MONTCO Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Spring 2017

MONTCO & Creating Dream Landscapes

HOMES, GARDENS

71486 02861 0

$4.95US

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Spring 2017

LIFESTYLE

INTIMATE DESIGNS • SPRING EVENTS DINING OUT • AT THE AUCTION SWIMMING IN STYLE • HISTORIC TRAPPE

CONTENTS

MONTCO Issue 1, Volume 3

SPRING 2017

MONTCO HOMES, GARDENS & LIFESTYLE

Departments 5 FROM THE EDITOR 6 TRENDS 8 NOTEWORTHY 11 MADE IN AMERICA 14 WHAT TO DO 24 ART 28 IN THE GARDEN 66 STYLE

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70 HOME 74 DINING OUT 80 FINALE

Features 32 THE INTIMACY OF DESIGN

Diane Bishop combines beauty with comfort and warmth in her rooms

43 CREATING DREAM LANDSCAPE

Five area landscapers show off their projects to help inspire you

58 HAPPY 300TH TRAPPE!

Historic Trappe celebrates 300 years

54 SWIMMING IN STYLE

Today’s homeowners want a fifth room that includes the ulimate swimming space

On the Cover This beautiful floral scene in Montgomery County is painted by our artist-in-residence Jennifer Hansen Rolli.

Your o Kitchen h Transfor o med Liike Magic!

Publisher William N. Waite

Associate Publisher Frank Boyd Executive Editor Bob Waite

Art Direction BCM MEDIA CO., INC.

Advertising Director Vicky M. Waite

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Buckman’s Home and Garden WHERE HOME AND GARDEN COME TOGETHER

A Bucks County tradition!

You will be surprised and delighted by our unusual selection of home decor, boutique and garden accessories.

We are more than just a garden center!

1814 South Easton Road • Doylestown, PA

215-348-0877

BuckmansHomeandGarden.com 4 MONTCO MAG . COM

Calendar Editor Mary Beth Schwartz

Cover Artist Jennifer Hansen Rolli

Rated d #1 Lifetime Warrranty American Ma ade Family Owned

Administration Melissa Kutalek

Contributing Writers Diane Bishop, Beth Buxbaum, John Cella, Lew Larason, Lisa Minardi, Frank Quattrone, Lori Rose, Mary Beth Schwartz, Vicky Waite Circulation BCM MEDIA Co., INC.

Contributing Photographers Jess Graves, Melissa Kutalek, Glenn Race, Paul Wesley Account Executives Frank Boyd, Lisa Bridge, Kathy Driver, Lisa Kruse Ann Ferro Murray

MONTCO Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Magazine, 309 W. Armstrong Drive, Fountainville, PA 18923, phone 215-766-2694 • Fax 215-766-8197. www.montcomag.com. Published quarterly by BCM Media Company Inc., Fountainville, PA. All contents copyright by BCM Media Company DBA/Montco Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Published quarterly. Four-issue subscription for U.S. is $15.95, in Canada $35.00, U.S. dollars only. Standard postage paid at Lancaster, PA. Single-copy price is $4.95 plus $3.00 postage and handling.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MONTCO Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Magazine, PO BOX 36, Morrisville, PA 19067.

This magazine welcomes, but cannot be responsible for, manuscripts and photos unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed return envelope.

From the Editor

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pring is here, the season of fresh starts. From the crocuses, daffodils and tulips popping through the ground to the flowering trees, spring changes the landscape making all things look new. And as the sap runs up into the seemingly dead trees, we witness new life. As this abundance comes our way, we can easily be smitten with a benign ailment known as spring fever. Its major symptom is an aversion to indoor spaces, especially offices. People confined to such restrictions generally have a visable sign of longing in their glassy eyes as they look out the window of wherever they are confined. To some stricken with the fever, things like sitting in a garden or walking in the woods become peak life experiences. We at MONTCO Homes, Gardens and Lifestyle are very concerned about this malady afflicting large numbers of people throughout the area. And have come up with ways to help you adjust to the changes going on around you.

Landscaping decisions and planning new and exciting ways to change our landscapes is the subject of “Creating Dream Landscapes,” by home and garden writer Mary Beth Schwartz. This is a look at five different innovative landscape projects by five of areas top landscaping firms. It will furnish our readers with some concrete ideas and a focus for their longings to be outdoors. And as a special addition to these dream landscapes, we have an article called “Swimming In Style,” which displays many of the new trends in swimming pools.

In the world of interior design, two principles need to be balanced for people to love their homes: appearance and function. Looking at several rooms designed by local interior designer Diane Bishop, we see how this artist is able to design rooms that are comfortable expressions of what her clients want. Our pictorial article “The Intimacy of Design” sheds light on the way professionals do their job and offers ideas that allow us to focus on something other than the escape fantasies of spring fever.

To distract you from spring fever we also have an article on historic Trappe celebrating their 300th anniversary. And there are plenty of events all year round at this important historic celebration. In our spring issue we also feature gazebos, an auction, a local artist, square foot gardening, two area restaurants and places to go this spring. And also this one last bit of advice: spring fever is best dealt with by just going along with it and enjoying the spring.

Surviving Cancer

In Style

Jude Plum, with cancer survivor Kristin D., shown wearing her wig.

“At 22, a cancer diagnosis was the last thing I expected to come my way. The anxiety surrounding losing my hair was put to rest when I saw what a natural look and feel the wigs at Jude Plum have. The staff helped me feel extremely reassured and comfortable during this difficult period. I would recommend Jude Plum to anyone in need of an understanding, experienced, and compassionate salon!”

Natural European hair wigs and hairpieces for men, women, and children

Bob Waite Editor

610-527-1770

821 W. Lancaster Avenue Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010 SPRING 2017

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Trends MONTCO

CERAMIC ART ... celebrate and commemorate family milestone’s and lifelong memories with handcrafted personalized ceramic art by artistpotter Nicole Dubrow at Black Sheep Pottery. Decorative and functional master crafted tile, tableware pottery and sculpture for home and community. Special orders and trade welcome. Black Sheep Pottery, 4028 Skippack Pike, Skippack Village, PA; 610-584-5877; visitwww.blacksheeppottery.org.

GLAZED TILE

LOOKING GOOD

‌ First used in the 1900s to line the walls of underground railway stations, subway tiles have quickly become a popular choice in bathrooms & kitchen backsplashes. This glazed tile resists staining & is easy to clean. Subway tile has a timeless charm with versatility that lies in the many pattern options: running bond, herringbone, crosshatch. Available at Abram W. Bergey & Sons, 311 S. Main St., Harleysville, PA; 215-256-8846; www.bergeyflooring.com.

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... be selfie ready this prom and wedding season following a visit to Eden Day Spa and Salon.

Hair, skin, nail and makeup artists are awaiting your arrival to transform your look into simple beauty or pure glamour for photos that last a lifetime at this award-winning salon and spa.

610-489-0800;www.edendayspaandsalon.com.

MEN TOYS SHOES ... these shoes are all leather uppers, made in America, in San Antonio, Texas. Five different widths are offered in most of the shoes, starting with a slim and going to a wide. The sandals pictured are the number one selling. Relaxed in Amber color for ladies and Bravo in brown for men. Please feel free to contact Michele Schlegel or Gail Landis co-managers or email sasshoes26@veri zon.net. SAS Shoes is located at Providence Town Center, Collegeville, PA; 484-902-8699; www.sasshoes.com.

... just image how much you can do on a single charge, without emissions. From trimmers to blowers, chainsaws and our new Stihl lawnmower. Brought to you by Star Lawnmower, circa 1897, the area's oldest Lawnmower Dealer (starlawnmower.com). We have two locations to serve you: 829 East Main Street, Norristown, PA; 610 277-1840 and 2204 York Road, Jamision, PA; 215 343-1650; www.starlawnmower.com.

ENERGY STONE

OUTDOOR LIVING ... with decorative details and comfortable seats, this outdoor collection can help you create an entertaining space outside. Create a place poolside or around a fire where you can enjoy conversation with friends. The Riviera Collection is available at Moore’s Furniture, located at 3291 W. Ridge Pike, Pottstown, PA; 610-495-5252 & 90 Pottstown Pike, Chester Springs,PA; 610-458-8001; www.mooresfurniture.com.

… consider an “energy stone” that reflects her personality. The meanings behind these types of rocks make for a thoughtful gift that’s sure to be a star. Lalitpur, Nepal has been called “the city of fine arts” because the exceptional skills in this region have been passed down through generations of craftspeople. These beautiful pieces of art are available at Ten Thousand Villages, Souderton Center, 781 Route 113 (Souderton Road), Souderton; PA; 215-723-1221; www.tenthousandvillages.com.

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NOTEWORTHY

What’s Happening in Montgomery County

Paul Construction & Awning Receives Award

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aul Construction & Awning is one of the top leading Sunesta Retractable Awning dealers in the United States, and it has been a great honor for the staff to attend the Sunesta Dealer Meeting in Jacksonville Florida, the Sunesta headquarters, every year for the past sixteen years to represent our company’s growing success. This opportunity has been consistently presented to us for serving the Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties on an outstanding level. It is their pleasure to provide the comfort and shade that their clients need and to represent Sunesta’s unparalleled quality and performance. 2016 was a fantastic year of growth for Paul Construction & Awning. The company received the prestigious Diamond Elite award, which was only given to

three companies, for being one of the best-selling dealers within Sunesta. This certificate solidifies the hard work and continuous elevation that we strive to achieve. Paul Construction & Awning is located at 4093 Skippack Pike, Skippack, PA 19474. The office can be reached by calling 610-287-1623. For more information, visit www.awningsseckspatios.com.

Angler’s Pro Shop Reopens

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elcome to the new Angler’s Pro Shop. Eddie and Joanne Notarangelo are creating more than just a fly fishing shop. They specialize in carrying products you don’t find in a walk-in local store, so you can see products up close and personal. Some of the featured brand name products they carry are Hatch, Abel, Tibor, Lamson, Nautilus, TFO, Winston, Sage, Redington, Gloomis, Shimano, St. Croix, Diawa, Simms, Fishpond, Buff, Rio and Huk, just to mention a few. They also have a large fly case filled with a vast variety of flies—so you’re sure to match the hatch. Angler’s Pro Shop has been adding to its spinning reel selection daily, which is sure to please all those who enjoy the sport of fishing, from freshwater to saltwater. You’re invited to attend the Angler’s Pro Shop’s Grand Re-opening on March 25 from 11a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will be door prizes and informative workshops. Mention that you saw this article anytime for a free gift while supplies last. Angler’s Pro Shop is located at 3361 Bethlehem Pike, Souderton, PA 18964; 800-934-4862 or 215-721-4909. For more information, visit www.anglersproshop.com.

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Solving Aquatic Finish Problems

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raditional pool painting can blister, chip, peel and fade. Plaster pools stain and crack. Whereas, EcoFINISH® scientifically developed aquaBRIGHT™ and polyFIBRO™ present a solution to these aquatic finish problems. These long-lasting thermo-polymer finish coatings can be used on both concrete and fiberglass pools, and together we have 21 vibrant colors to choose from.

Compared to colored masonry finishes, aquaBRIGHT™ and polyFIBRO™ have a more uniform color across the entire swimming pool surface and as the pool ages, the installation of their finish will not mottle or fade in larger blotchy clouds. The plastics are chemical resistant and unlike masonry finishes, can be acid washed with very little impact to the surface and the color. Once installed, the finish is cured. And with aquaBRIGHT™ and polyFIBRO™, you'll spend much less time balancing your water chemistry. EcoFINISH is the wave of the future. Carlton Pools is located is headquartered at 415 Constance Dr., Warminster, PA 18974; 888-372-0102 and located locally at 1620 W Main St, Collegeville, PA 19426; 610-489-2108. For more information about Carlton Pools, visit www.carltonpools.com.

Farmhouse Restoration & Solar Power

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or forty years the master builders at Sunpower Builders have specialized in Pennsylvania farmhouse restorations, and solar Energy. "There is a common thread between the 16th Century Farmhouse and the 21st century Zero Energy home: craftsmanship and common sense,” says Jon Costanza, the President of Sunpower Builders. In Trappe, Sunpower Builders restored the Henry Melchior Muhlenberg house with exacting accuracy to its 1754 origins when Muhlenberg and his family resided there. It is now a house/museum curated by the Trappe Historical Society. Sun Power Builders also designs and installs residential and commercial solar photovoltaic systems. With over 200 PV systems producing nearly 3 megawatts clean electricity, we are the largest and oldest solar company in Pennsylvania. They exclusively use USA or EU made products. “Installed systems are 60 percent less expensive than they were just 6 years ago,” says Costanza, “and the investment out performs your retirement fund; a 30 per cent federal tax credit, (and full depreciation for commercial systems), an ROI of over 10 percent, and a 2-6-year payback.” The company’s motto is “Preservationists of Yesteryear and Tomorrow.” Sunpower Builders is located at 80 Pechins Mill Road, Collegeville, PA 19426; 610-489-1105. For more information, visit www.sunpowerbuilders.com.

Lampshades Aren’t Afterthoughts

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lampshade isn’t an afterthought. Kody's Lighting & Shades sells every style, shape, fabric and size lamp shade imaginable. Jake designs many of the shades in the Shade Room. The workrooms are also available to recover and re-line many older shades. Every room in your home can benefit from the right lamp and shade combination. The right shade can pull your room together. Your shade should compete your lamp, create the right lighting effect and transform your space. Kody Lightings and Lamp Shade Showroom works with more than 65 manufacturers of fine lighting and stocks a unique selection of more than 5,000 Lamp Shades. Our knowledgeable staff, trained by Jake Kody, works with three generations of customers, designers, builders and electrical contractors. In business for more than 60 Years, Kody's continues to grow, remaining a closely held family business. Kody's Lighting & Shades is located is located at 530 West Lancaster Avenue in Wayne, PA. 19087; 610-687-4201. For more information, visit www.kodylighting.com.

