top, rounded corners, turned pedestal, rectangular block base, four legs, brass casters, c. 1825, 29 x 36 x 18 inches, $415. Thermometer, Double Cola, Delicious In Any Weather!, dark blue lettering, red and blue graphics, thermometer to side, metal, working, 22 x 17 1/2 inches, $450. Rookwood, vase, brown to green, matte glaze, carved leaves, swollen shoulders, Sally Coyne, 1905, 9 inches, $475.

Bank, building, yellow, green roof, brick chimney, Savings Bank, hand painted, tin, 5 1/2 inches, $510.

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 collectorsgallery@kovels.com.

Mortgage rates snap pullback, pushing back above 7%

By A LEX VEIGA

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage moved back above 7% last week, a setback for home shoppers at a time when the U.S. housing market is already slowing under the strain of elevated home loan borrowing costs and rising prices.

The rate rose to 7.03% from 6.94% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.79%.

This is the first increase after a threeweek pullback. Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month

Deeds

AGAWAM

Carli M. Sonsini to Darius K. Jonathan and Caroline Bail, 21C Castle Hill Road, $310,000.

Christopher W. Brunelle and Laurie Brunelle to Joseph Kukharchuk and Irina Gonchuk, 89 Cherry St., $488,000.

Gail A. Nadok, representative, Joseph Anthony Minella, estate, Joseph A. Minella, estate, and Joseph D. Minella, estate, to James Acerra, 309 River Road, $320,000.

John Joseph Wiley IV, to Jenny Lynne Wiley, 21H Castle Hills Road, $120,000.

Walter B. Robinson Jr., and Sandra L. Robinson to Denise Monday and William Bazin, 118 Parker St., $292,000.

AMHERST

Lucinda Nuthmann and Lucinda MacMullen to Claudia Brown and David Paul Markland, 344 Flat Hills Road, $935,000.

Lia B. Brassord to Ann E. Conrad and Alexander S. Conrad, 72 Amity Place, $450,500.

Margaret L. Holcomb to Timothy Warren Holcomb, trustee, and Holcomb Family Trust, 1330 South East St., $100.

Mary O. Longsworth and Charles R. Longsworth to Liping Wang and Jiaoyu Xiong, 1 Russett Lane, $349,900.

Thomas Crossman to Puffers Properties LLC, 45 Leverett Road, $444,000.

Peter H.D. Robson and Erin Kinsella Robson to Kwan H. Lee and Hea S. Lee, 344 East Hadley Road, $500,000.

in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing options.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixedrate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week, pushing up the average rate to 6.36% from 6.24% last week. A year ago, it averaged 6.18%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including how the bond market reacts to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy and the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Yields climbed earlier this week on worries about tepid demand for Treasury bonds following several U.S. government auctions and a surprising report showing confidence among U.S. consumers is strengthening. Economists had been expecting it to show a drop in confidence.

The Fed has been holding the federal funds rate at the highest level in more than two decades in hopes of grinding down on the economy enough to get high inflation fully under control. The central bank has maintained it doesn’t plan to cut interest rates until it has greater confidence that price increas-

es are slowing sustainably to its 2% target.

“This reality, as well as economic signals that have moved sideways over the last few weeks, have resulted in mortgage rates drifting higher as markets continue to dial back expectations of interest rate cuts,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

After climbing to a 23-year high of 7.79% in October, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage stayed below 7% this year until April. Even with the declines earlier this month, the rate remains well above where it was just two years ago at 5.09%.

BELCHERTOWN

Lee C. Harder to Eric K. Harder, 22 Orchard St., $100.

Crystal A. Wilson and Nathaniel Lee Wilson to Mary L. Asiimirwe and Louis Asiimirwe, 9 Autumn Lane, $450,000.

Kenneth F. Leonard to Joshua Steffen, 28 Meadow Pond Road, $481,000.

Daniel R. Leitl and Joyce C. Leitl to Christopher R. Creed and Deborah P. Creed, 500 North Liberty St., $1,210,000.

