‘Nightmare on Conservation Drive’: Inside a haunting handmade Halloween display
By M att Mc C lain
and L iam S cott
The Washington Post
FOR FRANK AND KIM
Smith, Halloween starts around Labor Day.
That might sound early, but the father-daughter duo needs weeks to set up their elaborate exhibits of handmade decorations and displays in time to welcome guests in October.
Leading up to Halloween, if they’re not at their day jobs as computer engineers, it’s a safe bet that the two are in the yard of Kim’s childhood home in Springfield, Virginia, where Frank still lives, either fixing their displays or creating new ones.
Displays are spread out throughout the front and side yard, and almost all of them are inspired by movies.
One corner is home to a “Beetlejuice” exhibit that includes various characters, a white and green wedding cake made of foam that’s 10 feet high and five feet wide at the base, and a black-and-white sandworm
made of vinyl fabric.
In the carport, Kim, 35, and Frank, 64, built a small hallway with homemade mannequins of the twins from “The Shining” at the end of it. Cries of “Here’s Johnny” echo nearby.
Kim created a mannequin of Regan from “The Exorcist,” tricked out so that its head spins around, and a “Carrie” display with a water pump that creates the illusion of blood being poured on the character all night.
The yard is dotted with 26 skeletons, plus some miscellaneous skulls for good measure.
On a recent night, by the time dusk fell and guests began to arrive, the exhibits glowed with orange string lights, Jacko’-lanterns and a blue light coming from “The Shining” hallway. Green light from bins of “toxic waste” illuminated a cemetery of foam gravestones that marked the many times the Washington Nationals have lost in the playoffs.
Lots of houses have elaborate Halloween displays, but few feature as many homemade exhibits and animatronics as
the Smiths’. Kim and Frank launched the project 13 years ago. “It started out small,” Kim said. Now they work on displays all year long. Over the past decade, they estimate they’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars on the hobby. “It is definitely not a typical father-daughter activity, but it’s a lot of fun,” Frank said.
Named “The Nightmare on Conservation Drive,” the experience is open to the public in the evenings every October weekend from Friday to Sunday, plus Halloween. It’s considered a slow night if 100 people stop by, Frank said, but on busier evenings, as many as 300 or 400 people attend. Admission is free. “It’s a family tradition to come see the Halloween house,” said Lexi Orlando, who lives in the neighborhood and attends every year with her husband and daughter.
Kim and Frank have never set out to frighten people. No one jumps out of the shadows; gore is kept to a minimum. “It’s not supposed to be scary. It’s supposed to be immersive,” Kim said. Jason from “Friday the 13th” holds a knife, but Frank and Kim decided not to use animatronics to make him move, because they worried it might alarm children. Some kids, though, say they’re scared of the life-size “It” clown in the carport.
As the night grew darker at the Smiths’ house, the quiet of autumn was punctuated by the laughter of children, a talk-
ative magic mirror that Frank built, Halloween music and an antique radio playing “The War of Worlds.”
Frank and Kim get help from their friend Joanna Sobieski, plus Kim’s collection of 8-yearold interns who live in the area. “Being a woman in STEM is not always super easy,” said Kim, who teaches the young girls about animatronics and other things that go into creating the exhibits. During a brief bout of rain, intern Meg Fernandez handed her pizza slice to her mom so she could help Kim put plastic tarps over some of the displays.
The displays are marked by Frank and Kim’s intense commitment to accuracy. For “The Shining” hallway, they made their own paint stencils so that the floral wallpaper is identical to the one in the movie. A la “Rosemary’s Baby,” a skeleton mother — decked out in a vintage dress and wig — pushes a skeleton baby in an antique pram.
Frank and Kim are also motivated by a commitment
to making as much as possible by hand. “We’re obsessive. It’s fun, and it’s challenging,” Frank said with a shrug. “God forbid we would buy anything.” Just a few days earlier, they debuted a guillotine. “We used to have a rule that we weren’t able to do anything new after July, and we’ve violated that rule so badly now,” Frank said. Years ago, he built a Ouija board that uses a code he wrote and hidden magnets to move the planchette around. Frank tells children, “It’s the spirits.”
The pièce de résistance is an octagonal well constructed of foam and PVC pipes, and completed with water-resistant garage-floor paint. When guests enter, they feel as if they’re stuck at the bottom of a well, and at the top is a skeleton depicting Buffalo Bill from “The Silence of the Lambs.”
A few years ago, the Google Street View car drove by when Frank and Kim were building the well in the driveway. “So it’s immortalized forever,” Frank said.
At left, Frank Smith adjusts a projector that shows a talking skeleton, which explains the rules of visiting “The Nightmare on Conservation Drive.” At right, a visitor walks through one of the displays. Cover photo: Smith adjusts a display that nods to “The Silence of the Lambs.”
( MATT MCCLAIN / THE WASHINGTON POST)
Kim Smith prepares a display inspired by classic horror films.
(MATT MCCLAIN / THE WASHINGTON POST)
GARDEN NOTES
STOCKBRIDGE
Gardening course teaches artistic landscape design
Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming programs. Saturdays, Nov. 1 through 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., “Rendering.” This four-week hands-on course is ideal for garden designers ready to move beyond basic drafting. Taught by Tom Smith of Springfield Technical Community College, the class focuses on developing lifelike visual representations that help communicate design concepts clearly and persuasively. With the class structured as a studio workshop, students will explore the artistic side of landscape design using B-range pencils and techniques like illustrative rendering, including sections, elevations, and plan obliques. Whether you’re a budding designer or a creative gardener, this class will sharpen your visual communication skills. Completion of Drafting for Garden Design or equivalent coursework is a prerequisite. Cost $215 members, $240 nonmembers. For details, visit www.berkshire botanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 W. Stockbridge Road.
WILBRAHAM
Wilbraham Garden Club meeting
The Wilbraham Garden Club November meeting will meet in the St. Cecilia Parish Center at noon on Monday, Nov. 10. Members of the Flower Arrangers Group will guide participants through a hands-on activity — “Look, Ma, No Oasis!” Learn to make coffee mug arrangements with flowers and greens, without using oasis. Light refreshments will be served. All levels of gardeners are welcome to attend and there is a $5 guest fee for this meeting. Contact Anna Howell at 413-537-5788 with any questions. Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
Another display features a collection of more than 40 faux pumpkins, all handcarved by Kim to resemble
the faces of classic characters like Wendy (Shelley Duvall) in “The Shining” and FrankN-Furter from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” as well as other figures like the author Stephen King. Kim developed a code that makes the pumpkins
light up differently depending on what Halloween music is playing. “If we’re doing it right, people don’t even know how much work went into all this,” Kim said. The work is tiring, both father and daughter admit. “We drink a lot of wine in October,” Frank said as he took a sip toward the end of the evening. “We’ve earned it,” Kim replied.
