CT Digs - Connecticut Homes

Frost Warning Tonight

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:37:28 -0400

Just when you thought it was safe...

North central and northeast Connecticut, particularly in higher elevations, could get quite a cold snap tonight and Tuesday morning, with temperatures dipping into the low 30s. The National Weather Service says a frost advisory remains in effect for 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The Yard Group (B&B Landscaping & Design in Glastonbury) has some tips for protecting plants from frost.

* Cover sensitive plants with a blanket or burlap.

* Bring potted plants inside the garage.

* Move smaller plants under a roof or under a larger shrub.

Plants that could need protection include annuals, such as petunias and impatiens; perennial flowers with tender, new growth; tropical plants; vegetables; hydrangea; Japanese maples that are flushing; boxwoods that are flushed and soft; and any cold-intolerant species.

It's not usually the case, but for a change my procrastinating ways worked to my benefit. I generally get my window boxes and large outdoor pots planted with colorful annuals on Mother's Day. Not this year.

Photos: Top: An oakleaf hydrangea just beginning to bud out. Photo by Bill Mitchell, via Gainesville Quakers. Above: The Petunia Supertunia Royal Velvet, from White Flower Farm.

Historic Hartford, Before And After: Preservation Awards

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:59 -0400

Picture a Queen Anne-Victorian house in Hartford's Cay Hill Historic District. Sadly, the house at 100 Liberty St. (left and below) had been covered with ugly asphalt shingles. The porches had been torn down, and the interior had been chopped up into three units.

The Corporation for Independent Living restored the home's original wood siding, added new porches with traditional turned wood posts and spindle work, and refurbished the original wood floors and interior details.

The Corporation for Independent Living's historic rehabilitation of 10 Liberty St. is one of 12 winners this year of the Hartford Preservation Alliance's preservation awards.

The awards ceremony, to be held next Thursday at the Russian Lady, will roar like the 1920s' Prohibition era, with food, live music, an auction and more. So dig out your greatest Gatsby attire and plan to speak easy.

The HPA's mission is to preserve and revitalize the city's architectural heritage, but historic preservation isn't just about restoring architectural splendors of old -- it's also about bolstering the original character of more everyday historic gems.

The sound reasoning is that historic buildings are community assets that create added value for neighborhoods and help stabilize them, and that preservation also stimulates economic development.

Beyond that, cherishing and caring for our architectural heritage enriches the city's soul.

Individual homeowners also are being honored with preservation awards. Among them are Mildred and Douglas Unfried, who own 67 Kenyon St. in the West End (before, right, and after, below).

Previous owners had covered the facade of the historic house with aluminium siding, concealed the window frames and hidden skirted and curved architectural features.

Armed with the architect's original plans, the Unfrieds removed the siding, installed cedar shakes and replicated architectural details.

The lively paint colors were the finishing touch.

The other 10 winners of HPA's Preservation Awards, announced this week, are:

* Mike Marshall of Aetna, for his leadership and commitment to the revitalization of the Frog Hollow and Asylum Hill neighborhoods; HPA calls him "a model of corporate commitment." In the past two years, Aetna has provided more than $1 million to help nonprofit firms (the Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance, the Corporation for Independent Living and Habitat for Humanity) acquire and rehabilitate or develop properties on at least seven parcels in the Asylum Hill-South of Farmington Avenue area.

* Local historian Daniel Sterner, author of "A Guide to Historic Hartford Connecticut." Sterner's book includes 12 historical tours of Hartford, from Bushnell Park to Asylum Hill and through Frog Hollow, and highlights people, places and events that helped shape the city.

* The city of Hartford for its historic restoration of Old North Cemetery, which holds the remains of such notables as Daniel Wadsworth, Horace Bushnell and Frederick Law Olmsted, along with soldiers from Hartford's "colored" Civil War regiment.

* Southside Institutions Neighbordhood Alliance (SINA) for its historic rehabilitation of 41 and 47 Wolcott St. (before, left, and after, below).

The two Italianate, Civil War-era townhouses had fallen into disrepair and abandonment and were close to the wrecking ball.

SINA researched and replicated missing architectural details, using neighboring houses as guides.

* Marion and Thom Carling for the historic restoration of 145 Oxford St., a Victorian in the historic West End noted for its immense pink granite front porch. The restoration included a new roof, complete interior and exterior painting, rewiring, new heating and cooling systems and new kitchen and bathrooms.

* Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (NINA) for the historic rehabilitation of 156-158 Sargeant St., a Queen Anne-style house with Colonial Revival elements in the Asylum Hill neighborhood.

* Sara and Luke Bronin, for the historic restoration of their 1860s brownstone at 93 Elm St., overlooking Bushnell Park, which had fallen into serious disrepair, with exterior walls literally crumbling away (before, right, and after, below).

The Bronins, with Sara as the architect of record, returned the home to its original architectural beauty: They patched the walls, exposed the historic staircase, stripped away layers of paint, repaired sills, installed new building systems and recreated a matching bay window.

* Connecticut Landmarks for the historic restoration of the Isham-Terry House at 211 High St., just north of Downtown. The 1854 landmark's Italianate exterior was restored, and all 15 rooms were painted in period-appropriate colors.

* Connecticut Light & Power Co. for the historic renovation of 410 Sheldon St., a circa-1930 commercial building in the Sheldon-Charter Oak neighborhood.

* Meghan Freed, Kristen Marcroft and Ryan McKeen of the Law Office of Freed McKeen, LLC, for the historic renovation of their office's commercial space at 419 Main St. in downtown Hartford's iconic Linden Building.

The awards ceremony on Thursday, May 16, starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Russian Lady, 191 Ann Uccello St. Tickets are $50, and can be purchased at the HPA website, by emailing info@hartfordpreservation.org or by calling 860-750-0331; $60 at the door. For more information, go to www.HartfordPreservation.org.

Before and after photos (from top) of 10 Liberty St., 67 Kenyon St., 41 and 47 Wolcott St. and 93 Elm St., courtesy of the Hartford Preservation Alliance.

Constancy And Renewal In A West Hartford Garden

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:43:22 -0400

I can't think of a more wonderful way to spend time with one's mother this weekend -- or to spend time remembering one's mother -- than to stroll through a beautiful, much-loved garden.

You'll have that chance this Saturday, May 11, when the Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program kicks off in Connecticut, with gardens in Stamford and West Hartford open to the public.

Since 1995, 3,000 private gardens in 18 states have been opened to the public through the Open Days Program, with nearly 1 million visitors.

One of the deep pleasures of gardening over time in the same spot is the interplay of constancy and change, and Sara M. Knight's garden in West Hartford -- open Saturday -- reflects this pleasing dynamic.

Like so many gardens in Connecticut, Sara's garden was hit by the October snowstorm of 2011. She lost several trees -- her Seven Sons tree is now a big bush -- and many woody plants were damaged.

But today, there's no sign the garden ever weathered any loss.

Last year she planted several new small trees, and her ever-changing garden is "recovering nicely," she says, while still keeping its mature look.

As one of the Garden Conservancy's representatives in Connecticut, Sara "vets" gardens nominated for the Open Days Program. She says she looks for interesting design and plant material, and for gardens that haven't just been installed but have already stood a bit of the test of time.

Sara's own garden has undergone many changes since she started in 1969. The front cottage garden has morphed into a more formal evergreen planting, and 'Vanilla' and 'Strawberry' hydrangeas have replaced most of the roses by the swimming pool.

In 2004 she added what she calls the "North garden walk" -- it's actually on the west side of her home, but the Rose of Sharon there was given to her by friends named North. The shaded walk, which feels a bit like a secret woodland garden, is abloom with forget-me-nots, bleeding hearts and azaleas, and accented with a stone sculpture she calls "Leonard," because it reminded her of Leonard Bernstein.

Another touch of whimsy: She planted the doors of her old furnace in the garden. "I try to have a little, light touch."

Since 1995, Sara has opened her garden every several years for the Open Days Program. She likes to show it at different times of year, to give repeat visitors a sense of how it keeps unfolding over the year.

The garden, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is at 18 High Farms Road, off of Mountain Road.

The Karbel Garden in Stamford

In Stamford, the 1-acre woodland garden of S. Jason Karbel and Sara Sherlock Karbel at 26 Wake Robin Lane also will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Their garden is covered with dogwoods and azaleas blooming over a carpet of old-fashioned spring perennials and biennials.

Both gardens will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, with $5 admission at each; free for children 12 and under. No reservations are needed.

For details on the Open Days Program, including a schedule of all the gardens that will be open through the fall, plus directions and maps, go to www.gardenconservancy.org.

Top and middle photos: the Knight garden in West Hartford. Bottom photo: the Karbel garden in Stamford. Photos courtesy of the Garden Conservancy.