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NOTEWORTHY

Free Kitchen Consultation

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ith almost 38 years in business, Kitchen Magic is the steadfast leader in kitchen remodeling.

Family owned and operated, now in the 2nd generation, our values and offerings is still the same: give homeowners the kitchen of their dreams, for a fair value and warranty it for the lifetime of homeownership. Winning countless industry awards for innovation and design, Kitchen Magic is known for our quality and craftsmanship. Most recently, awarded Qualified Remodeler magazine’s rating of #1 in kitchen remodeling, Nationwide. Because every kitchen is different, Kitchen Magic comes out and give homeowners a free consultation to access their particular project and needs. When we visit a home, we bring the showroom to them.

We typically ask the homeowner what they want in their new kitchen space, have them choose colors and styles and leave them with an exact price quote. Visit our kitchen showroom at 4243 Lonat Drive, Nazareth, PA or www.kitchenmagic.com. Call 866-929-7441 to request a free in-home consultation.

Take Back Your Garage

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arage Experts can help you take back your garage. They can help you with storage solution choices including cabinets, work benches, slatwall and overhead storage racks. You will be able to choose from endless color for floors including flake, and you will also be able to choose any size needed to achieve the results that you desire. Most floors can be installed in one day and usable again in as fast as 48 hours. Garage Experts offers all American made products with industrial strength floors and cabinetry and a lifetime warranty to back it up. Contact Garage Experts for a free estimate to unclutter your world, beautify your home and increase the resale value of your residence.

Garage Experts of Eastern PA is located at 136 Wild Run Rd, Barto, PA 19504. For more information, call 484544-0884 or email ric.edwards@garageexperts.com.

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MADE IN AMERICA

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century ago Henry Chapman Mercer was concerned about how the Industrial Revolution was uprooting and replacing so many of the cottage industries with a flood of inferior products. Skills passed on from generation to generation were lost, never to be used again. No effort was made to keep many of these lost crafts, and in the interest of progress people opted for the efficiency that resulted in lower prices and a larger quantities of goods. Henry Mercer’s solution to this problem was to create the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, which preserved the tools and forms of these crafts.

Now we are having a repeat of the same thing, coming from a different source—foreign competition.

Southeastern Pennsylvania is home to a large array of craftspeople who make beautiful products, using hand tools and simple production methods.

These are our artisans who handcraft fine furniture, interesting clothing, pottery, tiles, cabinetry and the list can go on. Their crafts need to be preserved, not in a museum, but in our culture. We need to buy items that are made in America to keep our inheritance of fine craftsmanship alive.

There are some very compelling reasons to buy from artists, craftspeople and artisans in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The number one reason is quality.

Handcrafted furniture, jewelry, fabric, pottery, frames and the list can go on and on, are made to last. Everything made is made with generational experi-

ence and the pride of local craftspeople ensure that it is made right.

Another reason to buy local is beauty. Our artisans are concerned with beauty and by using high quality materials, the beauty has a deep, not surface appeal. Also by buying from local craftspeople, you are helping to enrich your own community and your own country. Unlike large chains that take money out of the community, local businesses are a part of the communities they serve. Their profits are spent in the communities in which they are earned.

And buying items that are made in our local communities enhances our culture, creates futures for young creative people and beautifies our country from generation to generation.

Hunting and Fishing Licenses Black Powder Supplies Target World Gift Cards $25.00 to $1,000.

“Get Ready for Turkey Hunting Season” We Target All The Outdoor Sportsman’s needs...

We offer one of the largest selection of guns, safes and sporting goods and accessories in the Delaware Valley.

New Pistol & Rifle Ranges New Hepa Ventilation System

Wheel & Pottery Painting Classes Summer Camp Birthday Parties Bridal Eveents Team Building Events 4038 Skippack Pike,, Skippack Village 610-584-5877 www w.blacksheeppottery.org

County Line Rd. & Rt. 202 Chalfont, PA (5 minutes north of Montgomery Mall) Showroom and Range Call

215.822.3900 / www.targetworldinc.com We accept all major credit cards

We are Open Tues-Thurs 9-9 • Sat & Sun 9-5, Closed Monday

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MADE IN AMERICA “FISH LIKE A PRO....VISIT THE FISHIN NG EXPER X TS at “ANG A GLER’S PRO SHOP�� “Co ome See our N New Showro oom and Checkout o our “Gra and Re-Opening Specials�

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Yo e ... ““A Angler’’ss Pro Shop� Gra and Re-opening on March 25th,, 11am to 3pm. ...there will be door prizess and d informative workshops. Ment M ion this ad for a “free gift� anytime while supplies last

SPRING SPECIAL

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MADE IN AMERICA

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Spring 2017

Photos: Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board

What to do

Left: The historic Ambler Theater. Right: Glencairn Museum, Bryn Athnyn.

AN T I QU ES Alderfer Auction March 30: Decorative Arts Auction April 13: Doll Auction 501 Fairgrounds Road, Hatfield, PA. 215393-3000; www.alderferauction.com.

The Philadelphia Furniture Show March 31-April 2: This annual show highlights artisan quality furniture and furnishings to suit all tastes. Admission. 22 South 23rd Street, Philadelphia, PA. www.philadelphiafurnitureshow.com.

Pook & Pook, Inc. March 31-April 1: Toys and Dolls April 28-29: International & Americana May 20: Firearms & Sporting

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463 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, PA. 610-269-4040; www.pookandpook.com.

ANTIQUES

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ART

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Chester County Antiques Show April 7-9: The 35th Annual Antiques Show is a benefit for the Chester County Historical Society. Admission. The Phelps School, Malvern, PA. 610-692-4800; www.chestercohistorical.org.

CRAFTS

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ENTERTAINMENT

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EVENTS

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FAMILY

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GARDENS

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HISTORY

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NATURE

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The Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show April 21-23: This prestigious show offers diverse furnishings and decorative arts for both the peri-od and modern American home. Admission. The Navy Yard on the

Marine Parade Grounds, South Broad Street and Intrepid Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. www.philadelphiaantiquesandartshow.com

DEAR GARDEN ASSOCIATES, INC.

DISTINCTIVE DESIGN, INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE

Renningers April 27-29: Antiques and Collectors Extravaganza June 22-24: Antiques and Collectors Extravaganza Admission. Rain or shine. 740 Noble Street, Kutztown, PA. 570-385-0104; www.renningers.net.

Brandywine River Museum of Art Antiques Show May 27-29: Outstanding furniture, glass, metalware, ceramics, folk art, quilts and other fine an-tiques from across the nation are featured at this show. 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, PA. 610-388-2700; www.brandywine.org.

A RT Woodmere Art Museum Through March 19: Arthur B. Carles and His Expanding Circle Through March 26: The Storybook Magic of Jerry Pinkney Through May 21: A More Perfect Union 9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. 215-247-0476; www.woodmereartmuseum.org.

Cheltenham Center for the Arts Through April 2: Regional Children’s Art Show April 9-May 7: Annual Painting Show May 21-June 10: Resident Artists’ Exhibit 439 Ashbourne Road, Cheltenham, PA. 215-379-4660; www.cheltenhamarts.org.

Main Line Art Center Through April 16: 13th Annual Betsy Meyer Memorial Exhibition April 7-June 3: Accessible Art Exhibition 2017 April 30-June 3: Spring Gala Exhibition 2017 746 Panmure Road, Haverford, PA. 610525-0272; www.mainlineart.org.

Abington Art Center Through May 6: Solo Series 515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA. 215-887-4882; www.abingtonartcenter.org.

Bill Dear, Horticulturist • 215.766.8110 PA • 609.919.0050 NJ www.deargarden.com PA LIC #PA063572 - NJ LIC #13VH05607800 SPRING 2017

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Philadelphia Museum of Art Through May 14: American Watercolor in the Age of Homer and Sargent April 1-December 3: Marcel Duchamp and the Fountain Scandal 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA. 215-763-8100; www.philamuseum.org.

Brandywine River Museum of Art Through May 21: From Homer to Hopper: Experiment and Ingenuity in American Art June 24-September 17: Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, PA. 610-388-2700; www.brandywine.org.

The Barnes Foundation Through May 22: Person of the Crowd: The Contemporary Art of Flanerie 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 215-278-7000; 300 North Latch’s Lane, Me-rion, PA, 215-278-7350. www.barnesfoundation.org.

Wayne Art Center March 25-April 29: Teen Works 2017 April 1-29: Essential Earth May 7-June 30: Plein Air 2017 May 13-June 24: Radnor Reflections 2017 413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, PA. 610-688-3553; www.wayneart.org.

Berman Museum of Art April 6-June 4: Annual Student Exhibition 2017 Ursinus College, 601 East Main Street, Collegeville, PA. 610-409-3500; www.ursinus.edu/berman.

C RA FTS Sugarloaf Crafts Festival March 17-19: More than 250 artisans display and sell their creations in pottery, sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion, home décor, furniture and home accessories, and more. Admission. Greater Phil-adelphia Expo Center, Oaks, PA. 800-210-9900; www.sugarloafcrafts.com.

Pennsylvania Guild of Fine Craftsmen Fairs May 12-14: Rittenhouse Fine Craft Spring July 29-30: Fine Craft at the Chase Center Admission. 717-431-8706; www.pacrafts.org.

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Lansdale Day June 3: This annual arts and crafts festival will feature a large selection of juried crafters, artisans, and artists. There will be a farmer’s market, petting zoo, children’s activities, a car show, and a dog agility show. The community day also includes food courts and live entertainment. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Penn.

200 West Main Street, Lansdale, PA. www.rotaryclubofnorthpenn.org.

EN T ERTAI N M EN T Act II Playhouse Through April 2: Tomfoolery May 16-June 11: Brighton Beach Memoirs 56 East Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA. 215654-0200; www.act2.org.

The Village Players of Hatboro March 10-25: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest June 9-24: Sex Please, We’re Sixty 401 Jefferson Avenue, Hatboro, PA. 215675-6774; www.thevillageplayers.com.

Methacton Community Theater March 10-18: Incorruptible April 28-May 7: My Fair Lady July 14-22: Disney’s The Little Mermaid Shannondell Performing Arts Theater, 10000 Shannondell Boulevard, Audubon, PA. 610-489-6449; www.methactoncommunitytheater.org.

Sellersville Theater March 31: Rodney Crowell April 2: James McCartney April 23: Micky Dolenz May 19: Spyro Gyra May 21: Joan Osborne 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, PA. 215-257-5808; www.st94.com.

Keswick Theatre March 24: The Temptations & The Four Tops April 1: The Beach Boys April 29: Doo Wop Volume 3 June 21: Happy Together Tour 2017 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside, PA. 215-572-7650; www.keswicktheatre.com.

Steel River Playhouse April 1-9: With Frog and Toad April 14-30: Of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds May 26-June 11: Disney’s Little Mermaid 245 East High Street, Pottstown, PA. 610-970-1199; www.steelriver.org.

Mitchell Performing Arts Center March 24: The Mitchell Singer Songwriter Series Concert April 1: Finding Hope 2017 April 28-May 6: Mary Poppins May 13: Spring Dance Concert June 4: Bryn Athyn Orchestra Spring Concert June 20-30: The Lion King Jr. 800 Tomlinson Road, Bryn Athyn, PA. 267502-2793; www.mitchellcenter.info.

The Choristers April 8: Bach & St. Matthew Passion (7:30 p.m.)

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lansdale, PA. www.thechoristers.org.

Montgomery Theater April 20-May 14: Sisters of Swing: The Story of the Andrews Sisters June 1-25: The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron?

July 5-16: On The Road Again

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124 Main Street, Souderton, PA. 215-7239984; www.montgomerytheater.org.

Playcrafters of Skippack April 27-May 13: The Sisters Rosensweig June 1-17: Denial 2011 Store Road, Skippack, PA. 610-5844005; www.playcrafters.org.

www.pashakespeare.org.

Skippack, PA. www.bestofskippack.com.

The Colonial Theatre July 14-16: Blobfest 227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, PA. 610917-1228; www.thecolonialtheatre.com.

Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines April 22: Annual Ryerss Run for the Horses June 17: Family Fun Day 1710 Ridge Road, Pottstown, PA. 610469-0533; www.ryerssfarm.org.

EVEN TS Wolf Performing Arts Center May 5-7: Into the Woods Jr. June 10-11: Seussical Kids June 16-18: Pippin 1240 Montrose Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA. 610-642-0233; www.wolfperformingartscenter.org.

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival June 2-August 5: The Ice Princess June 14-July 2: Evita June 21-July 16: The Hound of the Baskervilles July 12-August 6: The Three Musketeers July 20-August 6: As You Like It July 26-August 5: Shakespeare for Kids July 26-August 6: Troilus and Cressida De Sales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA. 610-282-WILL;

Ambler Main Street Ongoing: First Fridays May-October: Ambler Farmers Market May 20: Ambler Auto Show on Butler Avenue Ambler, PA. 215-646-1000; www.amblermainstreet.org.

Events in Lansdale April-November: First Friday April 22: Lansdale International Spring Festival May-October: Lansdale Farmers’ Market Lansdale, PA. www.lansdale.org.

Skippack Village April-October: First Friday May 13-14: Spring Fest

Mount Hope Estate & Winery April 29: Volksfest May 13: Brewfest May 27-28: Flavorfest June 24-25: Celtic Fling 2775 Lebanon Road, Manheim, PA. 717-665-7021; www.parenfaire.com.