The next challenge will be packing the displays into storage after Halloween. “But that’s a problem for Nov. 1,” Frank said.
AFTER LAST YEAR’S bumper crop of black walnuts, filberts, and acorns, I didn’t expect much this year, nutwise. As I looked up into the few black walnut trees bordering the farmden, my low expectations seemed justified. In desperation of securing my annual supply of black walnuts, I gave a shoutout to the local community for black walnuts. I got good feedback — of trees, trees that, as the nut season approached, proved to be barren.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a few black walnuts on the ground beneath a couple of my favorite trees right here. A few days later, the ground was littered with nuts, perhaps not as much as in previous years, but still plenty. So, it was time to get to work (details a few paragraphs ahead).
Too many people have never tasted a black walnut. That’s too bad. The nuts are distinctively delicious (if you like them). I much prefer them to English walnuts, the nut usually referred to when anyone says “walnut.” Black walnut trees grow and bear relatively quickly, casting a pleasant, dappled shade beneath their limbs. Just don’t plant one or allow one to grow where tennis ball size fruits littering the ground each fall would be objectionable.
Black walnut trees are abundant over much of central and eastern North America. The
Lee Reich | In the Garden
‘A hard nut to crack’
nuts are free for the picking and usually yield more than enough to satisfy humans and squirrels alike. Many a homeowner who’d like to get rid of the nuts strewn over their front lawn will let you come and pick them up. A homeowner once even gathered them up for me!
The major downside to the nuts themselves is getting to the nutmeat. I’m always trying to streamline my black walnut gathering and processing. To gather enough five-gallon bucketfuls of nuts, my tack this year was to try one of the many wire basket nut gatherers. I was skeptical, especially since a smaller model had proven totally ineffective for gathering filberts. (The manufacturer informed me that it only works on a smooth, mowed lawn; my filberts grow in occasionally mown grass on lumpy ground.) But as I rolled the large nut gatherer over walnuts strewn over similarly lumpy, occasionally mown ground, the nuts popped through the wires in the basket. Each time the basket filled, I spread the wires over a bucket, and shook out the nuts, filling each 5-gallon bucketful in about 10 minutes.
Next comes husking, for which there are all sorts of techniques. My friend Bill likes to stomp on the nuts where they lay to scare the husks loose or off. He then makes like a player dribbling a soccer ball, kicking them into tight
clusters, where he can bend down to pick up and plunk the nuts into a bucket. That works pretty well but is too slow for me. (Bill stocks up on a lot less nuts that I do.)
I’ve also tried driving back and forth over unhusked nuts spread over the driveway. This
works to some degree, but the tractor or car tires always miss some, which must be separated from the ones with loosened husks. Those loosened husks still need to be rubbed off by hand from the nut itself. It’s too many steps. A tap from a light sledgehammer usually allows
the husk to loosen enough to be easily twisted off.
My current preferred method — and I am very open to other suggestions — is to let the husks weather till they’re dark and soft, then dump them into a big garbage pail with plenty
A wire nut harvester makes quick work of gathering up black walnuts. (LEE REICH PHOTO)
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Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting
Skull-shaped steins were more moralistic than morbid
WHAT COULD BE CREEPIER THAN drinking out of a skull? Porcelain manufacturers in Germany have been making skull-shaped steins for hundreds of years. The one pictured here, which sold for $343 at Fox Auctions, was created by Ernst Bohne Sohne. This company started as a decorating studio in 1848 and was taken over by Gebruder Heubach, famous for its porcelain dolls, about 1919. (Although skull steins were among their most popular designs, no, “Bohne” is not German for “bone.”)
As popular as skull steins were, they were traditionally meant for a different occasion than Halloween and carried a meaning that was more moralistic than morbid. Notice that the skull rests on a book, a common design. They were graduation gifts for students, and not just medical students. They were a form of memento mori, a reminder that, because death comes for everyone, it is important to live a life of virtue — or, in this case, to take the opportunity to celebrate when you can. Like most skull-on-book signs, the book is marked “Gaudeamus Igitur,” from a popular graduation song whose line “Gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus” translates to “Let us rejoice while we are young.” While it’s especially appropriate for graduation ceremonies, the idea of “rejoicing while we’re young” isn’t out of place on Halloween. It sounds like a pretty good way to describe trick-or-treating.
Q. I have an unusual table I would like to know the value of. It is dark wood with an eight-sided top, a lot of carving on the skirt, and eight legs. All the legs have supports just above the feet that rise up and meet at a point in the middle. Can you tell me about it, and what it might be worth?
A. Your table sounds like a style that was popular in the 1920s to ’30s. They were simplified copies of the elaborately carved furniture from the Victorian era. The raised decorations may have been carved or molded.
Oak was the most popular wood for these pieces; it was plentiful, easy to carve or mold, and sturdy enough to survive shipping to stores or to mail-order customers. Collectors call this furniture period “golden oak” because pieces were often finished in a light golden-brown color. However, many other finishes were used, including darker tones. Many companies made or stocked plain pieces; customers could choose the embellishments and finish. The supports on the legs are called stretchers. They usually connect the lower legs of a furniture piece to each other for added support and stability. When they meet in the middle like your table, they are sometimes described as “spider stretchers,” especially on an eight-legged table! Tables like this were relatively inexpensive when they were made, and still usually sell for about $150 or less.
Q. My aunt was in the Army in the 1940s and traveled the world her whole life. She picked
Happy Halloween! It’s time to raise a toast to all things spooky. (FOX AUCTIONS ON LIVEAUCTIONEERS)
up two dolls in the 1950s or so and I have them today. They are dressed in traditional clothing from around the world and are about 12 inches tall and in good condition. Can you tell me more about them and their value? Are there collectors for these?
A. Dolls dressed in folk costumes were popular souvenirs in the mid-20th century. Many American service members, like your aunt, picked them up in Europe as souvenirs for family back home. Many companies throughout Europe made dolls like these, and the most famous ones can be recognized by their distinctive styles and materials, like Lenci (Italy) and Ravca (France), which made cloth dolls, and Gura (Germany), which used composition or plastic.
Unfortunately, many dollmakers worked in similar styles, and midcentury European dolls were not always marked, or were marked with a paper tag or label that easily gets lost over time, so it can be hard to identify a maker. Even if you can’t find a maker, though, collectors are interested in dolls like yours. Doll collecting is an enormously popular hobby. There are many resources available for collectors, including print and online identification guides; clubs like the United Federation of Doll Clubs (ufdc.org), and doll auctions like Frasher’s and Theriault’s. Without a known maker, your dolls are probably worth about $50 or less. A doll
club, auction, or dealer may help you find more specific information and a more accurate price. TIP: Be careful where you put a fresh pumpkin or gourd at Halloween or Thanksgiving. Put a plastic liner underneath it. A rotting pumpkin will permanently stain wood or marble.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Halloween, candy bucket, witch, round, orange and black, molded face, black handle, plastic, Topstone, 1960s, 7 inches, $40.