Up On The Roof: Farming Elevated To A New Level

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:03:39 -0400

Quick reminder: Ben Flanner is speaking Thursday night at this month's meeting of the Connecticut Horticultural Society.

The topic: rooftop farming.

Talk about elevating a topic.

Flanner is head farmer and president of the Brooklyn Grange Farm, which he started two years ago, after co-founding Eagle Street Rooftop Farms in 2009.

Brooklyn Grange Farm defines itself as a commercial urban farm, or to put it rather simply: "We grow food, and we sell it."

The farm, they say, broke even in its first year -- and now sells to local farm stands, restaurants and retailers.

The grange operates in two locations -- a 1-acre farm in Queens made up of about 1.2 million pounds of soil -- and its Navy Yard farm, covering a building of about 65,000 square feet.

In all, the grange's farming area is just a modest 2.5 acres.

Doesn't sound like much? Well, that urban farming space reportedly yields more than 40,000 pounds of vegetables, herbs and honey.

As a somewhat challenged vegetable gardener, I'm eager to hear Ben's tips.

The CHS meeting Thursday (Nov. 15) starts at 6:45 p.m. -- with socializing, browsing, raffle items and so on -- at Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive in West Hartford (a few blocks off of Albany Avenue).

Ben's talk will start at about 7:30.

It will also be interesting to learn how superstorm Sandy affected Brooklyn Grange Farm, as wind is one of the major challenges rooftop gardeners face, even in regular weather. I gather the apiary really took a hit in the recent storm.

The fee for non-members is $10. For details, go to www.cthort.org.

Ogling Orchids: The Tropics Bloom Here In Winter

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:56:41 -0400

Much as I revel in the fiery blasts of color ignited in autumn, the minute I take one step into Whole Foods or Home Depot, I waft away in a tropical daydream.

Orchids.

I see them lined up -- lovely moths of white or pink or yellow, in solids and stripes and spots, and clusters of buds, perched on tall stems -- and I just can't resist. I want to rescue them all, give them a good home.

Just as the flowers in the garden begin to shut down for winter, I become obsessed with orchids.

I've loved and lost some of the more finicky orchids over the years, and so have have grown quite content with the varied glory of the rather basic and fairly tough phalaenopsis orchid.

A pedestrian if pragmatic choice, true orchid aficionados would argue, but for me "phales" have the added bonus of blooming through much of the winter. They don't ask for much: Just feed them "weekly, weakly."

The enthusiasts have a point, though. There are more than 30,000 species in the Orchidacae family, with new ones still being discovered -- not to mention the many hybrids that have been developed over the decades.

Some orchids are minuscule; others are massive. The diversity of these horticultural divas is nothing less than stunning.

I love to ogle the more exotic orchids expertly grown by members of the Connecticut Orchid Society, who are having their annual show and sale Friday through Sunday at Van Wilgen's Garden Center in North Branford.

This is a serious show, judged by the American Orchid Society, and a great chance to hone your appreciation for and knowledge about these spectacularly beautiful and intriguing tropical treasures.

In addition to the award-winning orchids being judged, the show features educational displays, a junior orchid grower's booth, free talks and discussions with orchid specialists, raffles and orchids and gardening supplies for sale. Admission is $5.

Hours are Friday from 2 to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Van Wilgen's is at 51 Valley Road, off Route 139.

For details, go to www.ctorchids.org.

No need to put on your sunscreen.

Phalaenopsis orchids, at top and middle, grown by Sandy Mihalik. Hartford Courant file photos by Marc-TYves Regis I.

Miltonia Hajime Ono grown by Jeanne McDermott of the Connecticut Orchid Society. Photo by Matthew McDermott.

At Home With A Houseful Of Parrots

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:54:02 -0400

They love pine nuts and watching cartoons.

But parrots also can be awfully messy. Rescue birds often boast a rather salty vocabulary. Larger parrots live upwards of a century.

And these winged rainbows are so smart that they're easily bored, which means they tend to get into trouble.

Barb and Bob Cosgrove -- he's the president of the Connecticut Parrot Society and she heads the society's adoption committee -- have opened their home to quite a few parrots.

If you've ever wondered what it might be like to live with a parrot or two, don't miss Bethe Dufresne's fascinating story, about the Cosgroves and their parrots.

And Cloe Poisson's pictures are just gorgeous.