Bucks County Designer House & Gardens April 30-May 28: This annual show house features the work of local landscapers and designers. It is an annual fundraiser to benefit the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown to support Doylestown Hospital and V.I.A. community projects. Advance admission. Hillcrest Manor, 3690 Burnt House Hill Road, Doylestown, PA. www.buckscountydesignerhouse.org.

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Quakertown Alive!

May 20: Arts Alive! Juried Arts & Craft Event (Rain date May 21) July 9: Garden Affaires Garden Tour August 19: Upper Bucks Brewfest Quakertown, PA. www.quakertownalive.com.

Bucks County Wine Trail May 21-28: Spring Tour 2017 www.buckscountywinetrail.com.

Perkasie Borough May 29: Memorial Day Parade June-October: Farmers’ Market July 9: Pennridge Community Day Perkasie, PA. www.perkasieborough.org.

Annual Kutztown Folk Festival July 1-9: This event is the oldest folk life festival in America. Celebrating the Pennsylvania Dutch culture, the event features traditional craft demonstrations by juried American craftsmen, the largest quilt sale in the nation, children’s activities, homemade food, historical reenactments, antiques, and live music. Kutztown Fairgrounds, 225 North Whiteoak Street,

Kutztown, PA. 888-674-6136; www.kutztownfestival.com.

Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA. 215-581-3181; www.pleasetouchmuseum.org.

FA M I LY Adventure Aquarium Ongoing: Come with your family and explore the aquarium, complete with a KidZone, shark tun-nel, free live shows, a shark tunnel, and Shark Bridge. Admission.

1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ. 865-3653300; www.adventureaquarium.com.

Philadelphia Zoo Ongoing: Visit the nation’s first zoo, complete with over 1,000 animals, many of them endangered or rare. 3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. 215-243-5254; www.philadelphiazoo.org.

Please Touch Museum Ongoing: Visit the Children’s Museum of Philadelphia, where the key word is play.

Families can enjoy over a dozen themed exhibits, theater, art, music, special programs, the carousel, and sto-rytime and character appearances. Admission. 4231

Sesame Place Ongoing: Visit the nation’s only Sesame Street theme park. There are special events throughout the park season. 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA. 866-GO-4-ELMO; www.sesameplace.com.

The Franklin Institute Through March 31: Jurassic World: The Expedition Through April 2: Robot Revolution 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA. 215-448-1200; www2.fi.edu.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Through May 14: Frogs: A Chorus of Colors April 1-2: Animal Super Hero Weekend April 22-30: Philadelphia Science Festival Admission. 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA. 215-299-1000; www.ansp.org.

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Linvilla Orchards April 1-15: Hayrides to Bunnyland (Weekends) June 3: Strawberry Festival 137 West Knowlton Road, Media, PA. 610-876-7116; www.linvilla.com.

Elmwood Park Zoo April 1-16: Easter Bunny Brunch and Egg Hunt (weekends) 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, PA. 800-652-4143; www.elmwoodparkzoo.org.

GA RDEN S Bartram’s Garden Ongoing: Visit this National Historic Landmark and House, circa 1728. The grounds are free and open to the public. Guided tours are available of both the historic garden, as well as the Bartram family home.

Don’t miss The Bartram Nursery, complete with native plants and those discovered by the Bartram family. 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA. 215-

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729-5281; www.bartramsgarden.org.

Chanticleer Ongoing: A 35-acre pleasure garden open to the public. The garden is a study of textures and forms, where foliage trumps flowers, the gardeners lead the design, and even the drinking fountains are sculptural.

Educational programs are offered year round. 786 Church Road, Wayne, PA. 610-687-4163; www.chanticleergarden.org.

Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens Ongoing: Jenkins Arboretum features a collection of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns in a natural landscape. The landscape and plant collections provide sanctuary for native birds, insects, and wildlife.

Educational programs are offered year round. 631 Berwyn Baptist Road, Devon, PA. 610-647-8870; www.jenkinsarboretum.org.

Tyler Arboretum Ongoing: One of the oldest and largest arboreta in the Northeast, this year-round destination has 650 contiguous acres and

20 miles of hiking trails. The Arboretum’s collections include rare plant specimens, ancient trees, and historic buildings. Educational programs are offered year round.

515 Painter Road, Media, PA. 610-5669134; www.tylerarboretum.org.

Winterthur Ongoing: Second Saturday Garden Walks April-October: Wednesdays at Winterthur June-August: KIDS GROW Children’s Vegetable Garden June-September: Estate Tours Admission. 5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE. 302-888-4600; www.winterthur.org.

Longwood Gardens Through March 31: Orchid Extravaganza April 1-May 26: Spring Blooms May 27-September 30: Summer of Spectacle Admission. 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA. 610-388-1000; www.longwoodgardens.org.

2017 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show March 11-19: This year’s flower show, “Holland: Flowering the World,” celebrates Dutch culture, from flower fields to eco-design. Admission. Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA.www.theflowershow.com.

The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College March 19: Scott Associates Spring Celebration April 29: Arbor Day Open House May 6: Members Plant Exchange and Sale May 12: National Public Gardens Tour Day May 13: Selections: The Spring Sale June 10: Scott Associates Garden Day Admission. 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA. 610-328-8025; www.scottarboretum.org.

SEPOS Annual Show March 24-26: This extravaganza will feature exhibits showcasing orchids in full bloom. There also will be growing supplies, giftware, books, photographs, and a plant sale. Admission. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks, PA.

484-754-EXPO; www.sepos.org.

Mt. Cuba Center April-November: The Mt.Cuba Center is situated on 600 acres. Its woodland wildflower gardens are recognized as the region’s finest. Guided docent tours are available by reservation. Special events are scheduled regularly. Admission. 3120 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin, DE. 302-2394244; www.mtcubacenter.org.

The Morris Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania April 1: Opening of Morris Arboretum in Motion April 8, 15: Cherry Blossom Festival April 29: Arbor Day Family Day Admission. 100 East Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. 215-247-5777; www.morrisarboretum.org.

H I S TO RY Daniel Boone Homestead March 12: Charter Day April 9: PA German Easter April 15: French and Indian War Part I

May 6: Children’s Day May 27: French and Indian War Part II June 10: 18th Century Medicine June 17: Evening on the Green 400 Daniel Boone Road, Birdsboro, PA. 610-582-4900; www.danielboonehomestead.org.

Graeme Park March 12: Charter Day April 12: Lunch and Learn: Health Care, 18th Century Style May 14: Mother’s Day Brunch Admission. 859 County Line Road, Horsham, PA. 215-343-0965; www.graemepark.org.

Hope Lodge March 12: Charter Day April 23; May 21; June 18 & 29: Guided Mansion Tours June 7: Ambler Symphony Concert 553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA. 215-646-1595; www.historichopelodge.org.

Pottsgrove Manor March 25: Open Hearth Cooking

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Demonstration May 6: Annual Colonial Mayfair June 3: Herbs for Use and Pleasure 100 West King Street, Pottstown, PA. 610-326-4014; www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.

Valley Forge National Historical Park April 1: Join the Continental Army April 23: Valley Forge Revolutionary 5Mile Run May 29: Memorial Day Observance June: March Out of the Continental Army July 4: Community Picnic in the Park 1400 North Outer Line Drive, King of Prussia, PA. 610-783-1099; www.valleyforge.org.

Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center April 1-2: Spring Fine Arts & Crafts Festival April 8: Easter on the Farm 22 Luckenbill Road, Kutztown, PA 610-683-1589; www.kutztown.edu

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Morgan Log House April 2: Dusty Attic and Creepy Cella Open House May 28: Annual Military Might June 18: Dice, Dominoes, and Dealing 850 Weikel Road, Kulpsville, PA. 215-3682480; www.morganloghouse.org.

Pennypacker Mills April 8: Easter Workshop for Kids April 29: What’s the Buzz About June 3-4: Civil War Event 5 Haldeman Road, Schwenksville, PA. 610287-9349; www.montcopa.org/pennypackermills.

Peter Wentz Farmstead April 22: Sheep Shearing Day May 13: Native Plant Sale June 26-30: Colonial Camp 2017 2030 Shearer Road, Worcester, PA. 610-584-5104; www.peterwentzfarmsteadsociety.org.

The Highlands Mansion and Gardens April 29: Wine Tasting July 19: Movie on the Lawn at The

Highlands Admission. 7001 Sheaff Lane, Fort Washington, PA. 215-641-2687; www.highlandshistorical.org.

Mennonite Heritage Center May 7: Hymn Sing June 2-3: Whack and Roll Croquet Tournament 565 Yoder Road, Harleysville, PA. 215-256-3020; www.mhep.org.

Mid-Atlantic Air Museum May 13: Airplane Ride Day June 2-4: Annual World War II Weekend June 10: Aircraft Ride Day 11 Museum Drive, Reading, PA. 610-372-7333; www.maam.org.

Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center May 19-20: Penn Dry Goods Market Antiques Show & Sale 105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, PA. 215679-3103; www.schwenkfelder.com.

Goschenhoppen Historians June 4: The Annual Spring Folic

Red Men’s Hall, 116 Gravel Pike, Green Lane, PA. 215-234-8953; www.goschenhoppen.org.

N AT U R E The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education Ongoing: Come to one of the country’s first urban environmental education centers.

Visitors can study, discover, and explore nature through their various programs.

8480 Hagy’s Mill Road, Philadelphia, PA. 215-482-7300; www.schuylkillcenter.org.

May 1: May Day May 28: Creek Critters June 18: Daring Dad Scavenger Hunt 2500 Upper Farm Road, East Norriton, PA. 610-270-0215; www.montcopa.org.

Green Lane Park April 1: Waggy Tail Walk April 8: Color Your Easter Eggs Naturally April 22: Earth Day Work Day in the Park May 6: WMGK DeBella Dog Walk May 13: Earlybird Walk May 27: Red Hill Band June 17: Family Fishing Program 2144 Snyder Road, Green Lane, PA. 215234-4528; www.montcopa.org.

Lorimer Park March-June: Audubon Bird Town Bird Walks April 22: Kids Fishing Clinic and Derby May 14: Mother’s Day Hike June 4: Creek Critters 183 Moredon Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA. 215-947-3477; www.montcopa.org.

Upper Schuylkill Valley Park March 25: Spring Scavenger Hunt April 22: A Howling Good Birthday Bash June 24: Reptile and Amphibian Jubilee 1615 Black Rock Road, Royersford, PA. 610-948-5170; www.montcopa.org.

Norristown Farm Park March 15: Waterfowl Watch March 19: Signs of Spring April 9: Eco Egg Hunt April 20: Earth Day Everyday

Riverbend Environmental Education Center March 27-31; April 10-14: Year Round Exploration Camp April 8: Star Party with the Philadelphia

Science Festival 1950 Spring Mill Road, Gladwyne, PA. 610-527-5234; www.riverbendeec.org.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary April 1-May 15: Spring Migration Watch May 20-21: Spring Native Plant Sale 1700 Hawk Mountain Road, Kempton, PA. 610-756-6961; www.hawkmountain.org.

John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove April 8-23: Art Show 2017 1201 Pawlings Road, Audubon, PA. 610666-5593; www.johnjames.audubon.org.

Lock 60 at Schuylkill Canal Park April 22: Schuylkill Canal Association May 21: Wildflower Walk June 25: Annual Canal Day 400 Towpath Road, Mont Clare, PA. 610917-0021; www.montcopa.org.

Briar Bush Nature Center June-August: Summer Camps 1212 Edgehill Road, Abington, PA. 215887-6603; www.briarbush.org.

SPRING 2017

23

Art

Frank Bernard

Still painting at age 86, Frank Bernard, a retired electrical engineer, found that artistic focus could be found by studying at the Wayne Art Center - by John Cella

24 M O N T C O M A G . C O M

F

FRANK BERNARD IS LIVING PROOF OF twentieth century French artist George Braque’s quote, “With age, life and art become one.” Eightysix years young, Frank has no formal art school training. But when he was well into his seventies he found The Wayne Art Center. “My wife died ten years ago.

So to occupy myself I signed up for art classes at Wayne five days a week. It literally saved my life.”

Frank has two sons and five grandchildren. A resident of Radnor for forty-five years, he recently moved to Shannondell, a senior community. But he still paints at Wayne Art Center every day.

“This is what I always wanted to do. The teachers here are all accomplished. Every one added an element to my work. It’s a formal art school really. I painted a bit earlier in my life but not in a focused way. When I

came here I got the kind of training that took what I was doing and I turned it into an approach to art”.

Entering a room at Wayne Art Center, I see what his approach has rendered. I am surrounded by a constellation of large colorful detailed canvases. “My son recently reminded me he took an art class here 50 years ago.

Can you imagine that?” he says.

A wry, trim man, Frank’s vocation was an electrical engineer at GE Missile and Space Division. At one point he managed the Minute Man Missile project. He also wrote film reviews for the Main Line Times. A different kind of creativity but the seed was there.

We stand in front of California Girl, shown here. This 30 x 40 inch oil on canvas shows a young girl with white hair standing alone in a golden field of wheat. Her dark eyes are haunting. A young boy, perhaps her brother, is standing behind her, the wheat hiding much of his body. “This was from a photograph I took fifteen years ago when I was in the northern California wine country. I was driving in my car and I saw her staring at me. I had to stop. Then I saw that boy behind her. I never tried to paint this scene but it stayed with me and finally I reached a point where I thought I could do it.”