Fiesta, Black Cat, plate set, orange, center cat face, starry ground, post-86, 9 inches, four pieces, $100.
Candlesticks, silver plate, Old Sheffield, scalloped rim, raised scrolls and flowers, fluted column, lobed scalloped base, England, c. 1850, 9 1/2 inches, pair, $125.
Halloween, costume, Spider-Man, mask, suit, box, Ben Cooper, 1973, medium, $150. Halloween, pumpkin man, green body, yellow fingers, round base, molded, papier-mache, Germany, early 20th century, 2 1/2 inches, $155. Glass-contemporary, vase, opaque white, pulled iridescent feathers, multicolor, swollen shoulders, short neck, tapered base, marked, Orient & Flume, 10 inches, $290.
Furniture, chair, Renaissance Revival, throne style, card, leafy scrolls, flowers, eagles, upholstered seat and back panel, scalloped skirt, four carved ball feet, lion armrests, open arms, late 1800s, 58 inches, $640.
Papier-mache, jewelry cabinet, black, scenic top, two front doors, oval flower panels, abalone inlay, satin fitted interior, lower writing compartment, shaped base, England, 1800s, 14 x 12 inches, $770.
Blenko, jack-o’-lantern, orange glass, applied features, white eyes, nose and eyebrow, red mouth, disc top with stem, 12 x 8 inches, $840. Lamp, sconce, five-light, gilt bronze, Louis XVI style, ribbon bow finial, allover leaves, lyre back, sunburst mask, electrified, France, early 1900s, 37 x 18 inches, pair, $1,215.
Kovels answers readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures: the object and a close-up of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email us at collectorsgallery@ kovels.com.
Average long-term US mortgage rate drops to 6.19%
Rate now at lowest level in more than a year
By A lex Veiga Associated Press
The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in more than a year, extending a recent trend that’s helped give lagging U.S. home sales a boost.
The average long-term mortgage rate fell to 6.19% from 6.27% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.54%.
This is the third straight weekly decline and it brings the average rate to its lowest level since Oct. 3, 2024, when it was 6.12%.
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also eased this week. The average rate dropped to 5.44% from 5.52% last week. A year ago, it was 5.71%, Freddie Mac said.
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s
Deeds
AGAWAM
Aldo Properties LLC, to Sarah Cannamela, 41 Channell Drive, $330,000.
Allyson B. Dubiel and Brett M. Fila to Michael Joseph Halpy, 20H Mansion Woods Drive, $305,000.
Carl F. Roberts Jr., to Nicholas McMahon, 16 Laura Circle, $345,000.
Crescent Hill Realty LLC, to SVG Holdings LLC, 357 North Westfield St., $510,000.
David J. Mias and Mary H. Mias to Adam Anischik and Lindsay Anischik, 53 Memory Lane, $525,000.
David P. Jenney to Susan E. Jenney, 489 North Westfield St., $315,000.
Diane E. Rys, representative, Elaine Phyllis Smith, estate, and Elaine P. Smith, estate, to Dominic Santaniello, trustee, Lucas Giusto, trustee, and Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, 19 Church St., $150,000.
Giuseppe Tirone and Geraldina Tirone to Michael Sean Colegrove and Ingrid Colegrove, 575 North St., $673,000.
Elias Family Limited Partnership, Aziz S. Elias and Deborah Elias to Caroline Griggs, 4C Maple View Lane, $334,900.
Jason M. Douthwright and Jessica L. Douthwright to Orhan Ahmeti, 60 Edward St., $360,000.
interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained above 6% since September 2022, the year mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows. The housing market has been in a slump ever since.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years.
Sales have remained sluggish this year, but accelerated last month to their fastest pace since February as mortgage rates eased.
Mortgage rates started declining in July in the lead-up to the Federal Reserve’s decision last month to cut its main interest rate for the first time in a year amid growing concern over the U.S. job market.
At their September policy meeting, Fed officials forecast that the central bank would reduce its rate twice more
Laura Cardarapoli to Tyler LaBombard, Castle Hills Road, Unit 1D, $315,000.
Nadia Grushetskiy to Maria Webster, 19 Harding St., $325,000.
No Limit Assets LLC, to Jenna M. Lavrenchuk and Nickolas I. Lavrenchuk, 51 Bradford Drive, $440,000.
Steven Alan Hardy and Nancy B. Zorn, representative, to Mackenize Douglas, 848 North St., $200,000.
Steven Matthew Jones and Martha Ann Potvin to Aisha Khan, 60 Farmington Circle, $750,000.
AMHERST
Robert L. Stern and Lynne W. Stern to Bingyu Hu and Honggang Yin, 313 Amity St., $651,388.
Thomas Flittie and Janet Lansberry to Janet Lansberry, trustee, Thomas Flittie, trustee, and Lansberry Flittie Revocable Trust, 298-302 Belchertown Road, $100.
Karen Isabelle to Nicholas Joseph Skowronek and Hannah Jane Griswold, 57 Harlow Drive, $350,000. Carex LLC, to Dickinson Street LLC, 15 Research Drive, $2,000,000.
BELCHERTOWN
Thomas A. Johndrow and Kathryn M. Johndrow to Earnest Edward Bliss III, and Brooke A. Himmelberger, 343 State St., $570,100.
this year and once in 2026. Expectations that Fed policymakers will announce another rate cut at their meeting next week has helped bring down the 10-year Treasury below 4% of late. It was at 3.99% at midday Thursday, not far from around 3.97% the same time last week.
Still, the Fed could change course if inflation climbs further amid the Trump administration’s expanding use of tariffs and the recent trade war escalation with China.
“The upcoming cut is already priced in, while uncertainty over a potential December move, stubborn budget deficits and lingering inflation expectations continue to limit how far mortgage rates could fall,” said Jake Krimmel, senior economist at Realtor.com.
Even if the Fed opts to cut its shortterm rate further that doesn’t necessarily mean mortgage rates will keep declining.
Last fall, after the Fed cut its rate for the first time in more than four years, mortgage rates marched higher, eventually reaching just above 7% in January this year.
Gerald A. Renaud and Theresa A. Renaud to Theresa A. Renaud, trustee, and Theresa Renaud Revocable Trust, 569 North Liberty St., $100.
Robert M. Mileski and Robert Mileski to Demetrius Moore Sr., 37 Eskett Road, $20,000.
Kathleen J. Dezenzo and Frank J. Dezenzo to Doreen J. Stanuch and Roy R. Alminas, 111 Daniel Shays Highway, $485,000.
Pinto Irrevocable Trust and Kristine A. Ljungberg, trustee, to Paul D. Geoffroy, trustee, Deborah J. Geoffroy, trustee, and Geoffroy Family Revocable Trust, 41 Meadow Pond Road, $570,000.