Top photo: Emily, a Camelot macaw (left), and Sunny, a green winged macaw, eye one another while sitting on the deck of the Cosgroves' home.

Photo above: Mr. Greenjeans is a male Eclectus parrot, one of several that the Cosgroves keep at home.

A Passion For Peonies

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:15:45 -0400

Spring River Flowers Moon Night

The river is smooth and calm this evening,

The peony flowers bloom.

The moon floats on the current.

The tide carries the stars.

-- Qian Qi (Tang Dyanasty)

Peonies are the dreamiest flowers in the world. The flowers are so lovely, they are well worth the 11-month wait.

They have been cultivated in China for more than 1,400 years, so I guess they are entitled to get a bit set in their ways. They don't like to be moved around.

They prefer to settle in and then produce their breathtaking and fragrant sheer beauty for a few fleeting weeks in late May and early June.

Over the years, my treasured peonies have become crowded, and I have fretted whether I dare divide or move any of them.

So I'm looking forward to Dan Furman's talk on "The World of Peonies" Thursday evening at the Connecticut Horticultural Society meeting in West Hartford.

Cricket Hill Garden, in Thomaston, is a nationally renowned peony nursery -- particularly for tree peonies -- and Furman is the nursery manager.

His parents, David and Kasha Furman, started the nursery almost by accident in 1988.

Already peony enthusiasts, they wanted to order about 10 tree peonies from China but learned the minimum order would be 200.

"We knew that getting into 200 plants lifted the bar from what was a hobby into something else," Kasha Furman told The Courant in 2009.

Their hobby has bloomed and the Furmans now offer an astounding variety. They've grown more than 300 cultivars over the years.

Cricket Hill also has an illuminating blog, filled with helpful photographs.

A recent post covers in painstaking detail the process of dividing tree peonies. Another explores tree peonies in Chinese art. And others offer gorgeous glimpses of the remarkable variety of peonies.

In his talk, Dan will discuss tree peonies, herbaceous peonies and intersectional peonies, which are hybrids of the two.

He also will share information on some of the favorite cultivars for Connecticut gardens and delve a bit into the fascinating history of peonies.

The CHS meets at Emanuel Synagogue at 180 Mohegan Drive in West Hartford. Doors open Thursday at 6:45 p.m., and Dan's talk will be at 7:30. It might be a good idea to arrive early, as special narcissus bulbs will be on sale.

The talk is free for members of the horticultural society and to students with ID; $10 for nonmembers.

For more information, go to www.cthort.org or call 860-529-8713.

Photographs of peonies, from top, all via Cricket Hill Garden:

Ancient Pink, (Zhong Sheng Fen; herbaceous)

Coiled Dragon In The Mist (Yan Long Zi Zhu Pan)

Beauty Yu Ji In A Red Dress (Yu Ji Yan Zhuang)

Coral-n-Gold (American herbaceous hybrid)

Pink Dragon Claw (intersectional)

Big Deep Purple (Da Zong Zi)

Black Tornado (Hei Xuan Feng)

Photo of Dan Furman, via Connecticut Horticultural Society

Case Studies: Bathroom And Kitchen Cabinets

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:54:15 -0400

If your bathroom or kitchen cabinets could use an update, check out the nifty ideas Better Homes and Gardens has collected on its website. Here are a few:

This medicine cabinet is topped with vintage shutters with original hardware at the center, though the door of the cabinet opens from the side to reveal shelves and a built-in mirror.

These bathroom cabinets are actually kitchen cabinets. Installing frosted-glass inserts in the upper cabinets gives them a lightened look.

In another bathroom where space is at a premium, these shallow cabinets are built almost flush to the wall and aren't much deeper than a roll of toilet paper.

This wood vanity features round pulls at the center reminescent of a traditional Chinese wedding cabinet. The outer cabinets are accented with frosted-glass inserts.

In the kitchen, appliances may be more efficient, but cabinet makers can help keep them tucked stylishly out of sight.

If you have an entire wall to devote to kitchen storage, floor-to-ceiling cabinets make for a clean and streamlined look.

Cabinets and drawers now often conceal custom features -- such as drawer inserts to keep silverware better organized -- helping to keep the kitchen free of clutter.

All photos via bhg.com

A New Home For An 18th-Century Connecticut Farmhouse

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:03:22 -0400

Do you recognize this farmhouse in Potomac, Virginia? The 1790s frame of the house used to be in Brooklyn, Connecticut.