Sarah A. Wojnas, personal representative, John Hunting Belding Jr., estate, and John H. Belding Jr., estate, to Ryan Cadieux, 55 North Main St., $294,000.

Jean Matus to Tascon Homes LLC, 39 Depot St., $80,000.

BRIMFIELD

Arelis Ortiz Morales to Jorge A. Rivera Diaz, 1494 Dunhamtown Brimfield Road, $370,000.

Edmond A. Neal III, representative, Robert F. Williams, estate, and Brandon R. Campbell to Tannya M. Bixby, St. Clair Road Lot 6, $24,000.

Mark E. Salomone to Nicholas P. Nelson and Anne E. Nelson, 55 Lyman Barnes Road, $850,000.

BUCKLAND

June E. Ovitt to Diana Weatherby, 143 East Buckland Road, $210,000.

Betsy Roberts Andrews to Thomas C. Dame and Denise M. Duval, Bray Road and Stone Road, $50,000.

CHESTER

National Farm & Forestry LLC, to Christian R. Wilkinson, Goss Hill Road, $50,000.

CHICOPEE

Barbara J. Colkos, Stephen Colkos

and Stephen J. Colkos to Jessica P. Leary, 44 Hillcrest St., $305,000. Feliciano Bonilla and Lino Carrasquillo to Hector L. Texidor and Ana M. Texidor, 203 Montcalm St., $385,000.

Glen Edward Rostocki and Melissa Ann Rostocki to Rafael Luis Ramirez-Lopez, 503 Chicopee St., $258,400.

Jacob J. Santana to Joseph Ercolino and Zaida Oliveras, 47 Cecile Drive, $350,000.

Joseph M. Deady to Carlos Amaral, 66 Greenwood Terrace, Unit 6026D, $189,900.

Kathleen M. Blanchard, Michael P. Blanchard, Daniel F. Blanchard, Kathleen A. Scagliarini and Kathleen A.Blanchard to Anthony M. Montero and Parris C. Leary, 25 Garland St., $313,500.

Michael W. Derby to Kathleen M. Blanchard, 162 Horseshoe Drive, Unit 6161A, $196,900.

No Limit Assets LLC, to Andres Torres Rodriguez and Andres

Miguel Torres, Chester Street, Lot 620, $305,000.

William J. Cichaski and Suzanne L. Cichaski to Weifeng Lui and Hui Hui Wu, 61 Abbey Memorial Drive, Unit 170, $219,375.

DEERFIELD

Hardigg Industries LLC, to AGNL Case LLC, 147 North Main St., $18,250,000.

EAST LONGMEADOW

John W. Labroad, representative, and Walter F. Labroad, estate, to Thomas J. Harrison, 24 Hillside Drive, $315,000.

Richard Berthiaume to Christopher Berthiaume and Richard Berthiaume, life estate, 72 Helen Circle, $100.

Richard W. Santasiere II, to Samantha Stewart and Thomas O. Stewart, 30 Bayne St., $375,000.

Thaw Dar and Kyaw Thu to Shane Joseph Paradise and Tracy Lynn Paradise, 27 Fairview St., $302,000.

Tyler W. Simmons to Patrick McMann and Rowena McMann, 20 Lynwood Road, $249,000.

EASTHAMPTON

Michelle L. Simpson, personal representative, Jeanne B. Dufraine, estate, and Jeanne Beatrice Dufraine, estate, to Nathan Rosazza, 13 Sutton Place, $370,000.

Duckcharm Holdings Inc., to D&B Prismatic Holdings LLC, 250 Northampton St., $225,000.

Charlotte C. Lawrence to Jacquelyn A. Scalzo, 29 East Maple St., $415,000.

Evergrain Orchard LLC, to John Michael Kramer and Patricia A. SEE DEEDS, PAGE F8

Deeds

Latino, 25 Golden Drive, $426,500.

Aaron Spiller, personal representative, Lorraine E. Dubois, estate, and Lorraine Eva Dubois, estate, to Krystal Bouthillette, 57-59 Ferry St., $325,000.