Jason W. Fernandes to Andrea Fernandes, 1003 Federal St., $130,000.
Gary M. Leyden and Roxanne M. Leyden to M & G Land Development LLC, Rural Street, $100.
Fumi Realty Inc., to Marcus Pierre LaFountain, 4 Metacomet Circle, $365,000.
Christopher Elias and Christopher A. Elias to Christopher A. Elias, trustee, Rachel L. Barroso, trustee, and Overwatch Management Realty Trust, 2 Fox Run Drive, $100.
Christopher Elias and Christopher A. Elias to Christopher A. Elias, trustee, Rachel L. Barroso, trustee, and Ares Realty Trust, Michael Sears Road, $100.
Dexter J. Labonte, Kamryn Labonte
The late-summer pullback in rates has helped spur homeowners who bought in recent years after rates climbed above 6% to refinance their home loan to a lower rate.
Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, slipped 0.3% last week from a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. But applications for mortgage refinance loans made up nearly 56% of all applications, a slight increase from the previous week.
Many prospective homebuyers are also turning to adjustable-rate mortgages. Such loans, which typically offer lower initial interest rates than traditional 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages, accounted for 10.8% of all mortgage applications last week.
Mortgage rates will have to drop below 6% to make refinancing an attractive option to a broader swath of homeowners, however. That’s because about 80% of U.S. homes with a mortgage have a rate below 6% and 53% have a rate below 4%, according to Realtor.com.
and Kamryn Kozaczka to Chelsea Cooke and Matthew Cooke, 287 Federal St., $379,900.
BERNARDSTON
Cheryl Smith and Joseph Smith to Richard J. Donati and Robin L. B. Donati, Martindale Road, $65,000.
BLANDFORD
Bryan Young and Patrice A. Charles to Robert Arcotte and Jeanne Arcotte, 0 Gibs Road, $149,900.
BRIMFIELD
Richard Chaffee to Kenneth Stephen Longtin, 249 Little Alum Road, $320,000.
BUCKLAND
Robert D. March to Marisa Waters and Nawontah Waters, 1 Bray Road, $335,000.
Sally J. Dickinson to Elizabeth C. Bonney, 58 & 60 Franklin St., $50,000.
CHESTER
Richard A. Sutton, trustee, Jane L. Sutton, trustee, Richard A. Sutton 2025 Trust, trustee of, and Jane L. Sutton 2025 Trust, trustee of, to Clifford A. Madru Jr., and Lillian Madru, 124 Skyline Trail, $749,000.
CHICOPEE
Adam Anischik and Lindsay Anischik to Michael D. Riel, 29 Fairfield Ave., $285,000.
Andre Savoie to Steven Caraballo, 62 Charpentier Boulevard, $293,800.
Benjamin M. Coyle, trustee, and Debra J. Ericksberg Revocable Indenture of Trust of, trustee of, to Elie Muyisa, 53 Eton St., $340,000.
539 Lancaster Street Realty LLC, to Kellie A. Serrao and Nathan D. Ayala-Sanchez, 46 Guerin St., $450,000.
Christopher M. Barrett and Jessica A. Barrett to Rachel L. Dane and Joseph Merceri, 38 Ward St., $359,000.
David L. Breor and Cecilia A. Breor to Melissa J. Breor, 269 Frontenac St., $185,000.
Johanny Siri to Sandra Morales Salazar and Maria Saenz Morales, 33 Regency Court, Unit 24, $270,000.
Justin S. Simonich and Jeremy B. Simonich to Iolanda Arocho and Adriano Sanches Lima, 68 Woodcrest Court, $407,000.
Laura A. Stilwell to Dac Acquisitions LLC, 16 Collins St., Unit 16, $165,000.
Susan Anne Midura to Pablo Colon, 329 Hampden St., $435,000.
Deeds
Susan Tellier and David Moreau to Caleb Nunes Mendez, 24 Factory Place, $260,000.
Winners O LLC, to Mazal Real Estate LLC, 21 Depot St., $227,777.
COLRAIN
Deborah R. Rosienski and Mark A. Rosienski to James Ryan Gleason and Rebecca Koganer, 111 South Green River Road, $503,000.
DEERFIELD
Nolan Muzyka, Deana Whittlesey and Saunders N. Whittlesey to Kathryn S. Hanning, 44 Thayer St., $550,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Charles L. Copeland, representative, and Joanne D. Copeland, estate, to Simone Larochelle (TR) and Simone Larochelle Living Trust, trustee of, 61 Fields Drive, #61, $688,250.
George Hartman to Anthony J. Randall, 205 Elm St., $105,000.
John H. Sleboda, trustee, and Fluids Nominee Realty Trust, trustee of, to 198 Benton Drive LLC, 198200 Benton Drive, $2,375,000. Sabeena Dave to Ariana Mateus and Joey Mateus, 31 Melwood Ave., $385,000.
Susan L. Chapin to Natani Siano and Pamela Hussey, 103 Day Ave., $310,000.
Timothy J. Carlin Jr., and Timothy J. Carlin to Andrew Tedd McAlary, 383 Porter Road, $300,000.
EASTHAMPTON
Joshua Morrow to Joshua Morrow and Sarah Morrow, 15 Mt. Tom Ave., $100.
Kimberly A. McCarthy, trustee, and Kimberly A. McCarthy Living Trust to KMMC Properties LLC, 42 Williston Ave., $100.
Jeffrey J. Kolodziej and Timothy R. Kolodziej to Jonathan Thomas Freniere, 40 Division St., $260,000.
Jessica L. Strom and Jessica L. Calabrese to Maren Emily Buck, 25 Meadowbrook Drive, $505,000.
Anthony O’Brien and Meghan Whitfield to Elizabeth G. Provo, 9 Sandra Road, $475,000.
Ruth A. Avondo to Frank A. DeMarinis, Mountain Road and Old Stage Coach Road, $39,500.
Hikari Mamata and Rachel Lynn Martin to Michael K. Lalak, 16 Pomeroy Meadow Road, $440,000.
GOSHEN
Mark R. Liimatainen and Corinne M. Parrett to Serena Torrey, Berkshire Trail East, $24,000.
GRANBY
John Frederick Kukahiko to Wayne Gaudrault and Angel Gaudrault, Carver Street, $85,425.
Frank J. Palasz and Nancy A. Palasz to Brian Palasz, Kendall Street, $100.
GREENFIELD
Lorenz Family LLC, to Phoenix GF LLC, 312 Federal St., $1,347,000.
Historic Factories LLC, to Fret Mill LLC, 2 Mead St., $375,000.
Charlene D. Martin to Kathleen Faith Murtland, 707 Bernardston Road, $325,000.
Sandra R. Brodie to BHO Realty LLC, 52 Canada Hill Road, $180,100.