Quite an interesting story by Jura Koncius of The Washington Post, with lots of photos.

Clearly the owners love history.

Closing Her Garden Gate

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:54:18 -0400

This is indeed a blooming shame.

Chrissie D'Esopo, who has opened her Avon home and garden to more than 40,000 visitors on numerous tours that have raised more than $175,000 for charities, is closing the garden gate.

The reason: One woman fell on a brick walkway during a tour last summer, hurt her ankle and sued.

Theresa Sullivan Barger has the full story.

Photograph by Richard Messina | The Hartford Courant. Click here for more pictures.

Charming, Comfy, Cozy And Cute

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:35:45 -0400

In real estate lingo, "cozy and cute" typically means small and cramped.

But how much square footage does a dwelling really need? Less than 1 square foot will do if you're a wee faerie.

Architects of the miniature have created more than 30 tiny houses for the Florence Griswold Museum's Wee Faerie Village, which opened today and runs through Nov 5.

Prepare to be enchanted.

The museum is at 96 Lyme St. in Old Lyme. Special hours in October are Mondays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for students, $13 for people over 62, $14 for adults, $5 for members and free for children 12 and under.

Photographs by Rick Hartford, from top:

Marsh Light Manor at Lookout Hollow, by Lori and Edward Lenz.

Sakuyu, a Japanese Faerie Garden, by Bobbie Padgett, DeeDee Charnock, Gay Thorn, Teddi Curtiss and Sheila Wertheimer Bella.

The Button Up Cottage, by Justine Lavigne and Chris Blackshaw.

For more photos, go to courant.com/florencegriswold.

From Antiques To A Tent Sale, A Waterfall And A Gurgle Pot

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:13:09 -0400

Fingers crossed for a perfect, crisp autumn Columbus Day weekend. Rain or shine, this is the weekend to take a drive out to Washington Depot and New Preston.

For starters, the 26th annual Washington Connecticut Antiques Show will feature furnishings, decorative accessories, jewelry and art from 20 dealers from the Northeast.

At the show you also can feast your eyes on designer tablescapes from such standout talents as Philip Gorrivan, Florence de Dampierre, Karen Davis and Ostafin Design for Privet House. The supremely talented Chris Giftos, who was the floral designer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for many years, also offered his talents for the show's decor.

The show is being held this year at Washington Primary School at 11 School St., and show hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10.

The show benefits the Gunn Memorial Library and Museum.

There's also a preview party with advance buying and a silent auction on Friday evening and a collector's party on Saturday. Each party is $125 per person; go to www.gunnlibrary.org for reservations.

But that's just for starters. The village of New Preston, which is part of Washington, is an absolutely delightful place to explore, with a number of enticing antique shops, the wonderful Oliva Cafe and more, and this weekend New Preston is celebrating.

J. Seitz & Co., which opens up in back to a gorgeous waterfall, is having its annual "Big Fat Tent Sale" Friday through Monday, with furniture and furnishings up to 75 percent off.

Pergola, which is most decidedly not your garden-variety garden store, also is holding a rare sale, with everything that's outside (on the front porch, on the back porch and in the waterfall garden) 25 percent off.

I'm also keen to visit the new location of the DK Schulman Design, which has such exquisite stationery and wrapping papers and great gifts, including the "whimsy of the month," which is a gurgling fish pitcher that actually gurgles when pouring. Makes you think of that waterfall.

And New Preston Kitchen Goods its celebrating its 10th anniversary with a reception Saturday from 4 to 6.

Photos, from top:

Yasokichi porcelain vase with Kutani glaze from Behnke Doherty Gallery in Washington Depot.

Folk art birdcage with beveled glass window panes from Hunter Bee in Millerton, N.Y.

Antique iron planters at Pergola in New Preston.

Widdicomb bombe-style nightstands with original faux tortoise-shell finish and heavy brass handles, circa 1940s, from George Champion Modern Shop in Woodbury.

Silver pedestal cake stands from Hotel European Hotel Silver in Darien.

Lake Victorian silver and crystal necklace with removable pendant, from Melody Rodgers, New York.

Italian Renaissance walnut cabinet, 16th century, from Black Swan Antiques in Washington Depot.

A Mile A Minute, And On The Move

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:57:07 -0400

Persicaria perfoliata, otherwise known (not affectionately) as the mile-a-minute vine, actually can grow up to 6 inches a day. That's fast.