The dark green of the girl’s shirt and black short pants create a vivid contrast and focal point of interest with the golden seemingly endless field and thin band of bright blue sky.

“The trick with painting this field was value—the lightness or darkness of the colors. I created horizontal bands with dark and light to get the effect of the field going back far, to create depth.

The girl’s and boy’s faces and clothes are dark to create the backlit effect I wanted,” Frank adds.

Frank likes to work in oil because “if it doesn’t work I just paint over it”, he smiles. Here his colors are variations of burnt sienna which is basically an orange, along with white and orange’s complementary color, ultramarine blue.

Likewise the red of the boy’s sweater is

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crimson with complementary green to darken it.”

Unlike some artists the colors he chooses to use in a painting are the final step. He first frames out the composition. A big fan of Edward Hopper, Frank’s paintings have similarities. “I like Hopper’s narrative style and how he captures figures in an interesting way. With this girl in the field I tried to capture the loneliness of it. What was she doing there in the middle of nowhere?”

Frank likes to do portraits as well as place figures into landscapes. “The figure is the most interesting part of art for me. I try to put my figures into a narrative setting.”

This is no surprise as a nearby painting of a flamenco dancer captivates my eyes. Beautiful and lithe, she appears to dance off of the canvas demonstrating real motion. This painting started on a Wayne Art Center trip to Barcelona. However, no photo was taken on that trip but later at a Spanish class of dancers. Another photo Frank had of a Barnes Museum party inspired the background for the painting. “She wasn’t ever really there.” Frank’s process was interesting, with much time spent sketching the dancer before painting her, then using Photoshop to add her to the nightclub background scene. Her yellow dress pops with its folds and flares that show movement.

Artist John Singer Sargent’s Spanish dancer, El Jaleo, influenced here.

Again, the process is significant. “I liked El Jaleo’s smoky background. I reached back into my watercolor days and did a wash making the upper canvas lighter. I mixed colors and added linseed oil. Then I wiped across the canvas with a rag to get that smoky look. Then I painted in the foreground, the floor, to make it look solid in contrast to the smoky air above. Finally, I put in the dancer. Two black clothed figures sitting on the side of the dance floor and rose-hued cocktail tables rise out of the murkiness behind her. Without a doubt this is my favorite paint-

ing!” he says.

Next we stand in front of a lifelike portrait of a chef. “This is a model that comes to our art classes in different costumes. The trickiest part of this painting was the pot in front of him. To make it look like metal I painted it grey, adding streaks of green and orange to give it a shiny effect and show reflections from around the room. I painted this in one session or ‘alla prima’,” he laughs.

A final vivid work,The Card Players, shows five black men sitting on the side of an urban street playing a card game. “I was in Spanish Harlem in New York and I saw these guys sitting on the sidewalk and I took their picture. I added the figure in the middle of the painting. Actually he was a figure from a previous painting. But everyone else was there, even the white dog.” Frank tells me that he thinks of himself as an impressionist, catching that little glimpse of life and light, like the guys playing cards or the little girl alone in the field. “Remember, photography kicked off the impressionist movement. Impressionist painters showed glimpses of life.”

Always on the lookout for his next painting, he never knows where it will come from. The other day he saw a little run down shack that may be part of his next painting. With an interesting figure adding a story, of course. “I always tell people”, he says with his winning smile, “the great thing about art is you are always striving for something, on a never ending quest. It gives meaning to life”.

Frank’s work will be on exhibit at the Wayne Art Center through March 18th. If you miss this show contact Frank directly at Fbern42189@aol.com or call the Wayne Art Center at 610688-3553. He exhibits his work often at many local venues such as the Main Line Art Center and all of his paintings are for sale. Make a point to see his stunning work.

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John Cella is a freelance writer from Montgomery County.

SPRING 2017

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In the Garden

Square Foot Gardening The Square Foot Gardening method is a very simple way to grow organic vegetables in garden plots and suburban backyards –by Lori Rose 28

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O

ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO GROW FOOD organically is the Square Foot Gardening method.

This method is equally useful in urban garden plots, suburban backyards, and even as a raised patio-box garden for those who can’t bend down or are wheelchair bound. Let’s take a look at just how simple it is, and how much you can grow in each square foot.

First, the soil. If you are creating a new garden on the ground, build a raised bed at least six inches high, then fill it with equal portions of peat moss, coarse-grade vermiculite, and compost. All of these are available at garden centers or home improvement stores. This mixture can be expensive initially, but it is organic, has just what plants need to stay

healthy, and it will eliminate the gruesome weeding chore. You’ll probably only have to invest in this mixture once, then maybe add a bit more each growing season to keep the height at six inches. Studies have shown that most vegetables will thrive in as little as six inches of soil, but of course the deeper the better. So what about the original soil underneath? Simply spread the mixture right on top of it, first making sure there are no weeds.

If there is an abundance of weeds or grass, kill them by smothering with newspaper or plastic. Leave the newspaper or plastic in place for a few weeks, then remove it and the dead weeds. Cover the area with weed bar-

J ENNIFER HA NSEN ROL L I

Studies have shown

that most vegetables

will thrive in as little as six inches of soil, but

of course the deeper the better.

rier cloth, then fill the bed with the mixture of one-third peat moss, onethird coarse-grade vermiculate and one-third compost.

Ideally, the garden should be four feet by four feet square, with at least three feet of walking and working area all around it, or between multiple raised beds. If this is impractical, just be sure that you leave enough room to work between growing areas without stepping on the growing soil. You may want to play around with some ideas on paper before building the raised beds and filling them with the soil mixture. If you’d like to have a garden along a fence, for example, make it three feet wide as it will be difficult to reach much further without a path between the garden and the fence.

For a raised patio bed, you’ll need

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two saw horses or a similar, strong stand to get the height you’ll need, whether to garden standing up or sitting down. Next, you’ll need a piece of plywood. Four feet by four feet is ideal, but any smaller size will be just fine if you have space or weight requirements. Even a one foot by one foot by six inches’ deep container can become a square foot garden. Pencil in a grid of one foot by one foot squares on the plywood, and drill a drainage hole in the middle of each square.

Build a frame that is at least six inches deep and the same length and width as your plywood, then attach the plywood to the bottom of the frame. Place your new garden bed on top of the saw horses and position the whole thing

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where you want to garden. Consider it permanent—it will be very heavy and difficult to move once you add the soil.

A visual grid is important for plant placement. You can draw lines in the soil at one foot intervals, or lay down slim pieces of wood in a grid pattern, but these can become blurred over time by the weather and the growing plants.

The best way to create a visual grid is to tap small nails into the garden frame at one foot intervals, leaving about a half-inch of the nail sticking up. Tie string to the nails to create a grid.

Now, the fun part—choosing what to grow. You can grow your plants from seed, or use transplants, just be sure to plant at the right time for each variety. You can find that information on the seed packets or at your local nursery. Plants like radishes, lettuce and beans are great to grow from seed with children as they sprout quickly, and watching them grow is very rewarding.

For our purposes, plants come in four sizes—small, medium, large and extra large. Extra large plants like broccoli take up one square for each plant. Large plants such as leaf lettuce can be planted four to a square, or six inches apart. Medium plants fit nine to a square which is four inches apart, three across by three down. Bush beans are medium plants. Last but certainly not least are small plants such as radishes. You can fit sixteen of each small plant in one square foot, four across by four down. Now you can see just how much can be grown in a

Square Foot Garden.

Here’s a basic list of how many of each vegetable you can grow in each square foot: One per square: broccoli, cabbage, corn, eggplant, peppers, po-

Medium plants fit nine to a square

which is four inches apart, three across by three down.

Bush beans are

medium plants.

tatoes, vine tomatoes, most herbs (basil, chives, mint); Four per square: bush tomatoes, leaf lettuce, parsley, Swiss chard; Nine per square: beets,

bush beans, spinach; Sixteen per square: carrots, onions, radishes.

How about a vegetable garden that doubles as a flower garden? You can plant one large dahlia, four pansies, two petunias or three salvias per square foot. Marigolds make lovely cut flowers, and they also repel nematodes when planted near tomatoes, and the Mexican bean beetle when planted near bean plants. You can plant one giant or four dwarf marigolds per square. Other flowers that are great in the vase are sunflowers (one per square) and zinnias (one to four per square depending on the variety).

Create a new garden, or convert an old one using the Square Foot Gardening method this spring. You’ll be amazed at the quantity and quality of the food (and flowers!) that you can grow.

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*(Approximatte value of each tree-$500.000)

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The Intimacy Of Design

Opposite, a family room with neutral colors that give it a serene feel. It is designed to draw you in and to bring people together. Everyone seated can see each other and still enjoy the fireplace. The colorful art hanging above the fireplace is for effect. The chandelier is made from hand blown glass. Above, this is a living room. Color is very important in this room. There is a faux finish on the ceiling with gold accents. The window treatment is slightly formal and again it is set up for people to have conversations while enjoying the fireplace.The couch adds detail to the room and has a nice shape, yet it is very comfortable.

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Right, a comfortable family room. Referring to the blue peacock walls, Diane Bishop says, “I don’t want people to be afraid of color. It really makes the fireplace pop.” The white embroidered window treatment goes higher than the windows for effect. The wall unit on the left is designed so that TV is not only thing on the wall, making it a real family room as can be seen by the family photos on its shelves. Diane Bishop designed the table. Bottom left, a living room that is same color as the family room.The table, made in South America, is a focal point. Adding dimension to the room, Diane used hanging shelves instead of a built-in shelves to display objects and art. Opposite bottom, the rug grounds this spaceous bedroom and gives it warmth. A good design is not just for show, but also to make rooms warm and inviting for people who live and visit there. Comfort and function are very important to Diane in all her rooms.

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Above, a lower level game room. Art is from the Merritt Gallery in Haverford. The patterned carpet creates added interest to the wide open space. The pool table has a contemporary look that goes well with other elements in the room. Opposite top, this dramatic dining room combines antique furniture with contemporary furniture. The chairs at the end of the table are antiques while the side chairs are contemporary in both time and design. The crystal chandelier adds beauty. Opposite bottom, in this bedroom everything is geared toward creating a soothing environment. Bedroom sets are not used anymore by designers and every piece of furniture in the room is from a different vendor. The bench at the end of the bed is for sitting and it adds to the serene appearance. The window treatment softens shutters on outside of house.

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A classic menswear kind of office with handsome paneling. The window treatment uses horizontal stripes. The mirror over the fireplace can turn into a TV. And there is a safe secretly hidden behind panels.

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Diane Bishop

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o Diane Bishop function is as important as appearance.

She sees her role as helping people make choices that will make them feel differently about their home. She wants to express her clients’ feelings and choices in ways that please them.

Having a background as an art teacher, she began doing interior design when her child was young, which eventually led to her going into her own business in 2003. She came to her current location at Village Square four years ago. “Being a designer is a very personal experience,” she says. “I have to get to know how a family lives in its home.” Diane has been the recipient of honors and awards and has had experience designing model homes. She has also been chosen by Philadelphia Magazine to design their Designer House for the last four years. Her staff consists of Diane Bishop and interior designer Mila Lee. Diane Bishop Interiors is located at 728 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422 at the Village Square Shopping Center. Showroom hours are by appointment. To get in touch with Diane, call 215-619-2999 or her cell 267-446-6800.

Right, a little girl’s room designed so that it can work for the girl as she matures.The furniture is classic and suitable for both a young and older girl as is the window treatment. The feather chandelier adds whimsy and helps pull the room together.

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Creating Dream

LANDSCAPES Five area landscapers show off their pet landscape projects to help inspire you in your own quest for a dream landscape

By Mary Beth Schwartz

YOU ARE ALL SET TO BEGIN ON YOUR dream landscape. You saved pages from your favorite regional home and garden magazines. You took notes while watching network home and garden gurus. You attended home and garden shows to talk with area businesses. Still, you feel as if you need more information. Recently the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) announced their top landscape design trends of 2017.

grilling stations and dining sets, these full-scale kitchens can be equipped with smart home technology. For instance, built-in consoles on refrigerator doors, mobile app-controlled LED lighting, and ovens integrated with Wi-Fi. 4. Mixing up hardscape materials. You might see pebble paths bookended with stone planters or wooden decks adorned with iron gates and railings.

1. Going green with all types of greenery. Vibrant green will take center stage in landscapes this year. There will be greenery combinations of various textures and shades, such as a formal hedge of green velvet boxwood, a border of green Lilyturf, and dense Boston ivy-covered trellises.

Greenery was selected by Pantone as its Color of the Year for 2017.

5. Prioritizing the pollinators. Homeowners are developing edible gardens and pollinator gardens with native plantings to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

2. Bringing “hygge� outdoors. Homeowners have become more interested in holistic landscapes that promote well-being. The Danish concept of hygge is all about creating an atmosphere of coziness by embracing the simple pleasures of life.

Decorating with light, arranging seating for closeknit conversation, planting aromatic flowers, and adding water features to encourage mindfulness are a few ways to integrate hygge into landscapes.

7. Taking landscapes to unusual places and new heights. Green roofs and living gardens are being seen atop city skyscrapers, ballpark restaurants, even double decker buses.

6. Growing smart lawns. Modern cultivars can withstand the elements, while producing oxygen and conserving water.

To aid you in your search for a dream landscape we let five of the best area landscapers present their favorite inspirational landscapes to help you begin your own projects this year.

3. Creating tech-savvy exterior kitchens. Beyond

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photos: Rob Cardillo

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GALE NURSERIES INC.

ale Nurseries Inc. is a onestop-shop for everything landscaping. Offering fine garden maintenance, landscape lighting, and design/build services, they have clients up and down the East Coast. President Christine M. Gale and Vice President Loren Foster lead the company, which is celebrating 90 years of business in 2017.