HADLEY
Teresa B. Smoot, Timothy M. Bishko, Timothy M. Bishko, personal representative, and Theodore E. Bishko, estate, to Michael MacDonald, 6 Highland Circle, $225,000.
Elaine Manor LP, to RW North Maple Street Real Property LLC, 20 North Maple St., $9,500,000.
Bonnie R. Reilly, trustee, and Walter J. & Rosemary M. Skiba Irrevocable Trust to Jacquelin Sordillo, trustee, and Jacquelin Sordillo Real Estate Trust, 10 Bristol Lane, $450,000.
HAMPDEN
Jack C. Kennedy to Stateline Property Management LLC, Glendale Road, Lot 1-A, $25,000.
Jeffrey E. Bates and Danielle M. Bates to Kaitlynn Muse, Samantha Muse, Sandra Muse and William Muse, 58 Bennett Road, $351,000.
Lisa A. Millett to Samuel Murtaugh and Katherine Murtaugh, 43 Colony Drive, $355,000.
HEATH
Frederick Golba to Jonathan D. Carrasco, 76 Shawnee Drive, $50,000.
HOLLAND
Beau X. Boudreau and Courtney A. Boudreau to Cassidy Horner and Ryan Nicholaus Horner, 7 Sheila Drive, $305,000.
HOLYOKE
55 Hitchcock LLC, to Paige
Hamelin and Andrew McCarthy, 55 Hitchcock St., $340,000. Christopher Marble to Jessica Mekal Foss, 129-131 Center St., $216,500.
Cig3 LLC, to Springdale Apartments LLC, 45 Vernon St, $2,950,000.
Dorota M Garncarz to Chad Finley, 14 Scott Hollow Drive, $420,000.
Mary Ann Jane LaPointe, trustee, Mary Ann J. Lapointe Revocable Living Trust, trustee of, and Raymond P. Smalley to Sam O’Connor and Kristen Delisi, 10 Humeston Slope, $410,000.
Maxx Investment LLC, to 37 Appleton LLC, 5 Appleton St., $680,000.
Pah Properties LLC, to Tiana Pena, 186 Suffolk St., $225,000.
Raymond A. Spear, representative, and Maurice V. Spear Jr., estate, to BN Events LLC, O Worcester Place, $1,000.
Wilmington Savings Fund Society, trustee, and Stanwich Mortgage Loan Trust, trustee of, to Juan Jose Guamarica Pizha, Julia Y. Chimborazo Paredes and Segundo Abel Chimborazo Paredes, 29-31 Brown Ave., $210,000.
HUNTINGTON
Jesse Forrestall to Michael Adam and Diane Adam, 195 Goss Hill Road, $110,000.
LEYDEN
David B. Capparrille and Norma Capparrille, “aka” Norma E. Capparrille, to Timothy Shuipis and Anna Turkle, 521 & 533 West Leyden Road, $530,000.
LONGMEADOW
Jialin Su and Yandong Zhang to James Whitticom and Amy Whitticom, 56 Lawrence Drive, $697,000.
Lorraine M. Slepski to Derek Nguyen, trustee, and DLE Properties Trust, trustee of, 26 White Oaks Drive, $515,000.
Michael S. Colegrove and Ingrid E. Colegrove to Kaitlyn Bouffard and Seymour Gamidov, 567 Maple Road, $505,000.
Rhonda A. Theroux to Abigail Bertheaud, 31 Homecrest St., $385,000.
LUDLOW
Adelia Pedro to Amy M. Coelho and George Coelho, 157-159 Sewall St., $130,000.
Domingos Verissimo and Francelina Verissimo to Jennifer Lee Racine and Daniel Paul Racine, 41 Roy St., $359,000.
Gerard N. Aubrey, trustee, Paul
D. Boudreau, trustee, and Miller Street Nominee Trust, trustee of, to Maria F. Gomes, 308 Miller St., Unit 76, $559,900.
Gerard N. Aubrey, trustee, Paul D. Boudreau, trustee, and Miller Street Nominee Trust, trustee of, to Peter E. Krause, life estate, Preciosa B. Pluta and Michael J. Pluta, 308 Miller St., Unit 77, $554,900.
Hedge Hog Industries Corp., to Nicole Elizabeth Carpenter, Joseph Fabozzi and Joseph Vincent Fabozzi, Church St., $553,000.
Jose Fernando Santos and Karen Morrisey-Santos to Andrew Santos, Cady Street, Lot A, $20,000.
Liissa Carroll, representative, Mary Liissa Carroll, representative, Sherry Lou Powers, estate, and Sherry L. Powers, estate, to Anne M. Sullivan, trustee, and Anne M. Sullivan Family Trust, trustee of, 353 Fuller St., Unit 42, $410,000.
Lori A. Lewicki to Trevor John Lewicki and Brianna Kaitlyn Lewicki, 34 Briarwood Lane, $388,000.
Ruy T. Desousa and Ruy T. De Sousa to Amadeu P. Pereira, 366 Chapin St., $180,000.
MONSON
Alfred J. Riel and Joan C. Riel to Ronald Rivet Jr., and Ashley Sharon Rivet, 12 Hilltop Drive, $350,000.
Mark S. Schwartz to Jason S. Donaldson, trustee, and Coalie Realty Trust, trustee of, 18 Munn Road, $205,000.
Mountain House Properties LLC, to Michael Cain and Meghan Ford, 211 Butler Road, $650,000.
MONTAGUE
Sherry L. Debarge to Suzanne Marie Hale and Mark J. Wilcon, 20 Dunton St., $375,000.
MONTGOMERY
Robert J. Guz, representative, and Martha L. Hoynoski, estate, to Carmelo A. Scuderi and Particia A. Scuderi, 135 New State Road, $300,000.
NEW SALEM
Ciji Cody and William Cody to Tessa M. Dowling and Benjamin L. Sandri, 144 Neilson Road, $421,060.
NORTHAMPTON
Glen K. Van Peski, Jeffrey K. Van Peski and Kathrin Woodlyn Bateman to Kimberly A. Quinlan and Michael J. Quinlan Jr., 43 Center St., $570,000.
Jeffrey M. Mast and Bonnie E. Mast to Katherine Alaine Boyer, 42 Harrison Ave., $1,099,000.
Donald P. Judge and Karen M. Judge to JELB Properties LLC, 1 Walnut St., $1,000,000.
Luke C. Brown, Danielle S. Brown and Danielle S. Baker to Stephen Trichka, 10 Ward Ave., $1,750,000. Ajna Maric, Ajia Maric, Goran Maric to Missy Ehrgood, 183 Grove St., $830,000.
William J. Mears and Steve S. Luxenberg to Louise Morse, 48 Evergreen Road, $285,000.
