homegarden-20251109 by repubnews

ANTIQUES: Civil War drum designed for children, F7

IN THE GARDEN: Preparing fig trees for the winter, F3

GARDEN TALK

Think beyond the traditional for houseplant gift ideas

By Dawn C hipman

Special

to The Republican

If you’re considering gifting a plant this holiday season, read on for ideas that bring all-season joy — alternatives to giant amaryllis bulbs and the like. Last month in Springfield, I attended the traveling Plantella Expo, which draws indoor gardeners and plant vendors from all over New England. That’s where I met Brad Clegg, who grows what he calls X-factor plants, and Hannah Cook Dumas, who creates hydroponic and semi-hydroponic botanical gifts.

FIRST, MEET BRAD

Clegg, owner of Buddha’s Botanicals in Seekonk.

A fourth-generation fruit tree and vegetable farmer, Brad Clegg focuses on teaching gardening and growing tropical flowers which offer some of his favorite qualities: colors, aroma, and growth habit. In his greenhouse, you’ll find “X-factor” plants, which he describes as plants that have that something extra, making them showstoppers. And yes, good gifts. Brad speaks at plant shows sharing his horticultural knowledge. His YouTube channel (@ BuddhasBotanicals) features hundreds of how-to videos on caring for vegetables and flowers.

Q. Why is a houseplant a good gift?

Clegg: A plant is a great gift because it gives a sense of purpose and enjoyment. There’s no better feeling than being successful taking care of a plant and watching it grow into something beautiful.

Q. What are some plants you recommend for gifting?

Clegg: Begonais, pothos, and ferns are some of my

favorite easy plants to buy someone for a low light space in their home. Succulents (string of pearls bananas watermelons), shrimp plant, Colocasias, and flowering maples are some of my favorite houseplants for sunny locations. Sun-loving plants in the right location tend to produce more flowers and color than shade plants, which is nice. All of these plants are easy to take care of even if you’re new to caring for houseplants.

Q. Tell us your thoughts about growing plants in the New England indoor climate.

Clegg: Unfortunately for us in the Northeast, high humidity is something we never have indoors. In the fall and winter, we have very dry air and no humidity. Then in the summer, when it is humid, we turn on our ACs in the home and remove all the humidity in the air. Because of that, I do not grow many subtropical foliage houseplants like monsteras and philodendrons. They need a lot of misting and proper humidity control. Instead, I focus mainly on succulents, tropical flowering plants and annuals, because they do well in this area.

Q. How do I know which plant to buy?

Clegg: Don’t overthink a plant gift. Know your recipient and get them an easy plant if a beginner or if they are a good grower, something different and unique you haven’t seen before. I don’t package or transport plants, so buying online is risky. I like to buy my plants in person where I can inspect them, hold them, see them up close.

Q. What are your favorite X-factor houseplants?

Clegg: My favorite X-factor houseplant is a tropical, flowering plant that doubles as an

outdoor tropical in the summer. It is the Red Tiger Abutilon. It’s one of the coolest flowering plants you will even see, grows fast, is adaptable to many light conditions, can handle a beating from cold or neglect, and with the correct lighting will always have flowers. I also grow about five other varieties of the Abutilon (aka Flowering Maple). For a non-flowering plant, it has to be the Colocasias. These are foliage plants with giant leaves up to 3’ that will just amaze you. Very easy to take care of with minimal work.

NOW MEET HANnah Dumas Cook, horticulturist and co-owner of Bitsy’s Botanicals in Coventry, Rhode Island.

Cook and her business partner Kerry Taylor offer “unique displays with hydroponic propagations for an enjoyable take on indoor plants” in their shop at Bitsy’s Botanicals and online. At the Plantella Expo, their booth featured hanging mason jars and other containers overflowing with plants — and no dirt anywhere. Whether you want to DIY a hydroponic plant gift (more below) or purchase one, Hannah has some information for those who are new to this type of growing.

Q. What is a hydroponic houseplant?

Cook: Instead of growing in dirt, hydroponic plants grow in water. For our semi-hydroponic plantings, we use LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) with water and nutrients.