Vice President Loren Foster tells in detail of a garden that was featured on several garden tours, including one by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. In the fall of 2001, Gale Nurseries was invited by the homeowner to visit the site of a proposed new home located in Bryn Mawr.

Landscape plans began in 2002, and working in close collaboration with the homeowner and Michael Visich Architects during the design and construction of the new house, select views and materials were chosen to connect the architecture of the house with the surrounding landscape.

Large sweeping movements in plant material provide a ribbon that connects spaces in both the front and rear yards and help define garden rooms. In the front yard steeds holly and boxwood hedges frame beds of liriope and mixed perennials 44

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as well as providing a visual barrier between the formal courtyard and the street.

Espaliered dogwoods frame the windows on the house and a bosque of little leaf lindens flank the courtyard to provide vertical structure. A beautiful beech tree carefully protected and preserved during construction anchors the front corner of the property.

In the rear yard, starting at the loggia, bluestone banding offers a visual connection from the house foundation leading up a set of stairs flanked by weeping hemlocks to the pool terrace. Framed by bluestone banding, fields of quartzite paving were used throughout the landscape to compliment the color of building stone used on the house. Freestanding and retaining masonry walls with a slate cap emulating the roof of the house provide structure to the gardens and act as a backdrop to some of the plantings. A significant grade change across the property was utilized to highlight some of the rear yards’ main features, especially a long perennial border that is a centerpiece of the property. The perennial border can be viewed from all of the main public spaces within the house, and the 75plus varieties of annual and perennial flowers draw their inspiration from the color

palette found in the furnishings inside.

Adjacent to the pool is a level lawn panel used as a croquet court, which is flanked on either side by shrub roses that provide color all summer long. A walled secret garden adjoins the master bedroom providing an intimate and private seating area. Plant material for the entire property was chosen to provide an extended flowering season starting with masses of early blooming daffodils in the front yard and tulips in the rear yard. Flowering trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals provide color spring through fall. A collection of unique pots, urns, and a well head in the courtyard provide an opportunity for seasonal annual arrangements throughout the year.

According to Foster, Gale Nurseries has continued to perform ongoing fine garden maintenance at this property for over a decade where they continue to help sculpt the gardens and plant annual flowers for seasonal color.

Gale Nurseries Inc. is located at 1716 School House Lane, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437.For more information, call 215-6994714 or visit www.galenurseries.com.

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MCMAN NURSERY & LANDSCAPING

ased in Skippack is McMan Nursery & Landscaping. In business since 1985, this full-service landscape design/build firm serves both Bucks and Montgomery counties and beyond. The company is headed by Owner and President Robert Manchester and Landscape Design Architect Jennifer Humphrey.

According to Humphrey, the company designs pools and oversees their installations. They also design and install outdoor kitchens, patios, outdoor fireplaces, walkways, and a full range of landscape plantings, creating backyard retreats for a variety of clientele. “We can help craft projects as simple as a new front walkway and foundation planting to something as complex as a multiphase landscape master plan for an entire property. We also have several large

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scale commercial clients.”

For one client near the Skippack headquarters, McMan Nursery & Landscaping created a backyard retreat. A generous deck was created around the family pool. A lush oasis was planted to serve as a backdrop, give privacy, and block noise. “We constructed an elevated main flagstone patio with a builtin outdoor kitchen on the back of the house. Off to the side of the pool is a paver patio with a fireplace faced with real stone, framed with Sweetbay Magnolias and accented with miniature peach trees. There are curved seating walls capped with flagstone on either side of the fireplace,” Humphrey says.

McMan Nursery & Landscaping also completed a project for homeowners in Souderton. Beneath mature oaks and hickories, a large flagstone patio was created in the backyard. There is a brick

outdoor fireplace. Each side of the fireplace is framed by brick seating walls capped with flagstone. The front porch also was capped in flagstone and edged with brick. “These materials were chosen to complement the house, providing unity, making it appear that the porch and patio always had been there. We completed the project by installing foundation plantings and a focal planting around the fireplace out back. Our goal is to give our clients the landscape of their dreams, to create backyard getaways that are as functional as they are beautiful.”

McMan Nursery & Landscaping is located at 958 Harleysville Pike, Route 113, Skippack, PA 19474. For more information, call 610-584-1970 or visit www.mc mannurseryandlandscaping.com.

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PARAGON LANDSCAPING CORPORATION

ounded in 1997 by Owner Keith Hallman, Paragon Landscaping Corporation is a provider of professional landscape design, installation, and maintenance, along with lawn care, snow, and ice control services. With clients in the suburban Philadelphia region, Paragon installs and maintains all forms of plantings from foundation plantings to formal gardens to seasonal containers and planters with a four season rotation.

Paragon teams with many of the area’s leading custom builders, landscape architects, and architects.“Once these gardens are installed, there is the maintenance to get them to their full po48

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tential. When you see photographed gardens, many of them are two years old,” Hallman notes.

Paragon Landscaping Corporation worked with Hess Landscape Associates on a project in Merion Station. Charles Hess designed the space and Paragon Landscaping Corporation installed the design. According to Hess Landscape Associates, this new estate home, accented with landscape design, was in close to the Barnes Arboretum. “We applied similar classical leitmotifs to those found in the contextual historic neighborhood, but selected modern varieties of plant material to render a fashionable garden. Other building materials were

traditional: hand-forged wrought iron entrance gates, custom limestone quoins, caps, and balustrade, and flagstone paving were all used to support the vernacular.” The property features large shade trees, tall walls, and interspersed smaller plantings. And the landscape also features a fire pit for gatherings, refurbished tennis courts, and a heavily planted perimeter for privacy.

Paragon Landscaping Corporation is located at 3838 Germantown Pike, Collegeville, PA 19426. For more information, call 484-902-0337 or visit www.paragon landscapingcorp.com.

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ince 1979, GL Designs has created thousands of projects for clients from Philadelphia to The Hamptons. They have a design service and install decks, masonry, perennial gardens, and landscapes. In addition, the firm offers minor home exterior renovations, a shutter color service, and maintenance. They are problem solvers in both the aesthetic and the functional. Since they have their own perennial company, they incorporate a lot of perennials into jobs with the goal being over time that you will have lower maintenance and various seasons of bloom and interest. The firm also is increasingly using native plants in their designs.

Designer Andrea Steinberg spoke of several projects designed and installed

by GL Designs. She has a background in art, design, and photography. A meticulously restored Queen Anne in Fort Washington was the first. “This home sat on what was essentially a vacant lot. In 50

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GL DESIGNS today’s landscapes weed management is becoming a big problem. Many of these lots have invasive plants. Perennials have become all the more important.

After three to five years, perennials fill in and cover the ground, choking out the seed growth from the weeds. You also have to mulch less.” The new lattice was critical in creating a foundation for the house and anchoring it to the site. Victorian style plantings and perennials gardens created a vacation oasis in this suburban neighborhood.

Another project was in Ambler. “A custom designed portico, brick landing, walkway, and colorful plantings added to the front entry of their residence. The rear patio was refurbished with a paved outdoor cooking area, water feature, and plantings, bringing functionality and panache to the backyard.”

In Lower Gwynedd, Steinberg redesigned a patio space. “A large patio with poor traffic flow was transformed

into a charming and functional outdoor entertaining space. The design included a built-in cooking area, sitting wall, copper arbor, custom flower containers, and accent lighting.”

In New Hope, a small deck was demolished for something grander. “We took down the small deck to make way for a custom outdoor living space that wraps around the back of the house, connecting doorways and offering multiple exits to the yard. This outdoor room included a main dining area, intimate private space, and dedicated cooking gallery.

The new view into the yard was simply breathtaking.” Steinberg likes to consider the entire vista and look at the surrounding landscapes.

GL Designs is located at 1122 Welsh Road, Ambler, PA 19002. For more information, call 215-628-4070, email sales@gldesigns.net or visit www.glde signs.net.

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O

AMC NURSERY & LANDSCAPING INC.

ffering a full staff of landscape designers, AMC Nursery & Landscaping Inc. has been in business since 1991. With clients in parts of Philadelphia, as well as the counties of Chester, Bucks, and Montgomery, the design/build firm owns 5.5 acres of fully stocked nursery material, including a large inventory of shade and ornamental trees, along with a variety of perennials and annuals. Mulch and topsoil delivery also are offered, along with lawn care and excavation and drainage solutions. AMC

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Nursery & Landscaping Inc. is EP Henry certified, and its employees are Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) and National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) certified for the installation of patio, walks, and retaining walls.

Company President Anthony Ciccocelli told of a recent project that involved an elaborate pergola. “This was for a homeowner in Villanova with a background in interior design. The goal was to create levels in the yard with a pergola and low maintenance plant material.�

AMC Nursery & Landscaping Inc. cre-

ated a level patio area and installed a custom pergola, which featured a unique awning to provide shade and privacy. Retaining walls and landscaping also were installed. Steps were designed to run down to the lower patio area with a play area and a walk-out basement that was a separate patio.

AMC Nursery & Landscaping Inc. is located at 70 Hatfield-Souderton Pike, Suite 200, Souderton, PA 18964. For more information, call 215-799-2273, email sales@amclandscape.net or visit www.amclandscape.net.

Mary Beth Schwartz is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to regional publications.

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Swimming in Style Today’s homeowners want a fifth room that includes the ultimate swimming space

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By Mary Beth Schwartz

hen the snow starts to melt away and the weather turns to spring, many area homeowners start to think of their home improvement projects for the upcoming year. One popular project is integrating a swimming space into an outdoor living area. According to Home Improvement Guru Bob Vila, there are many factors you need to consider for this major investment. Would you want a swim spa, a recreational pool, a lap pool, or a full-size Olympic pool? What shape would you like your pool to be?

Do you want your pool built with concrete, vinyl, or fiberglass? Where will it be situated on your property? Do you want decking around the pool?

How about a cabana? Do not forget maintenance and safety necessities such as fencing, gates, and pool alarms. When I wanted to get advice for my own dream swimming space, I consulted two industry professionals: Melissa Gillespie, Editor of Luxury Pools, and Partner Scott Guerin of Arrow Master Pools in Center Valley.

Imagine an oasis where you can just sit back and relax by the pool. Melissa Gillespie, Editor of

Luxury Pools (www.luxurypools.com), shares with us wow elements to consider when creating your master plan.

First on her list is a perimeter overflow. “This function is similar to an infinity edge pool, but with a perimeter overflow, the water overflows on all four sides. There are two main types of perimeter overflow pools and spas: deck level and raised.”

Gillespie’s second pick is the in-water seating area. “This goes beyond your typical swim-up bar with stools and such. We are seeing areas in the actual pools that have furniture and fire pits. For the past couple of years, people have used chaise lounges for Baja ledges, also known as sun shelves or tanning ledges. The ledge is a little area in the first couple of inches of water. Ledge Lounger has invented a full-size sectional couch that can go directly into water.”

Number three goes to zero edge. “This is when the hardscape or even the landscape is flush with the edge of the swimming pool.”

For number four, Gillespie picks the natural swimming pool. U.S. company BioNova creates pools that are chemical free and purified using a biological system of filtration, aquatic plants, and natural organic materials.

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Photos courtesy Carlton Pools

An uptick in outdoor entertainment makes number five. “We now have outdoor televisions that can withstand heat and direct sun. There are no effects from the glare. You can watch sports or your favorite movie while entertaining. There is even new technology that allows you to view movies or a slide show on the bottom of your pool.”

People also are adding billiard tables outside—pool by the pool. For the kiddies, huge float toys are all the rage, in shapes like golden swans and donuts. Fire and water elements come in at number six. Of course we can’t forget technology, number seven. “Everyone is connected nowadays.

You can control everything in your outdoor living space from changing the lighting to turning on the hot tub.”

What about design elements? According to Scott Guerin, most clients are looking to increase the versatility of the pool area by incorporating patios, pergolas, fire pits, and cooking islands.

Faux rock waterfalls are catching on. “The faux materials reduce the cost of entry level waterfalls for clients desiring that richness of ambient sound trickling water. These reasonably priced waterfalls come in a bunch of designs, some of which incorporate grottos—small caves attached to the pool offering semi seclusion.” He says that 56

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there is growth in features that incorporate both fire and water. “LED low-voltage lights also are becoming more popular. The technologies have advanced to a point that we can create light shows by using multiple LED lights. The new LED boards allow homeowners to make hundreds of different colors. With the right supporting technologies, you can do everything from create animated

We are seeing areas in the actual pools that have furniture and fire pits. color gradients to slow and subtle color transitions.”

Lastly, “flooded” spas are incorporated into increasing numbers of designs for Arrow Master Pools.

“These are spas that are set lower than water level of the swimming pool, making them look fully or partially submerged under water,” Guerin adds.

When you speak to your local pool professional, you also learn about the latest in pool equipment. “One of the technologies we excel in is automated floor cleaning, which uses the water

flow from your pump to lift and clean debris from the floor of the pool.” Guerin says that cleaning a pool is among the biggest challenges after purchase. The company’s Turbo Clean systems reduce the need for homeowners to vacuum the pool and do not require the purchase of any auxiliary cleaners to do the job. “This creates a clean looking environment around the pool as there are no hoses or electrical cords strewn across the deck to facilitate the swimming pool’s cleaning.” Automated chlorine generation and pH control, along with energy efficient speed pumps, also are among the latest equipment.

