Home & Garden - Courant.com

Governor's Mansion Gets Donated Makeover

By DEBORAH HORNBLOW — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:20:07 GMT

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Any governor's mansion should be a showplace, a source and symbol of state pride and a home not only to the sitting governor and his or her family but to all state residents.

Fine Art & Flowers At Wadsworth

By SUSAN DUNNE, sdunne@courant.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:55:00 GMT

Florists, Garden Clubs Create Floral Interpretations Inspired By Museum Masterworks Follow CT Lifestyle & Entertainment News On The Courant's Features Buzz Facebook Page

Sometimes, gardeners roll their eyes when they hear the word "sustainability." When overused, both the word and the concept lose their meanings. So Stephen Orr wants to make it clear: First and foremost, a garden has to be pretty.

Historical Society Exhibit Features Vintage Furnishings From Connecticut Homes

By SUSAN DUNNE, sdunne@courant.com — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Nickolas Kotula of Bloomfield brims over with enthusiasm when standing in front of an almost impossibly ornate Philadelphia-style high dresser at the Connecticut Historical Society.

Lawn Care Tips For Connecticut Homeowners

BY STEVE GRANT, Special to The Courant — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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A lawn looks so simple; grass growing in soil. Oh, that it were that easy.

Garden Club Events, Spring Antiques Show

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:00:00 GMT

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Garden Club Events

St. Patrick's Day Collectibles Dating Back To Early 1900s

By TERRY KOVEL — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:10:00 GMT

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American collectors are beginning to look for decorations and memorabilia from St. Patrick's Day, often to join their more popular Christmas and Halloween collectibles.

Weller Pottery Of Ohio Still Valued By Collectors

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:51:00 GMT

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Weller pottery was first made in 1872 in Fultonham, Ohio, but by 1882 Weller had moved to Zanesville, one of the main cities where pottery was made in Ohio.

Washington Souvenirs Often Off The Mark

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:33:02 GMT

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Presidents Day, still officially named George Washington's Birthday, is celebrated on the third Monday in February. But it has not always been celebrated on that day.

Away From Home: Connecticut Flower Show, Garden Club Events

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:32:00 GMT

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Garden Club Events

Away From Home: Garden Club Events, New York Antiques Show

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

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Garden Club Events

Away From Home: Garden Club Events, Symposiums

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

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Garden Club Events

What Is Cold-Painted Bronze? Clearing Up Online Myths

By TERRY KOVEL, United Features Syndicate — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:27:00 GMT

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What is "cold-painted bronze"? The term is used online to describe colorful bronze or spelter figures, but almost no one explains what it means.

Daylily Program Among Garden Club Events, Lectures, Symposiums

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:08:00 GMT

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Garden Club Events

Ansonia Clock An Example Of 'Mystery Clock'

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

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Mystery clocks have been popular since the 18th century. The clock seems to have no mechanism, yet keeps time. One of the most famous is the "swinging-arm clock."

Some Big Prices On Old Picture Frames

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

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Picture frames were very elaborate during Victorian times. The rectangular frame for an oil painting could be 3 or 4 inches deep with several different types of carving on the borders. And the frame often was covered with gold leaf.

Five Years Of TLC Restores Booth-Dimock Homestead

By DEBORAH HORNBLOW, Special to The Courant — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

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In the realm of challenging real estate investments, there are fixer-uppers and there are projects that, to most eyes, hardly seem possible. When Tom and Susan Crossen first saw Coventry's Booth-Dimock homestead, it was definitely in the latter category.

Chinese 'Chestnut Basket': Decorative Or Practical?

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

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A Chinese porcelain "chestnut basket" recently was offered for sale at a Virginia auction. We looked at the basket, which appears to be a bowl and underplate, and wondered if the reticulated (cut-out) areas were simply decorative or if they were important because the bowl held chestnuts.

Why Shaker Furniture Costs So Much

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

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The Shakers are a religious group that came to America from England in 1774 led by Mother Ann Lee. The group grew until there were 18 Shaker communities in the eastern part of the country.

Warming Dish Helped Pilgrims Keep Thanksgiving Feast Hot

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

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Thanksgiving dinner in America during the 18th and early 19th centuries was very different from today.

Our 'Mending Wall': A Look Past The Picket Fence

By IRIS VAN RYNBACH — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

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"Before I built a wall I'd ask to know what I was walling in or walling out."

Heirloom Roses Stand Test Of Time

By Sean Conway, Tribune Media Services — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:40:00 GMT

"Heirloom" is much the buzzword in gardening, referring to plant varieties that have been passed down from one generation to the next because of their special qualities — be it disease resistance, fruit yield, fragrance or hardiness.

Stubborn wallpaper yields to water

By Al Heavens, McClatchy/Tribune News — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:16:32 GMT

Q Our bedroom was rebuilt by the previous homeowner (after a fire) with what I'm guessing is an old style of wallboard; wallpaper was then put directly over that wallboard. I've been trying to remove the wallpaper, but it is completely an uphill battle.

Every Lamp Needs A Shade

By NENA DONOVAN LEVINE, Special to The Courant — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT

The Lampshade Lady Lights The Way

Once upon a time, when King Arthur ruled Camelot, there lived The Lady of the Lake. Centuries later, Sir Walter Scott wrote a poem about her. But in our time (since precisely 1998), we have the Lake Lady of the Lampshade.