Seth M. Shulman and Laura W. Reed to Woodfin R. Brewer, trustee, Allison V. Brewer, trustee, and Woodfin R. Brewer & Allison V. Brewer Revocable Trust, 53 Harrison Ave., $1,200,000.
ORANGE
Elissa Marie Miller and Phillip Edward Miller to Megliola Realty LLC, 900 North Main St., $176,467. Eric Cole, “aka” Eric C. Cole, to Barkley Enterprises LLC, 25 Benham St., $20,000.
Elizabeth M. Behrens and Joshua T. Behrens to Denise Breanne Knight and Monica Davila Knight, 61 East Road, $398,500.
Keith R. Lapan to Nancy Roussell and Stacia Roussell, 111 Hayden St., $303,000.
Sandra Warren to SHF Properties LLC, 78-80 High St., $210,000.
PALMER
Allen Block LLC, to Chhorm Chin and Katie M. Traun, 3 Pine Hill Drive, $150,000.
Antonio Sebastiao, trustee, and Antonio Sebastiao Family Revocable Trust, trustee of, to Samantha Haraty and Nathaniel Roberts, 139 Griffin St., $428,000.
Clayton J. Lizak, trustee, and John W. Lizak Revocable Indenture of Trust of, trustee of, to Thomas A. Beauregard, 464 Old Warren Road, $380,000.
James L. Godin and Sandra D. Godin to Natalie Brewer and Samuel Brewer, 63 Mt. Dumplin Road, $450,000.
Shelby F. Lamothe and Jared Curboy to Joanna G. Sorreiro, 690 River St., $300,000.
PELHAM
Janet Lansberry and Thomas P. Flittie to Janet Lansberry, trustee, Thomas Flittie, trustee, and Lansberry Flittie Revocable Trust, 9 Pine Tree Circle, $100.
SHELBURNE
Eben D. Sorkin to Karen Remmler, 48 Mechanic St., $658,500.
Deeds
SOUTH HADLEY
William P. Tanguay and Nancy Tanguay to Joseph Garcia, 59 Granby Road, $240,000
James Fay to ARPC LLC, 4 Broad St., $71,321.
Lyn A. Gelinas, personal representative, Judith Ann Gelinas, estate, and Judith A. Gelinas, estate, to Natalie Lorraine Strokes, 2 Red Ledge Road, $590,000.
Steven R. Pelletier to Jessica Spier Dubois and Andre Dubois, 2 Silverwood Terrace, $650,000.
2 Black Cats LLC, to Steven Pelletier, 7 Hunter Terrace, $419,000.
Jeremy B. Lewis, personal representative, and Richard Ennever Lewis, estate, to Michael L. Williams and Katelyn M. Williams, 28 Hillside Ave., $140,000.
William Joniec and Kim Joniec to Robyn Robitaille, 10 Easy St., $260,000.
SOUTHAMPTON
Norman R. Blanchet and Mary M. Blanchette to Norman R. Blanchet, trustee, Mary M. Blanchette, trustee, and Norman R. Blanchet & Mary M. Blanchette 2025 Revocable Trust, 145 Middle Road, $100.
Christopher J. Joly, personal representative, Gregory M. Joly, personal representative, and Shirley F. Joly, estate, to Christopher R. Schelling and Augusten X. Burroughs, 23 Wolcott Road, $675,000.
SOUTHWICK
Analytical Sciences Marketing Group LLC, and Anniemac Private Equity Cash2Keys to Jill Brody, 7 Pondview Lane, $710,000.
William Andrew Cunningham II, to Connor Thomas Kane, 33 Birchwood Road, $310,000.
SPRINGFIELD
Abbas H. Mourad to Abbas H. Mourad, Ghada R. Mourad and Fatima Mourad, 34 Cheyenne Road, $100.
Ackeem J. Donaldson to Amaurys J. De Los Santos, 79 Keith St., $443,000.
Bedrock Financial LLC, trustee, 423-425 Parker Street Trust, trustee of, and Alfred C. Joyce Jr., to Albertina Ozor, 423-425 Parker St., $430,000.
Bruce Wright Group LLC, to Bar Belmont LLC, 101-127 Lyman St., $1,100,000.
Carlos Morales to Nairovy Santos Guzman and Rosa Mery Guzman De Rivera, 85-87 Knollwood St., $415,000.
Cig4 LLC, to Abraham Adolphus, 31-33 Dorset St., $472,500.
Corina Young to Luz America Carpio De Vasquez and Nelson Manuel Vasquez Garcia, 93 Garfield St., $355,000.
Elliot M. Lehane and Larissa Lehane to Carol Telfair and Randall Telfair, 161 Verge St., $310,000.
Ellis C. Gray to Tony E. Sousa Jr., and Heather Sousa, 5 Kerry Drive, $297,500.
Elton F. Gartman and Keisha A. Johnson to Angelica M. Sanchez, 21 Marengo Park, Unit 21, $214,900.
EMTAY Inc., and Hoodoo Realty LLC, to 144 Euclid LLC, 144 Euclid Ave., $455,000.
EMTAY Inc., to Maria I. Vazquez and Harvey Hurtado, 14 Garford St., $300,000.
Erik Collazo and Meghan Collazo to Jaileen Rodriguez, 245 Arthur St., $220,000.
Gary J. Lafave and Deborah L. Lafave to M&H Property Ventures LLC, 27 Welland Road, $299,000.
Gemini Town Homes LLC, to Wilson Maloni and Abreanna Maloni, 37 Morris St., Unit 102, $227,000.
Gina M. Barry, representative, and Paul G. Robertson, estate, to Victor Silva Alicea, 270 Cambria St., $255,000.
Jason Pagan to Jonathan Hafer and Leticia Hafer, 140 Wait St., $225,000.
Jose Carrasquillo Santiago to Zachary J. Brown, 30 Forest Park Ave., $445,000.
Joseph D. Szarek and Kathryn M. Szarek to Michael Krause, 2 Lyons St., $187,500.
Kaitlyn Kibler and Kaitlyn Bouffard to Nicholas Albert, 19 Harbour Road, $320,000.
Linda Shea, Linda Lee, Linda Cooke, Linda L. Cooke and Thomas P. Shea to Genevieve Construction Development Group Inc., 130 Fox Hill Road, $259,500.
Genevieve Construction Development Group Inc., to Merna Ivey, 150 Cloran St, $328,000.
Moses Pava, trustee, Vivian Newman, trustee, Moses Pava Trust, trustee of, and Vivian Newman Trust, trustee of, to Darnel Alouidor, 128 Maplewood Terrace, $417,000.
Springfield Business Improvement District Inc., to Commons Wealth LLC, 8-10 Stearns Square, $100.
Nu-Way Homes Inc., to John M. Delaney and Gabriela Delaney, Cabinet St., $20,000.
Pablo Colon Jr., and Jasmine Colon to Clarissa Camacho, 19 Metzger Place, $285,000.