With your new swimming pool, you will achieve you definite health benefits. According to the CDC, swimming is a great way to get regular aerobic physical activity. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses. This also can lead to improved health for people with heart disease and diabetes. People enjoy water-based exercise more than running or bicycling. They also can exercise longer in water than on land without increased effort or join or muscle pain.

If you also had a spa installed, that is even more of a bonus for your body. According to Swim University, there are many benefits to a spa soak.

It can improve sleep. It can reduce physical and mental stress and decrease anxiety. It can reduce inflammation of sensitive joints. It can lower blood sugar levels, as well as blood pressure. It can promote healthier, younger looking skin. Last but not least, spa therapy can decrease frequency of migraines and tension headaches.

Health benefits, fun benefits, it is time to get started on your luxurious swimming pool/spa or simple place for the family to take a dip. According to Melissa Gillespie, Editor of Luxury Pools, it is important to have a master plan in place before your begin on this major investment. Bob Vila points out that pool costs vary by type of pool and region. Small pools will run between $20,000 and $30,000. Medium size pools can cost between $30,000 and $40,000. Large pools begin at $40,000 and go up. Vila adds to remember that extras like decking, lighting, and automatic cleaners will increase costs. In addition, you will have to pay for ongoing maintenance. Keep in mind that your plan can be done in phases according to your timeline and budget. When you space in complete, be sure to throw a big party to celebrate on a nice hot summer’s day.

Mary Beth Schwartz is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to regional publications.

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Happy

300th

Trappe!

The 300th anniversary of Trappe is a chance to learn more about this historic town and the major role it played in the history of Montgomery County NESTLED IN THE SCENIC PERKIOMEN VALLEY, THE historic town of Trappe is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year.

It was founded in 1717 by German immigrant Jacob Schrack Sr., who established a tavern there known as “the Trap.” A village gradually developed around the tavern which was initially known as Providence but soon referred to as the Trap or Trapp. By the mid-1800s the spelling was changed to Trappe. The town’s location about half-way between Philadelphia and Reading made it a popular stopping place for travelers. The completion of a magnificent stone-arch bridge over the Perkiomen Creek in 1799—one of the oldest bridges still in daily use today in the country—spurred further growth.

Today, visitors to Trappe enjoy strolling its mile-long Main Street, lined with dozens of Victorian houses. Four colonial-era buildings are open to the public for tours. At the west end of town is Augustus Lutheran Church, built in 1743 and a National Historic Landmark. It was erected soon after the arrival of Henry Muhlenberg from Germany. He preached there for nearly 45 years, earning him the title Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America. Its massive stone walls once sheltered part of the Continental Army, who en-

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Photos: Gavin Ashworth

BY LISA Minardi

Above, home of Henry and Mary Muhlenberg, 1776–1787, then Peter and Hannah Muhlenberg, 1787–1802. Inset, portrait of Frederick Muhlenberg (1750–1801). Courtesy of The Speaker’s House.

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camped there in September 1777 between the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. Inside is the original wineglass pulpit made of black walnut towers over the rows of boxed pews. The church is still used for worship services during the summer and on Christmas Eve—by candlelight, as there is no electricity in the building. The ancient graveyard behind the church has many old tombstones with German inscriptions, a testament to the region’s Germanic heritage.

The Dewees Tavern, located at 301 W. Main Street, is a sprawling stone building that dates back to the 1740s with several later additions—all constructed of the native red sandstone found throughout Montgomery County. It is the headquarters of the Historical Society of Trappe, Collegeville, Perkiomen Valley and contains a research library and displays of many local artifacts. One of the most unusual is a pair of ice coffins from the days before refrigeration. The tavern is open for tours on Thursday mornings and alternating Sunday afternoons; visit TrappeHistoricalSociety.org for more information. ext is the Henry Muhlenberg House, 201 W. Main Street, also run by the historical society.

The interior of the house is being completely refurnished with a new special exhibition, Revolution at Home: The Muhlenberg Family of Pennsylvania, opening on April 9. The exhibit focuses on the year 1787, when Henry and Mary Muhlenberg sold the house to their oldest son Peter and his wife, Hannah. The elderly couple continued to live there after Peter and his family moved in, offering a unique oppor-

N

Mary Muhlenberg fell into a

kettle of boiling beets and severely scalded herself. tunity to explore life within a multi-generational household in the aftermath of the American Revolution. Tours start in the kitchen, where visitors learn about a horrific incident that took place in this very room when Mary Muhlenberg fell into a kettle of boiling beets and severely scalded herself. In the adjacent dining room, the table is set for an oyster supper hosted by Peter Muhlenberg for his gentlemen friends. Across the hall is Henry’s office, where piles of books, papers, and pharmaceutical goods evoke his role as a busy pastor who dispensed both spiritual and medicinal aide to his parishioners. The first-floor bedchamber, where Henry and Mary slept, contains a large inlaid Kleiderschrank or wardrobe for storing clothing and bedlinens. After mounting a steep staircase, visitors step into the servants’ quarters—a crowded room shared by the household’s indentured German and enslaved African servants. The humble beds in this room—one is simply a mattress on the floor—contrast starkly with the elegant mahogany tester bed in Peter and Hannah’s bedchamber. The upstairs parlor is prepared for fashionable entertaining, including a tea table placed directly above 60

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Trappe and Collegeville A new book in the popular Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing features the adjacent boroughs of Trappe and Collegeville. Both towns have a rich and fascinating history.

Trappe was founded in 1717 and named after a tavern known as “the Trap.” The spelling was later changed to Trapp and, finally, Trappe. Its most famous early residents were Lutheran patriarch Henry Muhlenberg and his sons Peter, a Revolutionary War general, and Frederick, first speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Collegeville, initially known as Freeland, developed in the 1800s following the completion of the Perkiomen Bridge in 1799.

It was named after several early colleges, including Freeland Seminary, est. 1848, and the Pennsylvania Female College, est. 1851. These institutions were succeeded in 1869 by Ursinus College.Trappe and Collegeville were formally incorporated as separate boroughs in 1896.The book retails for $24.99 plus tax and is available for purchase at local bookstores or by emailing info@historictrappe.org; all proceeds benefit projects of the Trappe 300 Steering Committee.

Celebrating the 300th Anniversary Trappe and the Historic Collegeville Area

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Henry’s desk (his journals note his strong disapproval of Hannah’s tea parties). The exhibit is open for tours on alternating Sunday afternoons and by appointment; contact info@historictrappe.org for details.

Four doors to the east at 151 W. Main Street is The Speaker’s House, home of Frederick Muhlenberg, best known as the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the second son of Henry and Mary Muhlenberg. Frederick also played a formative role in Montgomery County, serving as its first president judge, recorder of deeds, and register of wills when the county was established in 1784. Although Norristown was ultimately chosen as the county seat, a courthouse was not built there until 1787, and thus Frederick’s house in Trappe served as a de facto seat of county government for several years.

Rescued from demolition in 2004, the house is now undergoing a total restoration to its appearance during the Muhlenbergs’ ownership, 1781 to 1803. A fundraiser gala benefiting this effort will be held on May 7 with live music by the Community Music School of Trappe and a silent auction featuring unique works of art made by local craftspeople; tickets are available at Speakershouse.org. Tours of the house and its authentic Pennsylvania German kitchen garden will be offered on May 20 and July 8 or by appointment; fresh garden produce, local honey, eggs, and

cheese are sold at an on-site farm stand on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm between May 20 and October 14. Other local attractions include the Trappe Tavern, popular with locals and travelers alike in search of a hearty meal, and Northern Star Farm, a 230-acre family farm located just north of Main Street. To the east in the adjacent borough of Collegeville is Ursinus College (est. 1869), home to an impressive outdoor sculpture collection and the Berman Museum of Art. A year-long series of special events is planned for 2017 in conjunction with Trappe’s 300th anniversary. Highlights include an old-fashioned Memorial Day parade starting at 10 a.m. on May 29; a garden party at The Speaker’s House from 1 to 4 p.m. on June 3; and a community dinner along Main Street on July 9. On Reformation Weekend, October 27–29, Augustus Lutheran Church will host a traveling German theater production about Henry Muhlenberg that will be performed in the 1743 colonial church. For more information about upcoming events, visit Historictrappe.org.

Lisa Minardi, a Montgomery County native, is co-chair of the Trappe 300 Steering Committee and executive director of The Speaker’s House. She is the author of numerous books and articles, including Pastors & Patriots: The Muhlenberg Family of Pennsylvania and Trappe and Collegeville.

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Celebrating the 300th Anniversary Trappe and the Historic Collegeville Area

Co gratul gra ulat lation ioions to the h boro ro gh g f Tr Trapp app pppee onn itts 300t 30 00thh Gorskii Engineering is the proud builder/developer o Stoneschool of 30 luxury conddominiums in the historic former Collegeville-T Trrappe High School in the hear t of Trappe Borrough www Tr w..stoneschool.net

Preserving th he Paast By Building foor th he Future! ÂŽ

G GORSKI CONSTRU UCTIONEERING™

www.gorskiiengineering.com Gorski Engineerin ng, Inc. 1 Iron Bridge Drrive Collegeville, Pa 194 426 610-489-9131

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Celebrating the 300th Anniversary Trappe and the Historic Collegeville Area

Luxury Carriage Home Communities in Collegeville

The Preserve at Providence

White Springs at Providence

Carriage homes priced from the mid-$400,000s

Carriage homes priced from the upper $300,000s

• Minutes from Providence Town Center, featuring fantastic shopping and restaurants.

• Walking distance to Providence Town Center, featuring fantastic shopping and restaurants.

• Located within the highly regarded Spring-Ford Area School District.

• Convenient access to Route 422 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

• Spacious carriage homes ranging from 2,433 to 2,772 square feet.

• Located only 1/2 mile to Route 422.

• Spacious carriage homes ranging from 2,278 to 2,621 square feet.

• Community clubhouse with swimming pool and fitness center.

• Lawn care and snow removal provided.

• Outdoor swimming pool and pool house.

• Lawn care and snow removal provided.

610-489-4450 334 Joshua Tree Drive, Collegeville, PA 19426

610-935-8655 1045 Black Rock Road, Collegeville, PA 19426

Visit TollBrothers.com/Collegeville for more information Design trends, tips & more at TollTV.com | Download the Toll Brothers App today Open Daily 11 am–6 pm. Brokers welcome. Homes available nationwide. Prices subject to change without notice. Photos are images only and should not be relied upon to confirm applicable features. This is not an offering where prohibited by law.

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Celebrating the 300th Anniversary Trappe and the Historic Collegeville Area

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Celebrating the 300th Anniversary Trappe and the Historic Collegeville Area

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Style

At the Auction

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Under the guidance of CEO Sherry Russell, there are new things in store for auction fans at Alderfer Auction –by Mary Beth Schwartz

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I REMEMBER GOING TO AUCTIONS WITH my parents when I was young. The whole experience amazed me with the fast talking auctioneers, people raising numbers to bid on items, the hustle and bustle of inventory. However, auctions have changed beyond the American stereotype. Today’s auction houses are keeping up with technology and the times.

Just ask Alderfer Auction CEO Sherry Russell.

Hatfield-based Alderfer Auction was in business for 58 years before its change in ownership this past January. “It is truly an honor to carry on the Alderfer legacy, focused on exceptional service, truly unique auction customization, and a positive, compassionate experience for each customer. We want to reenergize.

We are looking at trends in the industry and really pushing forward,” Russell says. One of the company’s

new approaches is for people to start sharing their estates now. Instead of putting high value items in an estate, they can be sold and the money shared with family members. Another new concept for 2017 is downsizing. “From start to finish we can help you develop a plan and move through your unique transition, including the coordination of appraisal services, packing, storage, and unpacking.” Also new this year is the startup of shipping and delivery services. In addition, there will be a big focus on online avenues. “We want the auction experience to be interactive as well as global. We will be supporting our live auctions with online elements.”

Alderfer Auction has certified appraisers on staff.

Some of their specialists in particular demand right now appraise jewelry, fine art, historical documents & manuscripts, artifacts, modern art, and ephemera.

“There are times when you need to have your personal property or collections appraised, including

Opposite and above, at the Alderfer Auction you will always find a large variety of antiques and memorabilia. Above, Alderfer Auction’s friendly and hardworking staff. Bottom, Sherry Russell, the new CEO of Alderfer Auction.

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before a potential sale, for insurance purposes, settlement of an estate, or even to donate an item to a museum,” Russell comments. On the second Tuesday of the month, Alderfer Auction hosts open evaluations. You simply call ahead and make an appointment. This way, there can be a specialist on hand to appraise either three items or a collection. (Keep in mind you also must register before live auctions as well as online auctions.)

Alderfer Auction has an active auction schedule. According to Russell, there is a live auction once a month. On March 30 will be the Fine & Decorative Arts Auction. The estate auctions are the second and fourth Thursday of the month. There will be one on March 23. Firearms, books,

April 30 – May 28

TICKETS – $30

Hill Crest Manor 3690 Burnt House Hill Road Doylestown, PA 1890 02

$25 – Advance Sale es (thru April 29) Seniors (Ag ge 62+) Military/Veterans/Go old Star with ID

Honorary Chairs

Sponsors

Joa n B. a nd Dona ld E . Pa rlee, M D Cowhey Family ShopRite S of Warminster & Pharmacy at Doylestown D Hospital

BucksCountyDesignerHouse.org o 215.3 345.2191 |

On the second

Tuesday of the month, Alderfer Auction hosts open evaluations. and coins often are auctioned on a Tuesday. Alderfer Auction will be having their first Saturday firearms auction this year on April 22. There will be a coin and currency auction on March 28. On April 13 will be a doll auction. This coming June, Alderfer Auction will be having a car parts and automobile auction with Pypes of Hatfield. Visitors can expect to see parts & accessories, cars to be rebuilt, collector’s cars, and more.