Beth Marie Dietz to D&B Prismatic Holdings LLC, 250 Northampton St., $250,000.

Dorota Bak, trustee, and Sophie M. Bak Irrevocable Trust to Jasper Cowley, 155 Park St., $345,000.

GRANBY

Thomas Herbert and Samantha Herbert to Benjamin C. Douglass, Batchelor Street, $190,000.

GREENFIELD

Cody McBurnett, personal representative of the Estate of Herdis Stella Eriksson, to Sandra S. Bernson, 36 Emily Lane, Unit 36 Birches Condominium, $350,000.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., trustee for Soundview Home Loan Trust 2006-NLC1, to Salim Abdoo, 98-100 Hope St., $69,000.

US Bank Trust NA, trustee of Fidelity & Guaranty Life Mortgage Trust 2018-1, to EDS Enterprises LLC, 1 Coombs Ave., $131,999.

Claire J. Grogan and Patrick J. Grogan, “aka” Patrick Grogan, to Susan M. Fitzgerald and Michael C. Pavlovich, 102 Countryside, “aka” 102 Country Side Road, Unit 102, Country-Side Condominium, $265,000.

Cheryl A. Ingersoll, “aka” Cheryl Ingersoll, to Blue Sky Estate LLC, 68-70 & 74 Mohawk Trail, “fka” Newton Street, $550,388.

Susan M. Voss and Wilfried F. Voss to Kellie A. Girouard and Christopher J. Marano, 158 Log Plain Road, $300,000.

Melinda T. O’Brien to Jason A. Torrey and Tricia A. Torrey, 52C Prospect St., Unit 1 Highland Park Condominium, $195,000.

HADLEY

Lynne P. Dziok and Theodore W. Dziok to Yee Wah Helen Lau and Steve Granick, 4 Bayberry Lane, $800,000.

Helen L. Kapinos to Ann D. Wambolt, 6 Moody Bridge Road, $682,000.

HOLLAND

Hampden Solutions LLC, to Tina M. Huff, 5 Wood Lane, $310,000. Patricia Skoczylas, Andrew Skoczy-

las, Peter A. Skoczylas, Jenny M. Skoczylas, representative, Jenny Skoczylas, representative, and George R. Ellis, estate, to Carlos Figueroa-Mendez, 2 Old County Lane, $251,000.

HOLYOKE

125yale LLC, to Crystal Torres, 847849 Dwight St., $300,000.

David A. Mengel, trustee, and M M B Realty Trust, trustee of, to Sandra E. Woodrow, representative, and Amy Woodrow, estate, 24 Springdale Ave., $75,000.

Laurie C. Kaeppel to Jocelyn Brown and Jeremy V. Croake, 27 George St., $426,000.

Peter D. Hotz to Rolando Rivera and Maria Rivera, 466-468 South St., $350,000.

Rachel Ellis Dworkin, Rachel A. Ellis and Charles Dworkin to Philip T. Gunderson, 77 Queen St., $286,093.

Sandra E. Woodrow, representative, and Amy S. Woodrow, estate, to Lucas Giusto, trustee, Dominic Santaniello, trustee, and Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, 24 Springdale Ave., $126,500.

HUNTINGTON

National Farm & Forestry LLC, to Christian R. Wilkinson, Goss Hill Road, $50,000.

LEVERETT

Gurunam Kaur Khalsa, “aka” Guru Nam Kaur Khalsa, to Amy B. Lohman, 4 Jackson Hill Road, $350,000.

LONGMEADOW

Keun Kih Lee and Kihan Francis Lee to Lauren Mazzoli, 144 Academy Drive, $547,950.

Nancy C. Kruc to Jeffrey W. Trace, 112 Grassy Gutter Road, $429,900.

LUDLOW

Derrek J Santucci, Alyssa L. Demarco and Alyssa L. Santucci to Matthew P. Santucci and Heather Muche, 81 Parkview St., $240,000.