This invasive East Asian plant's spread in Connecticut continues to worry scientists at UConn and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, who ask that people be on the lookout for it.

William Hyatt, chief of DEEP's Bureau of Natural Resources, says invasive plants are a significant threat to Connecticut's natural resources, and the mile-a-minute vine is "potentially one of the worst."

A plant that was 10 inches high in May can easily overwhelm shrubs and small trees by autumn, clambering over them and choking them out by forming dense mats of barbed thatch. Mile-a-minute is not a plant that likes to share.

Little wonder it's sometimes called "the Kudzu of the North."

First found in Connecticut in 1997, in Fairfield County, the mile-a-minute vine spread to 20 towns as far north as Simsbury and as far east as Stonington by 2010, and it's now been found in 31 towns and cities -- including Groton, Madison, Middlefield, Milford, Old Saybrook and Prospect for the first time this year.

Logan Senack, Connecticut Invasive Plant coordinator, says that as the end of the growing season approaches, the problem plants become more visible.

If you find mile-a-minute vine, especially if it's growing on your property, Donna Ellis, senior extension educator at UConn, asks that you report it first, rather than just pulling it up, as there may be additional information researchers can collect about it.

The mile-a-minute vine is pretty easy to recognize. It has distinctly triangular leaves, almost equilateral, without lobes or indentations.

Small curved barbs run along the stems and leaf petioles.

It also has blue and green fruits that emerge around mid-July.

And small saucer-shaped leaves called ocrea grow at the nodes and branching points.

To Learn More About Invasive Plants

Mile-a-minute vine is hardly the only problem plant in Connecticut.

Oriental bittersweet is the continuing bane of my own garden. And there are lots of other bullies.

If you'd like to learn more about invasive plants, the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group will hold a symposium titled "Getting Real About Invasive Plants: Prioritize, Strategize, Mobilize," Oct. 25 from 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. in the Lewis B. Rome Commons at UConn's Storrs campus. Registration is $55; $25 for students. Contact Donna Ellis at donna.ellis@uconn.edu or 860-486-6448.

And the Lebanon Conservation Commission and Inland Wetlands Commission will present a free program on invasive plants Oct. 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lebanon Fire Safety Complex at 23 Goshen Hill Road in lebanon. For details, contact Dennis Latchum at dlatchum@gamil.com or 860-455-5696.

Photographs by Donna Ellis, Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group, and Todd Mervosh, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, via UConn.

A Lamp That Plays Dead

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:54:22 -0400

I get that it's supposed to be funny, but this is a lamp I think the world can do without.

You turn off the BANG! lamp from bitplay by firing the remote-control "pistol" at it.

Fire again and the light straightens up and turns back on.

Made of white plastic with a cotton fabric shade, the lamp also comes at a killer price: $299 at dynamism.com. That is, if leaving guns lying around the house is your idea of fun.

Tips For Overwintering Your Tender Plants

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:11:15 -0400

Summer's sudden declension into autumn always startles me.

I wonder, why didn't I pay closer attention to the changing light?

The chilly morning temperatures have sort of crept up on me.

Plenty of summer gardening tasks are still on my endless to-do list.

I never seem to be ready for this seasonal shift. It's hard not to feel kind of rushed.

Happily, Margaret Roach wrote a very helpful post on her A Way To Garden blog three years ago with tips for overwintering your tender plants such as begonias, amaryllis, bromeliads and clivia.

Key points: Give them a checkup before they come indoors, to get rid of any outdoor pests. Best to get plants indoors before you turn on the heat to make the transition easier. Be sure not to overwater, and hold off on feeding plants in months with less light (except for your orchids, which still want to be fed every other week or so).

Margaret also has hints on pampering your tender bulbs -- dahlias, agapanthus, gladiolus -- for their cozy winter nap and on getting other tropicals happily through the winter.

And she points to other resources, including what she rightly calls "a great article" in Fine Gardening on the subject by Farmington gardener and former Connecticut Horticultural Society president Steve Silk, who is a tropical aficionado, to put it mildly, even in a climate that can be less than mild.

Steve goes into extensive detail on what plants to put where, which ones to cut back and by how much, and which plants to let go dormant.

Both Margaret and Steve also make the point that you'll have to experiment and that nothing is foolproof. There will be casualties.

But it's worth the effort. As Margaret says of one bromeliad that is now into double-digit years: Talk about an investment plant.

Photograph of Brugmansia by Margaret Roach | A Way To Garden