Alderfer Auction’s 8,500 square foot state-of-the-art facility is located at 501 Fairgrounds Road in Hatfield.

There is an eatery on site, the Bidder’s Choice Cafe. Bidders can purchase freshly baked goods, breakfast, or lunch. You can see the Montgomery County company’s latest news on Facebook. Check out www.alderfer auction.com for the latest auction schedule, upcoming events, or to subscribe to their newsletter. You can call the auction house at 215-393-3000.

Mary Beth Schwartz is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to regional publications.

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It’s a jungle ou t the re.

Your o garden doesn’t have to be.

Watch it at The h Intell.com/InTheGar a den

Prressented by

Home

Art & Technology

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Vixen Hill Manufacturing Company combines art and technology to produce classic design and cabinetmaker joinery with computer aided engineering –by Mary Beth Schwartz 70

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CONSUMERS IN THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET are seeking upscale design elements for their exterior spaces. Increasingly, these homeowners want to extend their indoor design outdoors. A variety of structures often find their way into these outdoor rooms.

According to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), pergolas, arbors, and porches can be found on a large portion of landscapes, followed by pavilions, garden houses, and gazebos. Chester County’s Vixen Hill Manufacturing Company has reinvented these traditional products to be more durable, user friendly, and stylish.

“Inspired by the beauty and history of the native Pennsylvania countryside, our team of engineers and craftsmen has produced a line of structures con-

structed with Western Red Cedar sustainably harvested from the managed woodlands of British Columbia. Thirty-seven years of careful refinement have blended art and technology into products un- Oppposite and top right, Vixen Hill gazebos. Traditional gazebos have roofs and open sides for protection from the sun and rain, but not from the wind, cold and surpassed in quality and detail. Our products combine classic design and cabinetmaker joinery with insects. Top left, Vixen Hill shutters adorn the outside of this farmhouse. Bottom computer aided engineering, enabling our products right, a screened in Vixen Hill porch. to exceed the requirements of national building codes,� says Owner Chris Peeples.

Vixen Hill Manufacturing Company has clients across the country. In most cases, customers in the Northeast are eligible for installation and delivery.

General production time, according to Peeples, is four to eight weeks, depending on the product and the time of the year. “Customers should get a rough idea of what they like and a deposit so that we can build and inventory the product. This is important

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Staying Fit at Any Age

By Vicky Waite

Climb into Fitness

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here I was, going off to pick up some art work for my customer’s ad that was running in our next issue. It was a good hour drive and by the time I got there, for sure I had to use the rest room. I asked for the rest room and was told to go in the back of the store. Right outside the rest room was a fitness machine. It’s funny, I always seem to find things when I least expect to. This time was no different. Right there outside the bathroom was a Maxi Climber.

While I remember seeing the Maxi Climber before I decided to instead test the Versa Climber in 2014. Although I just couldn’t walk by this Maxi Climber without getting on it. I wanted to see what the difference might be between the two. And although I love the Versa Climber, it sells for close to $3000. Could a Maxi Climber which sells for only $200 compare to it? I had to find out.

I had another appointment to run to so my client said it would be no problem to come back anytime to try it out. “ I should try it too but I bought it and it’s been sitting there for two years, she boosted.” I didn’t want to tell her, but I agree, she really should. I laughed to myself. So I left and decided to go back on the weekend. Bill was ecstatic, knowing there was no fuss to put it together this time around. The weekend came and I was very eager to try it out. And, yes what an excellent work out! I even got my client to start using it.

The Maxi Climber is a combination of weight lifting and cardio which works by using your own body weight. It certainly didn’t take long to break out into a sweat. By now I was looking more like a drowned rat.

The Maxi Climber is a vertical climber that is similar to the movement of rock climbing which will burn calories while strengthening and toning the muscles. Great for all the major muscle groups to burn calories and build muscle. The durable cool steel construc-

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tion allows for the back and forth smooth movements. Your body weight provides the resistance from slow to a faster pace.

I definitely like the Isometric handgrips which makes this workout so nicely comfortable. All the major muscle groups are being used, giving me a complete workout using any additional weights. The Maxi Climber does operate quietly. It comes with a built-in timer so you can keep track of your workout minutes. It can adjust for body type and height. And, get this, it doesn’t put stress on your joints. What a great cardio workout!

I like to mix up the workout by going from short strides to long strides. The stepping action is self-regulated and you vary the height by how you raise and lower your feet.

The maximum stepping distance is about 24 inches. It’s a great alternative to doing squats.

There are no tension changes to make. You are pulling against your own weight. Since you are in charge of your pace and there is no resistance, the Maxi Climber makes it a good fit for the very young to the very old. It can be an added piece of equipment added to your circuit of equipment of just to use by itself.

A 62-year-old on line with fibromyalgia swears by the Maxi Climber. Most exercising hurts his body, whereas the Maxi Climber doesn’t and this makes it easy for him to use.

Another senior I read about had broken his leg in several places below the knee. After healing, he needed something to strengthen his muscles. The Maxi Climber did the trick for him. The compact folding design makes for easy storage. The Maxi Climber can only support 240 pounds.

The Maxi Climber comes with diet and exercise plan book and calendar. It also includes the use of a well-detailed Interval Training DVD. For building strength and getting in shape, I’d say it’s a must have! And, for the price very reasonable compared to the Versa Climber. For more information visit; www.maxiclimber.com. And, with any exercise program, always consult your physician before you begin.

with the major holidays of spring and summer when people do a lot of entertaining.”

So what products can you expect to see at Vixen Hill Manufacturing Company? Most of the items they manufacture are on display at the company’s showroom. You’ll discover gazebos (open structures), garden houses (three-season structures), shutters, porch systems, pergolas, and screen doors to name a few. The company also offers cupolas, cabanas, arbors, weathervanes, window boxes, outdoor furniture, pavilions (larger than gazebos), and snow eagles, which prevent snow buildup on roofs.

Homeowners or their contractors can

You’ll discover gazebos

(open structures), garden houses (threeseason structures), shutters, porch systems, pergolas, and screen doors to name a few. come directly to the showroom Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday visits are available by appointment only.

According to Peeples, two popular features for the spring season as shutters complete with hardware, along with three-season porch systems.

“These systems maintain the traditional porch feeling and do not make clients settle for an open porch, sunroom, or sun deck. Our modular porch design, coupled with diverse design options, allows customers to match any historic building.”

Vixen Hill Manufacturing Company has some new things in store for 2017. One is the expansion of their porch system. Now you can purchase not only the enclosure portion (panels, posts, screens, etc.), but the roof sys-

Dining Out

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COLONIAL QUY-BAU

ur latest feast at Colonial Quy-Bau began with a shared bounty of the sea: Seafood Medley, an aromatic bowl of shrimp, salmon, scallops, and green New Zealand mussels in a Thai garlic basil sauce (a meal in itself), accompanied with two popular appetizers — Quy-Bau Golden Bags stuffed with crab meat and shrimp, with a sweet chilies sauce on the side, and tender Crispy Calamari, with honey mustard sauce on the side.

As with previous visits, we put our trust in the chef-owner’s recommendations. Next he sent us the evening’s soup special, a buttery, flavorful Shrimp and Mushroom Soup, followed by the very French appetizer, crispy Escargot Puff Pastry, with duxelle mushrooms inside, coated with a chive beurre blanc.

Cory Nguyen, the Vietnamese chef-owner of Colonial QuyBau, an exquisite dining haven in Willow Grove’s Moreland Plaza, told us, “I ducked a lot of pots and pans in my day; but I learned. I survived. Yes, I truly admired my mentors—JeanMarie Lacroix, a great and gentle French chef, and Georges 74

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Photos: Paul Wesley

–by Frank Quattrone

Perrier. They were excellent teachers with exceptionally high standards, and what I learned from them was ‘be your own chef; create your own food.’”

And so he has. “I would like to make Willow Grove a dining destination,” the personable chef likes to say. “And since business, mostly word of mouth, is consistently so good, I think that will happen.”

Consider his argument. Guests (like us) on the evening of our most recent visit could order what the chef calls his “yearlong special”: Foie Gras with Day Boat Divers Scallops served over shiitake mushrooms with a Marsala reduction spiced by aromatic rosemary and thyme. Simply exquisite!

After a short break, and some lively conversation with some other guests who frequent the restaurant as often as they can, the chef regaled us with two splendid entrées. Eve had the free-range and grass-fed Australian Rack of Lamb (among the best we have ever tasted), served with tender bok choy in an applejack brandy reduction. I enjoyed the Pan Sautéed Atlantic Salmon enhanced by a red wine sauce and tomato concassé in a Stolichnaya mustard

reduction, served with jasmine fried rice topped with jumbo lump crab meat. The chef prefers wild Atlantic salmon. He says, “It has a pleasing hint of the ocean missing from farm-raised salmon. It costs a little more, but the added flavor makes it worth our while.”

Our dessert was a sublime house-made Crème Brûlée, so irresistible that, even full from the outstanding feast we had just enjoyed, we finished it all, accompanied by a fragrant cup of

Vietnamese coffee with just a hint of condensed milk to top it off.

Colonial Quy-Bau prepares all dishes to order and trains its staff well to respect patrons’ foods allergies and any and all dietary restrictions and preferences. The menu is largely gluten-free, including the use of gluten-free tamari soy sauce.

Chef Cory says that his discerning guests, who dine out frequently, realize that Colonial Quy-Bau is not just another fusion continued on next page

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ESTIA GREEK TAVERNA

adnor’s Estia Greek Taverna, open since August 2014, easily lives up to its name. Estia is the Greek word for hearth, and the latest outpost of Bucks County brothers Gus and Pete Pashalis is nothing if not warm and inviting. Replicating as much as they can the welcoming ambiance of the typical Greek home, they have outfitted their restaurant with rustic tables, wood plank floors, and lattice-work walls adorned with attractive earthenware pottery, glassware, and lanterns, while some walls are spiced with scenes of Greek isles and ancient historic sites.

Even the bar area, with its extensive three-sided wraparound counter, hightops, and long tables to accommodate larger parties, is inviting. According to General Manager Gina Geyner, a native of nearby Lower Merion, the restaurant has deliberately adopted “a warm family style, to encourage sharing, to keep the conversation and the camaraderie going.” She describes the atmosphere as “casual,” even though the menu, like its flagship sister across from Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, is decidedly upscale.

For the record, Estia, at 1405-07 Locust Street, has long been one of our favorite restaurants. Eve and I enjoy its warmth and wonderful Mediterranean seafood, salads, and Greek cuisine several times a year, so we were eager to experience its Main Line location. Happily, we were more than pleased and we plan to return with discerning friends who will also appreciate the ambiance as well as the menu.

Designed by Executive Chef Oscar Chavez, who has worked at all three Estia restaurants–including the second Estia outlet in Marlton, New Jersey–for twelve years, the menu replicates the authentic, healthy food of the eastern Mediterranean. Fresh whole fish, displayed in tanks and on chopped ice at all the Estia restaurants, is filleted on site and charcoal-grilled to order. Imported from Greece, Spain, Africa, and Holland, Estia’s seafood is prepared simply, and is served with oregano, capers, and ladolemono, a classic Greek olive oil and lemon vinaigrette. As Gina Geyner says, “It’s so fresh, it really doesn’t need much more.”

We started our meal with a refreshing Greek Salad, laden with vine-ripened tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, red SPRING 2017

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Colonial Quy-Bau

restaurant. He describes his menu as French-Asian, which can be gleaned from the word “Colonial,” a reflection on the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine. And “quy-bau” in Vietnamese means precious or prestigious, which includes a reference to his given name (Bau) and his fortuitous birth, the last of ten siblings, born to a dear mother who was 51 years old at the time!

He has also been blessed by the continued services of his lovely wife Alana, who tends to many of the menu’s Vietnamese dishes, and by his French Haitian executive chef, Fred Cherenfant, the former owner of the highly rated Siri’s Restaurant in South Jersey.

Speaking of Vietnamese dishes, Colonial Quy-Bau also offers a range of Vietnamese home cooking, popular with lunch patrons and families but also available at dinner. Eminently affordable, most of these satisfying dishes cost ten dollars or less. The Pho menu includes noodle soups (a staple of the Vietnamese diet), garnished with onion, scallions, and cilantro, served with a side of bean sprouts, basil, lime, and jalapeño peppers, to which you can add various meats, seafood, or mixed vegetables.

There are also several Bun dishes on the menu—basically rice

Estia Greek Taverna

onions, Kalamata olives, and feta in a red wine vinaigrette. On the side we had a helping of hummus-like rivighia, a chickpea puree with capers that is often served before a typical Greek meal.

Then came perhaps the highlight of the evening–Estia Taverna’s most popular appetizer-Mediterranean Octopus. Brined for two hours, washed, and then charcoal-grilled, the octopus is served over fava puree with pickled red onion, capers, and peppers. Not only was it the most tender and flavorful octopus I have ever tasted (better even than those I’ve enjoyed in Venice, Italy— my previous favorites), but my wife, who usually takes one bite and then moves on to the next course, reached into the platter for a second helping—a first for her.

Our entrées were also superbly prepared. Eve ordered one of her Estia standbys, one that never disappoints—Lamb Chops, nicely marinated in olive oil, fresh herbs and lemon, served with Greek fried potatoes and tzatziki. A seafood lover, I opted (fortunately—it was excellent) for the Lavraki, sometimes called bronzino, a European sea bass with lean white meat with moist tender flakes, served with horta, a Greek vegetable blending sautéed spinach and Swiss chard with lemon and olive oil.