Lisa Judkins, conservator, and Irene Rappa to Sareen Properties LLC, 52 Prospect St., $187,500.

Sandra L. Dudek to Isaac Flores and Dolores Flores, 26 Chapin St., $383,000.

Sareen Properties LLC, to Silver Snake Properties LLC, 52 Prospect St., $209,000.

MONROE

Diann M. Noren and Diana L. Weatherby, “aka” Dianna L. Weath-

erby, to June Ovitt, 7 School St., $400,000.

NORTHAMPTON

Anthony A. Dastoli to John Paul Beno and Jennifer Robin Marcotte, 629 Florence Road, $540,000.

Justin Smith to Gregg Simonsen, 23-25 Elizabeth St., $500,000.

Bonnie L. Sachs, trustee, Bonnie L. Sachs Revocable Trust, Lisa S. Lippiello, trustee, and Lisa S. Lippiello Revocable Trust to Jeffrey M. Siegel, trustee, and Mineral Hills Nominee Trust, 1089 Westhampton Road, $1,850,000.

Irena Smoluchowski to Joan L. Zukas, 67 Crescent St., $365,000.

NORTHFIELD

Deborah J. Bruno, trustee of the Deborah J. Bruno Investment Trust, to Christopher H. Knight and Elizabeth Y. Knight, 878 Old Wendell Road, $517,000.

Mark A. Sibley to Thomas F. Chappuis, Warwick Road, $2,500.

ORANGE

Sharon L. Prue to M3 Innovations Inc., 627 East River St., $113,000.

Brenda L. Taylor, personal representative of the Estate of Glen Adin Taylor, “aka” Glen A. Taylor, to Colin M. Murkette, 17 Carpenter St., $75,000.

PALMER

Shirley M. Nichols, Sandra L. Nichols, Sandra L. Harvey, Eugene Nichols and David A. Nichols to Yvonne Grondin and Patriot Real Estate Holdings LLC, 17 Alden St., $232,000.

ROWE

Unitarian Universalist Rowe Camp & Conference Center Inc., to George Baeder and Julie B. Baeder, “aka” Julia Blattman Baeder, trustees of the George & Julie Baeder Trust, 312 Zoar Road, $470,000.

SHUTESBURY

Tara M. Mandalaywala and Matthew Garvey Snover to Naomi Kaul and Steven Kaul, 33 Sojourner Way, $775,000.

SOUTH HADLEY

Parth Hitesh Ghetia to Parth Hitesh Ghetia and Nicholas Magnolia, 5 Ethan Circle, $100.

Bryan M. Gleason and Kristyn Gleason to Cheryllisa Tagalan and Matthew Caballero, 44 Abbey St., $300,000.

Skinner Woods LLC, to Theodore E. Dziok and Lynne P. Dziok, 8 Skinnerwoods Way, $569,900.

Paige Hermansen and Mary D. Lambert to Tsi-Yu Teresa Huang, 8 Ralph Ave., $351,700.

Susan M. Mello to Cassandra M. Reis and Julia M. Reis, 8 Olde Plains Hollow, $100.

Karen A. Nelson, Francis M. Leblanc, Leslie M. Stoltz and Philip A. Leblanc to 4 Dunn Realty Trust, 17 Foch Ave., $180,000.

SOUTHAMPTON

James P. Kelly and Ann Marie Kelly to Charlotte C. Lawrence, 15 Hillside Meadows, $515,000.

Sandra M. Houle to Gary J. Houle Sr., 7 Jonathan Judd Circle, $100.

Edward K. Schlieben, Thea Schlieben, Thea Alexandra Schlieben and Thea Alexandra Schlieben Faust to Carolyn Zaikowski and Judith Verplanck-Elliot, 123 Russellville Road, $415,000.

SOUTHWICK

WWD LLC, to David W. Berry Jr., 69 Will Palmer Road, $350,000.

SPRINGFIELD

Agustin Sosa to Rosemary Hernandez, 91-93 Bowles St., $284,900.