Patricia Duprat to Patricia G. Beauregard, Richard Hamlin and Teri Hamlin, 222 Bolton St., $320,000.
Pedro Davila to Erllis Casiano Lugo, NS Worthington St., $25,000.
PFGC LLC, to JJJ17 LLC, 68-70 Cambridge St., $150,000.
Rafael A. Martinez to RG Main & Oak LLC, 254-256 Main St., $760,000.
RBT Enterprise LLC, and H P Rum LLC, to American Patriots Real Estate LLC, 0 W S Terrace, $1,120,000.
Richard P. Crowley to Bar Belmont LLC, Lyman Street, $10,000.
Dwight Taylor Realty Nominee Trust, trustee of, and Peter F. Kearing, trustee, to Bar Belmont LLC, 435 Dwight St., $6,500,000.
Sandy Moon, trustee, and Sandy Moon Revocable Trust, trustee of, to Chamber Investment Group LLC, 72-74 Palmer Ave., $259,000.
Sarita Swift, representative, and Roy F. King, estate, to Joaseline Ruiz Maldonado, 45 Dimmick St., $250,000.
Sergey Savonin to Jirah Sanchez, 7 Jennings St., $430,000.
Springfield City to North End Housing Initiative Inc., 8 Ringgold St., $7,500.
Tarsha S. Kasilo, representative, and Gladys Leggett, estate, to Emma Burke, 148-150 Oak Grove Ave., $320,000.
Tascon Homes LLC, to Gregory Parrott and Amber Medeiros, 183 Savoy Ave., $300,000.
Thomas C. Perla and Cynthia K. Perla to Alisha Janiz Lopez-Marrero, 1107 Allen St., $255,000.
Tyrus T. Ferguson to Manchester Enterprises LLC, 136 Maynard St., $200,000.
Valarie Cameron, representative, Hazel Q. King, estate, and Hazel King, estate, to NRES LLC, 69 Manhattan St., $55,000.
Victor A. Carrillo Ramos and Victor Carrillo Ramos to Derek Estrella, 1275 Worcester St., $365,000.
W. Brian Grisel, Timothy S. Cummings and Timothy Cummings to Keith Olenchak and Samantha Olenchak, 72 Firglade Ave., $450,000.
Wilfredo Perez Jr., and Shirley Ann Perez-Ramos to Karen Stober, 98-100 Cherrelyn St., $436,000.
William Royland and Tracey Lee Royland to Joshua L. Morin and Anne Marie Morin, 168 Middle
St., $247,000.
SUNDERLAND
Margaret Langdell Gutman, “fka” Margaret C. Langdell, to Courtney Shanahan and Michael Shanahan. 61 South Plain Road, $375,000.
TOLLAND
Judith Factor and Robert Wechsler to Jeffrey Lipchus, 27 Stones Throw, $261,000.
Louis L. Lodovico and Lynn A. Lodovico to Thomas J. Campanelli, 4 Meadow Drive, $80,000.
William N. Magni Jr., and Nichol P. Magni to Amanda Cernitz, 0 Otter Pond Trail, Lot 17, $80,000.
WARE
Melinda Terry to Michael J. Richardson, Lynda Lee Richardson and Lynda L. Richardson, 13 Crescent Terrace, $375,000.
Patricia G. Moriarty, Patricia G. Beauregard and Eleanor A. Hamlin to Licia Joy Galinsky, 70 Shoreline Drive, $348,000.
M.R.T. Development LLC, to Henry L. Padden and Deborah A. Padden, 35 Coldbrook Drive, $47,000.
Daniel Paul Racine and Jennifer Lee Racine to Bethany Racine, 12 Mountainview Drive, $368,000.
Andrew J. Rogers III, trustee, Timothy P. Nealon, trustee, and G&A Realty Trust to H&Y 2025 LLC, 164 West St., $2,000,000.
Bryce D. Haley and Samantha S. Romero to Kevin M. Comptois, 37 Warebrook Drive, $225,000.
Anthony J. Nevue and Annette D. Nevue to Lee Conner, 150 Osborne Road, $437,000.
Thomas R. Klenke to Emmett Andrew Bumpus and Elizabeth Shea Croteau, 27 Old Poor Farm Road, $690,000.
WARWICK
Paul Coelho to Land Surge LLC, 15 Northfield Road, $35,000.
Land Surge LLC, to Tyler Brailey, 15 Northfield Road, $60,000.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Aem Property Investment LLC, to Sara Moriarty, 132 Nelson St, $329,000.
Brandon Clement and Samantha Clement to Kate Josephine Karl-Morin and Jonovan Joel Rodriguez, 43 Woodmont St., $327,925.
Dean J. Martilli to Lisa Marie Cosgrove, 45 Autumn Road, $380,000.
Haskell Holdings LLC, to Mario D. Fairweather and Cassandra M. Fairweather, 22 Maple Terrace, $450,000.
James A. Biscoe and Jamie Lynn Biscoe to Diane Neumann, 264 Poplar Ave., $365,000.
Manchester Enterprises LLC, to Tara Cataloni, 31 Fox St., $329,900.
Nikulin Family Trust, trustee of, and Pavlo Nikulin, trustee, to Ibrahim Savas Kilic and Kristina Kilic, 55 Bliss St., $594,000.
Patricia H. Lowell, representative, Melanie R. Morrison, estate, and Melanie Rae Morrison, estate, to Karl W. Rehbein and Jason Michael Rehbein, 1241 Elm St., Unit B4, $150,000.
Thomas A. Nostin II, representative, Thomas J. Nostin, estate, and Thomas John Nostin, estate, to Julissa Muniz, 77 Bowers St., $378,000.
WESTFIELD
123 Meadow LLC, to Silenus Realty LLC, 123 Meadow St., $40,000.
194 Holdings LLC, to Julio A. Miranda Rodriguez, 1309 Southampton Road, $340,000.
Angelique L. Cadieux and Matthew R. Cadieux to Heather Leigh Tower White, 99 Hillcrest Circle, $557,500.
Brett Michael Worden, Kortney Lynn Worden and Kortney Lynn Thorson to Anthony Joseph Zazzaro, 15 Maple Terrace, $330,000. Christopher Smigel and Megan Smigel to Ashley Smigel, 43 Oak Terrace, $350,000.
David Smith and Amanda Tenerowicz to Kristin Ann Brouillette and Thomas Colin Hanrahan, 19 Locust St., $400,000.
Elizabeth Provo to Maria Williams and Mark Lariviere, 50 North Road, $500,000.
Evelyn D. Casey to Vladislav Biley and Yana Biley, 53 Bristol St., $325,000.
Hampden-Janelle Builders Inc., to Norman A. Shink and Kimberly A. Shink, 0 Shaker Road, $6,000.