We complemented our meal with two fine Greek wines recommended by our congenial and knowledgeable server, Paige Blauer—Moschofilero, a Peloponnesian white similar to Sauvignon blanc; and Assyrtika, an aromatic white from Santorini. For dessert, we enjoyed Baklava, a traditional Greek honey walnut cake, with a plate of refreshing fresh fruit, with wonderful Greek coffee.

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vermicelli served with cucumber, mint, crushed peanuts, and house fish sauce, available with vegetable spring rolls; and Com items, basically jasmine fried rice topped with grilled beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp.

Cory Nguyen has been cooking since he was 15 years old and has enjoyed being in the business since he was 18. He has learned from some of the world’s top chefs as well as from his own discerning clientele, with whom he speaks freely and listens to with great respect, tweaking his menu according to their tastes and preferences. As a result, he delivers a unique fusion dining experience unlike any other in the region.

Colonial Quy-Bau is located in Moreland Plaza, 101 East Moreland Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090; 215-346-2328; www.tastecolo nialqb.com. Open Monday to Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Available for banquets, private parties, takeout. Reservations recommended weekends.

We will have to wait for our next visit to try some of the other treats on Estia’s menu. Guests were enjoying appetizers like Cheese Saganaki, a popular traditional pan-fried Kefalograviera cheese splashed with lemon; Beets, marinated red and golden beets served with horta and skordalia, a potato and garlic spread; and Dolmades, or grape leaves stuffed with Valencia rice, pine nuts, currants, fennel and dill, served with tzatziki. Or entrées such as Moussaka, a traditional Greek casserole layered with seasoned ground beef, sliced eggplant, and potatoes, topped with Kefalograviera béchamel; Chilean Sea Bass Plaki, slow-baked in tomato sauce with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, potatoes, capers, and thyme; or Jumbo African Prawns, butterflied and grilled, served with arugula, tomato and feta salad.

Estia Greek Taverna, the only restaurant of its kind on the Main Line, also offers an extensive gluten-free menu, daily specials (like Lamb Stefedo, a Greek lamb stew infused with cippolini onions, on Sunday), a lively Happy Hour with half-price appetizers and drink specials, and an outstanding Raw Bar menu (including Lavraki Ceviche). Don’t wait too long to visit. It’s like your cozy hearth away from home.

Estia Greek Taverna is located at 222 North Radnor Chester Road, Radnor, PA 19087; 484-581-7124; estiarestaurant.com/radnor-pa.

Open Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Happy Hour: Monday to Friday, 4 – 6 p.m. Reservations recommended. Available for catering and private parties.

D I NI NG O U T G U I D E Celebrate Yoour Special Occcasions Here! Bridal Parties, Easter, Moother’s Day, Parties for Dads & Grads, Birthhdays, Anniversaries, Bar & Bat Mitzvvahs!

Mainlandd 3 Bells Craig LaBan

Philadelphia Inquirer Food Critic

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17 Mainland R oad j Harleysville, PA 19438 j 484.704.2600 j www .mainllanndinn.com

Bay Pony Inn, 508 Old Skippack Rd., Lederach, PA; 215-256-6565; www.bayponyinnpa.com.

The Bay Pony Inn is where informal elegance and warm hospitality come quite naturally. A blend of American and international culinary traditions, gracious service and warm hospitality await you.We invite you to visit us and allow us to share with you a bit of this old world charm and elegance.Lunch,Tues.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; Sunday Brunch, 11:30 a.m.– 2:30 p.m.; Dinner,Tues.–Thurs., 4:30–9 p.m., Fri.-Sat, 4:30-10:30 p.m., Sun. 4:30-8 p.m. Closed Monday. Banquet and wedding facilities.

Blue Bell Inn, 601 W. Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, PA; 215-646-2010 www.bluebellinn.com.

The Blue Bell Inn began welcoming guest in 1743 and a regular patron was George Washington. Now recently remodeled, yet retaining its historic integrity, the Inn is known for fine Contemporary American food, which includes premium cuts of meat, a raw bar and seafood and outdoor dining on the flagstone patio is available by request. Hours: Monday–Thursday 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday brunch 10 a.m.–2 p.m., and dinner 5 p.m.–7 p.m.

Capone’s, 224 W. Germantown Pike, Norristown, PA; 610-279-4748 www.capones-pa.com.

For over forty years Matt Capone and his family have provided the East Norriton area with great food at a great price.The restaurant is familyoriented with a touch of sports bar, primed with some of the best beer you can find in the region.Our extensive menu includes traditional pub fare, delicious entrees, and even a kids menu. For the beer connoisseur in all of us – take a moment and visit our Bottle Shop in the back of the restaurant to browse our incredible selection of beers from local micro breweries, domestic craft breweries, and international micro breweries.

Gourmet Seafood & Grill, Skippack Village, 4101 Skippack Pike, Schwenksville, PA; 484-681-0838; 484-991-8130; www.gourmet

seafoodgrill.com.

Gourmet Seafood & Grill is a family owned Mediterranean cuisine destination with freshest seafood for all cuisine and delicious pastries. Culinary master Chef Jimmy uses his talents, knowledge and love for food to transform the space into a relaxed destination where you can experience the best of various cuisine flavors, spices and cooking techniques.With over 50 combined years of food and restaurant experience, the owners of Gourmet Seafood & Grill, are bringing a culinary adventure worthy of Skippack’s foodie’ community. Serving brunch and dinner, along with catering services, the Gourmet Seafood & Grill offers a varied menu rich in traditional Mediterranean favorites. From Bronzini to New York Strip, crab cakes, stuffed grape leaves and more, the menu is sure to have just the thing to entice your taste buds. For the less adventurous crowd, Gourmet Seafood & Grill also has burgers, pasta, salads and a kids menu!

Dinner daily 5 p.m.–11 p.m. Lunch Tues.–Sun. 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Gypsy Blu, 34 East Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA; 215-283-6080; . www.GypsyBluRestaurant.com. Upbeat & Lively Atmosphere with an Eclectic Menu that ranges from Small Plates to Delectable Entrees. Beautiful Patio. On-Site & Off-Site Catering. Full Bar. Serving lunch and dinner 7 Days a Week. Serving brunch every weekend. Hours: Monday & Tuesday Kitchen 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Bar until 12a.m.Wednesday & Thursday: Kitchen 11:30 am-10 p.m. Bar until 2 a.m. Friday: Kitchen 11:30–11 p.m.

Bar until 2 a.m. Saturday: Kitchen 10 a.m.–11 p.m. Bar until 2 a.m. Sunday: Kitchen 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Bar until 12 a.m. Live music every Friday & Saturday. Reservations accepted.

La Pergola, 726 West Ave, Jenkintown, PA; 215-884-7204 www.viewmenu.com.

La Pergola’s international cuisine takes you to culinary fare around the Mediterranean.Testing the unique authentic dishes and appetizers, would make you feel as if you are sitting at a sidewalk cafe or restaurant in Tel Aviv or Athens.Enjoy contemporary cosmopolitan cuisine based on pure

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D I NI NG O U T G U I D E pleasure. La Pergola Restaurant offers healthy and delightful dishes from every corner of the Mediterranean.We offer casual fine dining at reasonable prices. Hours: Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.–9 p.m.

Ristorante San Marco, 504 Bethlehem Pike, Ambler, PA; 215-6545000; www.sanmarcopa.com.

Dining in a 19th century schoolhouse on a small hill. San Marco’s regular menu emphasizes traditional dishes from Southern Italy and Sicily.There is a beautifully appointed piano bar featuring nightly live music. Private parties for special occasions. Open Mon.-Fri., 11:30a.m.–3 p.m., 5p.m.– 10p.m., Sat. 5p.m.–10p.m., closed on Sundays.

Joseph Ambler Inn, 1005 Horsham Rd, North Wales, PA 19454;215-362-7500; www.josephamblerinn.com.

Exquisite cuisine, attention to detail, and an award-winning wine list combine to make Joseph Ambler Inn one of the most popular places to dine in Eastern Pennsylvania. The restaurant’s random-width hardwood floors, handcrafted cherry tables,Windsor chairs and original, exposed stone walls create the ambiance for savoring a fine meal.Joseph Ambler Inn has earned a well-deserved reputation for its eclectic lunch and dinner menus, which offer many creative flourishes. Featuring only the finest quality fresh meats, fish, and produce, and seasonal herbs and vegetables, every dish is a delight.

Hours. Lunch: Mon.–Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lite Fare Luncheon: Sat. & Sun. Noon to 4 p.m. Served in the JPUB-No Reservations Necessary.

Dinner: Mon–Sat 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations suggested. Accepts all major credit cards.

Mainland Inn, 17 Mainland Road, Harleysville, PA; 484-704-2600; www.mainlandinn.com.

In January 2015, farmer Sloane Six and her family reopened the doors to Mainland Inn, an elegant eco revival of the historic Montgomery County inn that acts as an extension of her farm, Quarry Hill located just a mile

and a half away.With an emphasis placed on culinary craftsmanship and nutritionally rich preparations, they have committed to sourcing only 100% organically grown and sustainably sourced ingredients on our menu. Heirloom vegetables and heritage, pasture-raised meats from itsown onsite gardens and farm, as well as other local farms allow our frequently-changing seasonal menu to offer you the freshest ingredients of the suburban Philadelphia region. Lunch:Tuesday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

Dinner:Tuesday–Saturday 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

Skippack Village Italian Market 4101 Skippack Pike Skippack 610-584-4050; http://www.skippackitalianmarket.com.

Full service dining room and outdoor patio. Gourmet hoagies and salads, Specialty desserts, and Coffee bar. Homemade meatballs and roast pork, Italian Deli items.Wooden shelves fill the front room, packed full of the authentic Italian groceries, and packaged sweets that keep hungry visitors coming back.The Italian Market is a great place to have lunch, shop for groceries, or just browse for snacks. On and off site catering is available for any size function. Open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m.– 7 p.m. Friday, Sat. to 8 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m.

Tex Mex Connection, 201 E.Walnut St., North Wales, PA; 214-6999552; www.texmexconnection.com.

Tex Mex Cuisine: Characterized by the adaptation of Mexican food by Texan cooks. Often exemplified by the extensive use of meats and spices (foreign and native) resulting in creative seafood dishes, great steaks, tender ribs, and juicy pork as well as our interpretation of standards like chile con queso, nachos and fajitas. Not Mexican, not Texan, just Tex-Mex. Dining Room: Monday–Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

Bar: 11 a.m.–2 a.m.

Villa Barolo Ristorante & Wine Bar, the corner of Route 611 and Bristol Road, 1373 Easton Road, Warrington, PA 18976; 215-491-9370; www.villa-barolo.com.

Al Alessio’ Alessio Alessi Aless Ales Ale Alessio’s Se Sea Seaf Seafo Seafoo Seafood S Gr Gri Gril Grill Grille G An Italian Touch

Fresh Italian Seafood Delicious Appetizers and Flavorful Sauces Homemade Italian Specialties

Looking to bring a little southern hospitality north of the Mason-Dixon Line? Look no further than Marsha Brown; the highest quality of fish, meat and poultry, and relaxed yet elegant surroundings.

Lunch and Dinner Served Daily

15 S. Main St., New Hope, PA • 215.862.7044 www.marshabrownrestaurant.com

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827 Easton Rd.,Warrington, PA 267.483.8500 / alessioseafoodgrille.com

D I NI NG O U T G U I D E Having almost 100 items on the menu with nearly 25 specials, everyday, Barolo serves fish and seafood, organic meats, pasta, chicken, and veal dishes and has a large raw bar. Named after an Italian wine, Villa Barolo boasts of having more than 100 wines in its wine cellar. Private parties and special events. Online menus. Hours: 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Monday– Thursday; 11:30 a.m.—11:30 p.m. Friday—Saturday, 2-10 p.m. Sunday. No reservations necessary. Major credit cards.

William Penn Inn, 1017 Dekalb Pike, Gwynedd, PA; 215-699-9272; www.williampenn.com.

Established in 1714 as a public house, the William Penn is an historical venue based in the rich tradition of hospitality.The Inn is renowned for its dedication to a tradition of continental country dining in a relaxed, cordial atmosphere along with exquisite cuisine, fine wines, personal service and flawless coordination. Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m, Saturday 11:30 a.m–2:30 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Friday 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Saturday: 4:30 p.m.–11 p.m., Sunday Sunday: 2 p.m.–8 p.m. Sunday brunch 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Zakes Café, 444 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA; 215 654 7600; www.zakescafe.jimdo.com.

Zakes Cafe is an American Fusion Restaurant featuring an innovative cuisine. It has been said of Zakes Cafe that they are a hidden Gem–an under the radar BYOB. Lunch–homemade soups, quiche, specialty salads & gourmet sandwiches. Dinner–warm and inviting, the pace is more relaxed and the menu has an eclectic American/Asian flair.The Dessert Case at the Cafe is worth the trip to Zakes on its own. Every day we feature a selection of our desserts individually sliced and in whole cake form for you to take home and enjoy.Whether you are buying one or two slices or a selection to offer your dinner guests, this is a great way to sample Zakes Cakes. Zakes is open for dinner Wed–Sun, Breakfast and Lunch Monday– Saturday and Brunch on Sunday.

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Love And Color Love like color is not the antithesis of something like hate or darkness but is a joyous presence, not absence, sent on a mission to verify Divine Providence.

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CK 3291 W W.. Ridge Pik ke, Pottstown, P PA A 61 10.495.5252 LIMERIC EAGLE 90 9 Pottstown Pike, Chester Springs, P PA A 610.458.8001 6

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