Allen T. Wilson and Janice B. Wilson to Matthew Derderian and Jasmine Derderian, 55-57 Rittenhouse Terrace, $305,000.

Andrew J. Roissing and Jennifer Roissing to Adam Sharpe, 22 Regal St., $317,000.

Anthony Scheip to Bruce Arnold, trustee, and 26 Grant Realty Trust, trustee of, 26 Grant St., $69,000.

Bradley Rolland to Chistopher Perez and Alicia Marie Herter, 37 Kathleen St., $300,000.

Cathy D. Mannix, trustee, James T. Doling Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, and James T. Doling to Destiny Natori Clark, 127 Drexel St., $290,000.

Christine Goncalves, Steven Shirly, Robin Charles, Robin Shirly, Diane Shirly, guardian, Marcia Malena, and Marcia E. Shirly to Robin Charles and Kenneth Charles, 33 Milton St., $80,000.

Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, Dominic Kirchner, III, trustee, and Targaryen Realty Trust, trustee of, to Richard Pack and Ashby Pack, 40 Hamburg St., $300,000.

Extremely Clean (2) LLC, to Rayshon Ward and Gabrielle L. D’amelio, 95 Upton St., $305,000.

Felix Torres to 408 Carew St. LLC, 408-410 Carew St., $175,000.

Gary D. Rome to Janine Kalin and Patricia Langlitz, 0 Jamestown Drive, G-136, $279,500.

HSBC Finance Corp., to Jane L. Alinovi, 90 Rockland St., $115,000.

Joseph M. Pafumi and Deborah Pafumi to Cornelio R. Santos, 344-346 Main St., $250,000.

Kevin W. Hanna and Rose A. Hanna to Brian B. Gutierrez, 53 Aldrew Terrace, $294,000.

Luis A. Feliciano to Nataly Pena, 6163 Mansfield St., $326,000.

Maribel Dones and Luis A. Ortiz to Austin C. Nemec and Ava Cariddi, 84 Clydesdale Lane, $315,000.

Patricia A. Mcquade to Ali Farzan Jon and Ali Shahzad, 1081 Dickinson St., $280,000.

Pedro Miguel Rivera and Nixzaliz Ramos Espinosa to Veronica Vila, 457-459 Newbury St., $335,000.

Plata O Plomo Inc., to Kurt Binderberger, 95 Fenimore Boulevard, $305,000.

SGDS LLC, to Francisco Alves De Souza Jr., and Anete Dias Gibson, 66-68 Gold St., $310,000.

Sherrie A. King and Sonia N. Rivera to Miguel Arroyo, 573 Plumtree Road, $270,000.

Shirley Gentile, Christine E. Pagliaro, Tina A. Hudyka, John J. Gentile Jr., Robert M. Gentile and Thomas A. Gentile to Krystal Winkle and Kimar Daley, 335 Roosevelt Ave., $330,000.

Thoi Phan to Holly Ashton and Wesley Scott Ashton, 72-74 Shamrock St., $330,000.

Wicked Deals LLC, to Xiumei Ye, 89 Cliftwood St., $500,000.

William Francis Baker to Nicole Floria and Leigh Sullivan, 78 Mayflower Road, $285,000.

Wmpsa LLC, to Rengui Qiao and Guiru Gu, 44-46 Bristol St., $350,000.

SUNDERLAND

Joanna D. Morrow to Caroline O’Connell and Tucker Telega Kendrick, 62 Plumtree Road, $325,000.

WARE

J & S LLC, to Delmy Yolanda Contreras, 70 North St., $400,000.

David M. Linsey and Laura Linsey to Brodi Kay Willard, 84 Church St., $375,000.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Eric Vick LLC, to Alison P. Figucia, 52 West School St., $210,000.

Finance Of America Reverse LLC, to Tamara Tsyganenko and Simon Tsyganenko, 70 Almon St., $160,000.