Q. Why are hydroponic and semi-hydroponic houseplants a good gift?

Cook: When you plant in dirt, watering can be time-consuming and bugs can be a problem, depending

on the dirt you use and where your plant is from.

Growing plants hydroponically is easy, clean, low maintenance, saves time and helps control bugs. The options for containers and hangers available make it easy to personalize this gift for person you’re giving it to.

Q. How can someone DIY a semi-hydroponic plant present?

Cook:

• Choose a container. A few options include a mason jar, a wide and somewhat deep dish, and a tall vase. A transparent container makes it easier to see when the plant needs more water.

• Choose a plant medium. Hannah recommends LECA with water but just water works too. Be sure to add nutrients (available at garden centers) to the water.

• Pick your plant. For instance, a tropical, a succulent or a trailing plant like pothos or vining philodendron.

• Plant. Be sure the dirt is washed off the plant’s roots. Cuttings work too. Place some LECA in the bottom of your container, hold up the plant in place over the LECA on the bottom and backfill around the plant to the top. Add water with nutrients. If you like, customize the gift with a macrame hanger or hand-made or store-bought mini trellis.

Hannah Dumas Cook is the co-owner of Bitsy’s Botanicals in Coventry, Rhode Island. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Cover photo: Brad Clegg, the owner of Buddha’s Botanicals in Seekonk. (CAROL TRINCHINATO PHOTOGRAPHY)

Fig plants can develop roots only on one-year-old shoots or on new shoots or, for some varieties, both new and older shoots.

Lee

Reich | In the Garden

Prune fig trees now for a good harvest next year

TEMPERATURES here have dipped into the lower 20s a few nights and still dip readily to around freezing, which might lead some of you to believe I have been neglectful of my fig trees, which are still outdoors.

Not so! They are subtropical plants that can take temperatures down into the teens.

Today I moved all my potted figs to their winter home. As I wrote in my book “Growing Figs in Cold Climates,” fig, being a subtropical plant, likes cold winters, just not those that are too, too cold. My plants went either into my basement, where winter temperatures hover in the 40s, or into my walk-in cooler (also used for storing fruits and vegetables) whose temperature is nailed at 39°.

I always prune my figs before wrestling them into the basement or the cooler. Then they can be carried without errant stems slapping my face, and the pots can be stored without undo elbowing of neighboring potted figs.

Correct pruning now or late winter is key to reaping a

GARDEN NOTES

STOCKBRIDGE

Upcoming events at Berkshire Botanical Garden

Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming program. Thursday, Nov. 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m. “The Beauty of Beaujolais: A Beaujolais Nouveau Day.”

Join Dare Bottleshop & Provisions and fellow wine lovers for an evening at BBG’s Center House as we celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day — historically celebrated on the third Thursday of November — with a deep dive into one of France’s most charming and expressive wine regions: Beaujolais.

This seminar will take guests on a journey through the rolling hills of Beaujolais via their wine glasses, showcasing a dynam-

ic range of styles — from the fresh, fruity energy of Nouveau to the structured elegance of Cru-level wines. Along the way, explore the region’s unique grapes, winemaking traditions, and its evolving place in today’s wine world.

A cheese and charcuterie board will be provided to complement the tasting, and special event sale pricing will be available on all featured wines, courtesy of Dare.

good harvest next year. Keep in mind two kinds of pruning cuts, which actually applies to all plants when leafless.

A heading cut, which removes only part of a stem, coaxes new growth from the remaining portion of the stem, so is useful where you want branching and new growth.

A thinning cut is the complete removal of a stem; nothing obvious happens except the stem has been removed, so this kind of cut is useful to reduce the number of stems when they are too congested.

More specifically, for fig pruning, here are some pruning guidelines condensed and adapted from my book, which includes a whole chapter on pruning figs.

Some fig varieties — most varieties, in fact — bear a “main crop” on new, growing stems; some varieties bear a “breba crop” on oneyear-old stems, and some varieties bear on both ages of stems, yielding both a “main crop” and a “breba crop.” (The breba crop ripens early in the season; the main crop, from late summer on.)

Are mushrooms the future of insulation?