Heather White to Joseph Crevier and Kelsey Crevier, 16 Glen Ridge Drive, $460,000.
Jeffrey Affeldt and Patricia Affeldt to Jenna M. Shoup, 111 Union St., Unit 6, $281,000.
Jenna M. Shoup to Laine F. Gardner, 555 Russell Road, Unit A-3, $215,000.
Melissa Kulik Lavimoniere, Melissa L. Lavimoniere and Koryd B. A. Lavimoniere to Lisa Rose Frances, 16 Spruce St., $432,000.
Transplanting shrubs: Timing and technique for a thriving garden
By Jessica Damiano Associated Press
IT’S THE END OF THE GARdening season, and those of us who’ve endured a less-than-perfect layout may be itching to move shrubs around. But proper timing is imperative.
I inadvertently planted a Clethra bush too close to a peach tree, and their intertwining branches have been taunting me all summer. But because the Clethra is a late-season bloomer, I’ll have to wait a bit longer before I can safely move it.
As a general rule, shrubs (and perennials) that bloom in late summer and fall should be transplanted in spring, just after they emerge from dormancy. This timing provides ample time for roots to establish before the plant’s energy is redirected toward blooming. Spring and early summer bloomers should be relocated in the fall, when their blossoms and, sometimes, foliage, are long gone.
Start with roots
Before attempting to dig up shrubs, research how deep and wide their roots typically grow. Shallow-rooted shrubs, like rhododendron, for instance, are easier to dig up than, say, manzanita, which have very deep root systems. Take the plant’s age into account, too, as mature shrubs will have larger roots than younger ones.
Your findings will guide your digging: New holes should be as close to twice the width of roots as possible — and exactly as deep.
Always dig a hole for the plant’s new home before removing it from the
ground to minimize root exposure. When possible, gently tie the plant’s branches together to get a better view of the area you’re digging. This step also helps prevent eye injuries from errant stems.
Take care to dig up as much of the roots as possible, plunging a sharpedged shovel into the soil at what you estimate to be the roots’ farthest point and working your way around the perimeter of the plant. Then, retrace your steps, this time with more force to insert the tool deeply enough to lift roots out of the ground from underneath.
Tips on planting
To avoid losing soil and damaging roots — as well as your back — place the entire shrub onto a tarp and drag the tarp to the new hole you’ve prepared.
Carefully slide the rootball into the hole and assess its depth. If necessary, remove the plant from the hole to add or remove soil as needed to ensure the point where its roots meet the trunk — the plant’s crown — sits at the same level it was previously.
Plant too deeply, and the crown and trunk will eventually rot; too shallow, and the roots will dry out, suffer sun and cold damage, and struggle to spread horizontally.
When you’re satisfied the shrub is sitting straight and at the correct depth, begin backfilling the hole with soil, stopping periodically to firmly tamp it down to eliminate air pockets. Water the soil halfway through, then resume backfilling and tamping. Water the soil again, then apply mulch over the entire root zone to retain soil moisture, regu-
This April 18 photo shows a rhododendron in bloom on Long Island, N.Y. Gardeners can transplant spring and early summer-blooming plants like rhododendrons in fall, but should wait until spring to relocate late-summer and fall bloomers.
DAMIANO VIA AP)
(JESSICA
late soil temperature and repel weeds. Water the plant regularly through frost during the entire first year in its new home, but don’t fertilize yet. Apply a slow-release, low-nitrogen fertilizer in mid-to-late spring. Doing so earlier would force the plant to allocate its limited energy to growth rather than recovery and root development. Allowing transplants time to settle in can mean the difference between a struggling shrub and one that thrives for years to come.
Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.
WHATELY
Amanda L. Brooks, “fka” Amanda L. Lamontagne, to Joseph Saladino III, and Miranda S. Saladino, 114 Christian Lane, $550,000.
WILBRAHAM
2301 Boston Road LLC, to Crosswinds Gardens LLC, 45 Ivy Circle, $455,000.
Andrew S. Lynn and Michelle M. Lynn to Kathleen T. Gormally, 19 Bellows Road, $775,000.
Diane E. Nagy, representative, and Barbara J. Smith, estate, to April B. Robinson and Noel D. Robinson, 4 Highmoor Drive, $561,000.
Janet E. Johnson, trustee, and Janet E. Johnson Revocable Living Trust of 2022, trustee of, to Dominic Santaniello, trustee, Lucas Giusto, trustee, and Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, 344 Stony Hill Road, $240,000.
Karla Impionbato-Sass and Ronald R. Sass to Zachary Charbonneau and Carly Charbonneau, 9 Longview Drive, $570,000.
Mark D. Haggan to Jessica Barrett and Christopher Barrett, 20 Bartlett Ave., $430,000.
Positive Spin Real Estate Investments Inc., to Kara Rice, 505 Mountain Road, $450,000.
WILLIAMSBURG
Rebecca Golash and Rowena I. Golash, estate, to Peter Edward Golash and Tammy L. Johnson, 28 Kingsley Ave., $100,000.
Brian R. McGill to Kit Cillian Maeve Walsh, 86 South St., $300,000.
WORTHINGTON
of water. Using a grout mixer attached to a powerful drill stirs the nuts up enough for them to shed their hulls. Pour the mess through some sort of one-inch screen and washing the nuts with plenty of water leaves them pretty clean. No matter what the method, after all is said and done, the nuts need to be cured.
People often are turned off to black walnut because they taste them as soon as possible after husking them. Don’t.
The nuts need to be cured, which means stored in a cool, dry, squirrel-proof location for a couple of months or more.
Up to the point of being dry, be careful at any stage of processing black walnut of the plant’s dark stain. It readily stains your hands, clothing, and other materials. Or put the stain to some use, staining fabric or wood.
The stain is similar in color to iodine which has led many people via many websites to claim that black walnut extract is high in iodine. Not so, they just look similar. Even
black walnuts growing in the Great Lakes, Appalachian and Northwestern regions of the United States, where soils are typically deficient in iodine, have iodine-colored stain. Finally comes cracking the nuts, also admittedly not easy. The hard shells are used commercially, ground up, for blasting, tumbling, cleaning, polishing, and filtration. Forget about using a hammer and an anvil or concrete floor to get at the nutmeats. It works, but it’s slow and you’re sure to occasionally hit a finger. Black walnuts could be what inspired the phrase “a hard
nut to crack.” The phrase is attributed to Ben Franklin; I can just picture him cursing, jumping up and down, and looking like he was trying to shake water from the finger just bruised from cracking a walnut. My “picture” is probably fiction. Nonetheless, if Ben had been cracking black walnuts and had the very best cracker — the Master Nut Cracker — his fingers would have been free of trauma. And nobody might have ever uttered that some problem, some thing, or some person was a hard nut to crack.
Mark A. Spiess to Mary Elizabeth Davidson, 209 Old North Road, $358.750.
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