Frank J. Capuano and Kathleen I. Capuano to Jose A. Flecha-Sanchez, 32 Colony Road, Unit 1B, $100,000.

other Mediterranean cuisines, it’s a tropical plant, native to India and Southeast Asia. That means that it needs sunshine and warmth more than anything else.

“In the U.K., we really can’t grow it in the ground. The soil is too cold,” McVicar says. “But we can do it in pots, and in much of America, it’s fine to grow in the ground.”

If you’re starting plants from seed (either indoors or outdoors) or transplanting seedlings from a nursery, McVicar’s biggest piece of advice is patience: “Don’t plant too early. I really mean that,” she says. “Wait until at least May, when it’s warm overnight and the light levels are good.”

A good rule of thumb?

“When you can sit on the soil without your knickers on, then it’s warm enough to sow basil outside,” McVicar says. In addition to warmth (and plenty of water; more on that in a moment), basil needs nutrients. McVicar says any basic vegetable and herb fertilizer will work, as long as you’re consistent with feedings. “I feed on Fridays with liquid seaweed,” she says. “It’s like you taking a regular multivitamin: you’ll be amazed at how your plants respond. They get strong and vigorous and give you enough to cut.”

How to prune basil and cultivate cuttings

Once your basil plants are established, they need regular harvesting to continue that vigorous growth.

“Always pick from the top,” McVicar says. Pinch off the top few sets of leaves until you see a place where tiny buds or leaves have formed at the junction of a leaf and stem. Cut it back to that point, and two new branches should grow on either side. The best way to make the most of your basil season is to help your plants multiply. Cuttings from a healthy plant will root in water or potting mix in a week or so. “What you do is cut a branch with

a growing tip, and maybe three leaves on either side,” McVicar says. Trim the leaves below the growing tip, then put it in a few inches of water or plant it in a small cup with potting soil.

Once roots form, move the new seedlings into larger pots or plant them right in the garden. This is also a great trick, McVicar says, for turning one grocery store plant into a whole basil crop.

How to keep mildew at bay

The plant’s susceptibility to certain diseases and pathogens can make basil difficult to grow. One of the most common issues is a fungal disease called basil downy mildew, which turns the plant’s leaves yellow or dark and mottled.

“It was first discovered in Uganda in the 1930s, and then rediscovered in Europe around 2001,” says C. Andrew Wyenandt, a vegetable pathologist at Rutgers University who has been breeding basil plants for more than 15 years.

In 2007, basil downy mildew was identified in crops in Florida. “It was the first time it made its way to the United States, probably shipped in on contaminated seed,” Wyenandt says. “For a few

“The most important thing with basil is you don’t want it to go to seed. If you allow it to produce flowers, it’ll put off the chemistry of the plant, which will affect the flavor.”

C. Andrew Wyenandt, vegetable pathologist at Rutgers University

years, it pretty much wiped out 100 percent of the basil crop in the Eastern U.S. because none of the sweet basil varieties had any resistance.”

A breeding program at Rutgers has since produced four sweet basil varieties with high resistance to the fungus. The cultivars — Rutgers Devotion, Rutgers Obsession, Rutgers Passion and Rutgers Thunderstruck — are now widely available at nurseries.

There are also ways to lower the risk of developing a basil downy mildew problem, regardless of the variety you plant. The first, Wyenandt says, is vigilance. Growers “should inspect their plants on a regular basis,” he says. “If you’re buying basil at the local garden center, you should inspect the leaves and see if there’s any yellowing. Look on the underside of leaves for purplish brown spores.”

Pass up those plants at the store. And if you do see signs of the fungus on your plants

does fall on the leaves will dry quickly. It’s also helpful, Wyenandt says, “to plant basil in a sunny location with adequate spacing between plants. Air circulation is very important.”

Keeping the plant’s leaves and stems as dry as possible also helps control fungus. “Don’t water the top of the plant,” Wyenandt says. “Instead, water the soil beneath the plant. Humidity and leaf wetness is important to the development of disease.”

How to use basil in the kitchen

Whether you’re growing sweet, Thai or cinnamon basil, or another variety, the flavors will be best while the plant is actively growing and putting energy into its leaves.

“The most important thing with basil is you don’t want it to go to seed,” Wyenandt says. “If you allow it to produce flowers, it’ll put off the chemistry of the plant, which will affect the flavor.”

once they’re home, remove those leaves — or even the whole plant — right away to try to keep the rest of the basil healthy.

The best way to water basil

Though basil - being a tropical plant - does need a lot of water, McVicar says many people make the mistake of watering too often, or watering incorrectly. “All of us want to nurture our plants, so we overwater,” she says. It’s important to allow the soil around your plants to get mostly dry before watering deeply again, she says. Even more important is when you water basil. “Water in the morning, never at night,” she says. “At night, especially in the spring, you have fluctuating temperatures. If you water before you go to work, rather than when you come home, you don’t send basil to bed wet.”

Watering earlier in the day ensures any water that

If a plant does bloom, though, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer edible. “Yes, it does change the leaves, and they become slightly tougher. But eat the flowers,” McVicar says. “You will be stunned by the flavor: lemon basil flowers, especially, are sublime.”

And there are plenty of ways to use the herb, beyond the obvious applications (such as in pasta dishes and Caprese salads). “I chop up lemon basil and mix with olive oil and white wine vinegar for the best salad dressing you’ve ever had,” McVicar says. She also uses cinnamon basil on pizza “because the flavors go really well with the cheeses,” and she infuses white vinegar with purple basil. “It’s delicious, and it turns the vinegar pink,” she says. Basil can also be steeped into tea or soaked in warm milk for a drink to promote a good night’s sleep.

“Whatever you’re making, the top tip for cooking basil is to add it last,” McVicar says. “Put it on or in your dish in the last three minutes of cooking, so you get the strongest, most delicious basil flavor.”

Kate Morgan is a freelance writer in Richland, Pa.

Closet organizing tips

BY C athY Hobbs Tribune News Service

For many, committing to organizing can come in waves. Perhaps it is a task taken on seasonally or sporadically relating to a particular occasion.

Regardless of when you choose to begin organizing ... there are some general design rules that can help to lead to a successful outcome.

Top tips include:

• Purge/remove all unwanted or unnecessary items.

• Take a quick inventory of what you wish to keep.

• Have a design/organization plan.

• Purchase organization bins.

• Color code and/or label items in groupings.

• Hire a professional organizer if needed.

• Reorganize your space to provide for individual storage or compartments.

• Separate items by usage or season.

• Utilize clear storage containers for easy viewing.

• Store away items that are used occasionally.

Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host.

86 White St., $159,000.

Gerald L. Paist to Andrii Zhyhanuk, 33 Lynnwood Drive, $273,000.

F8

Gerard P. Connor III, representative, Janet Elizabeth Fox, estate, and Janet C. Fox, estate, to Jill A. Perreault and Gary D. Perreault, 65 Greenleaf Ave., $292,000.

Michael F. Shirley and Sally Holmes Shirley to Peter Anthony Costella and Katherine Christine Costella, 489 Gooseberry Road, $490,000.

Richard J. Kelleher to Briana Doyle, 90 Worthy Ave., $267,000. West Jam Man LLC, to Michael Stancill and Tracy Stancill, 9 Plateau Ave., $330,000.

WESTFIELD

Caitlin S. Cohen, representative, Linda Louise Kibe, estate, and Louise L. Kibe, estate, to Kaya J. O’Connell-Karl and Paige M. Swinington, 21-23 Holland Ave, $395,000. Congamond Management LLC, to Rnegron Home Improvement LLC,

Kenneth W. Randall, representative, and Patricia C. Randall, estate, to Anne E. Benoit, 9 Carole Ave., $270,000.

MA Home Buyers LLC, to Svetlana T. Paliy, 29 Cedar Lane, $369,900.

Michael P. Dupuis and Susan M. Dupuis to Sean Hurt, Stephanie Hurt and Marybeth Kuta, 1342 East Mountain Road, $565,000.

SA Holding 2 LLC, to Charles MacMillan, 49 Pochassic St., $420,000.

Sean D. Welch and Karen M. Welch to Megan Simmons and Tyler Simmons, 467 Springdale Road, $550,000.

Westfield Technical Academy Foundation Inc., to Kathryn Booher, 64 Mill St., $500,000.

WESTHAMPTON

Brenda Salyer and Annette Tector to Steven Weinsier, 12 Pine Island Lake and 12 West Shore Drive, $925,000.

vegetables need to be ready or just about ready for harvest by then. Bartolo cabbage, with 30 days in a seed flat plus 115 days out in the garden, is then ripe by — whoops — the END of October! No wonder Bartolo often didn’t ripen for me in the past. (Nothing like writing about my garden to keep me honest and awake.)

Okay, all is not lost for winter storage cabbage. Warm weather, timely water from drip irrigation, and soil enriched with plenty of compost might speed maturity along faster than predicted. Unseasonably warm weather through October would also help ripen nearly ripe heads. And there’s always the fallback, with sure-to-ripen Early Jersey Wakefield.

Still on time, guaranteed, will be today’s sowing of Charming Snow cauliflower, maturing 60 days from transplanting.

go to seed.

The cucumber transplants I’ll want on hand to replace cucumber plants that I set out a couple of weeks ago. After a few weeks those spring plantings invariably succumb to powdery mildew and cucumber beetles, which not only feed on the plants but also spread bacterial wilt disease. (Easy identification for bacterial wilt, besides a wilting plant, is the thread of bacterial ooze visible as you pull apart a cut stem.)

Summer squash plants also peter out during summer, mostly from, again, powdery mildew, and also from squash bugs and vine borers. If squash vines are covered with soil along their stems, roots will form at the nodes, and the plant will continue production. I’ve got to be careful in saving the older squash plants, though; it’s too easy to have too much of this vegetable.

WILBRAHAM

Carol L. Habel, trustee, and Carol L. Habel Nominee Trust, trustee of, to Michael A. Siciliano and Sabrina G. Siciliano, 18 Maplewood Drive, $472,500.

Custom Homes Development Group LLC, to Madhawa Palihapitiya Palihapitiya Gamage and Udani Withana Arachchige, 3 Hickory Hill Drive, $446,400.

Michael P. Scarfe and Tanya M. Scarfe to Evan M. Grimes and Jade M. Blake, 7 Butler Road, $290,000.

Michal G. Ricca, trustee, Brian G. Ricca, trustee, and Ricca Family Living Trust, trustee of, to Christopher E. Jones, 7 Iroquois Lane, $710,000.

WORTHINGTON

Sharon E. Slater to Sean Moore, 508 Old North Road, $210,000.

Stephen J. Fisk to Thomas Fisk and Samantha Fisk, 239 Huntington Road, $450,000.

That’s it, for now, for the cabbage family. Later on in summer I’ll be sowing Chinese cabbage seeds. Perhaps more kale also, although spring sowings of this almost perfect vegetable can carry on right into winter, even spring if the winter is sufficiently mild.

For sooner use in the coming weeks will be today’s sowings of lettuce, cucumber, and summer squash. I like lettuce but lettuce doesn’t like hot weather and longs days. Those conditions cause leaves to turn bitter as plants send up flower stalks and go to seed. But if I sow a pinch of seeds in flats every couple of weeks, the transplanted lettuce can usually be harvested small, before it’s socked away enough energy and wherewithal to

Here in the states, the traditional time to plant a vegetable garden is, for some reason, Memorial Day weekend. But that can’t be true from Oregon to Florida and from Maine to Arizona, with our wide variations in climate!

I did put tomatoes, peppers, and plenty of transplants in the ground here during Memorial Day weekend. But I already had sown seeds or transplants of peas, arugula, lettuce, kale, carrots, celeriac before that weekend. And, as I’ve written above, there’s plenty of planting to be done after that date. Memorial Day weekend is not a seminal date in my gardening calendar. 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.

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