By K ate F urby

The Washington Post

JUST UNDER THE

forest floor, a vast fungal network known as mycelium builds, communicates and occasionally produces the fruiting bodies we call mushrooms. Now scientists are using this fungus to create insulation to address housing conditions in Alaska’s extreme climate.

Climate change has hit rural Alaskan communities hard.

Already isolated by a lack of infrastructure and extreme weather, towns in the northernmost state are now facing increasing erosion, flooding, melting permafrost and wildfires. There’s an urgent need for safe, warm and affordable housing.

Scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Alaska are working on an innovative, nature-based solution for housing insulation.

Alaska faces some of the largest swings in seasonal temperatures on Earth. The Yukon Flats has a record winter low of minus-78 degrees Fahrenheit and a record summer high of 100 degrees. Such extreme temperature variations can make insulating homes difficult and costly.

Houses lacking proper insulation and ventilation face increased risks of mold and poor indoor air quality. Residents often add rigid foam insulation boards to the outside of their homes or seal the structures tightly with poorly made plastic insulation.

“Now you are basically wrapping your house in the plastic bag. It doesn’t breathe,” said Philippe Amstislavski, a mycologist and biomaterials researcher in public health at the University of Alaska at Anchorage.

Amstislavski co-founded an eco-engineering research

project that has developed a new kind of insulation using local wood pulp and a native fungus.

When he first moved to rural Alaska, Amstislavski was alarmed by the amount of plastic blowing across the tundra.

He began searching for a solution that could harness Alaska’s rich natural resources and replace plastic foam, which is used to package fish and insulate houses but quickly “ends up in our streams, makes its way to the coast, and it ends up in the ocean,” he said.

He started a biomaterials lab at the University of Alaska and began experimenting with microbes. In his search for a water-resistant, lightweight solution, he circled

Garber-Slaght works in Fairbanks, which has a much more extreme seasonal change in temperatures than coastal Anchorage, where

Residents often add rigid foam insulation boards to the outside of their homes or seal the structures tightly with poorly made plastic insulation.

back to an early childhood love, mushroom hunting.

Amstislavski grew up in the U.S.S.R., where he spent his childhood foraging in the forest with his parents, who were both biologists.

“I don’t think they would convince me to eat any mushrooms, but I do remember very well how we would forage and collect all these different berries and mushrooms,” he said.

Amstislavski began experimenting with different types of organic matter, including microbes and mushrooms, to see if he could create a Styrofoam-like substance from forest materials. He said he found inspiration by observing fungal organisms decomposing trees and recycling carbon.

To engineer the fungal insulation, Amstislavski teamed up with Robbin Garber-Slaght, a research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to test the materials.

Amstislavski is based. An average resident in Fairbanks may be trying to keep their home at a comfortable 65 degrees Fahrenheit inside when outdoor winter temperatures are minus-15. Amstislavski wanted to test their materials under the intense conditions of that 80-degree differential.

Together, they began work on cultivating and creating the bio-insulation, building a mobile test lab in Fairbanks that looks like a tiny house or a little trailer on wheels. Inside are nine different paneled walls, covered in sensors, that the researchers use to test the insulation materials under certain temperatures and humidity levels.

“ It is warm and humid in there. It’s one of the best places to be in the winter in Fairbanks,” said Garber-Slaght. Fungi are natural decomposers. To grow, mycelium needs to feed on wood pulp.

Amstislavski wanted to address the abundance of dead spruce trees in Alaska resulting from a beetle infestation that has been accelerated by climate change. “Mushroom feedstock,” he called it. Using “all this biomass that’s standing around” has the added benefit of reducing the risk of wildfires, he said.

After deciding on the source of wood pulp, Garber-Slaght and Amstislavski had to find a fungus that would feed on it. But mushrooms can be surprisingly selective in their diet, so the search for the right fungus was on.

Eventually, they found a “kind of super fungus” that’s “not very picky” about what it eats. “When we fed different types of wood, it would still survive and thrive,” Amstislavski said.

Now that they had their secret ingredient, they needed to perfect the recipe. The first iterations of the experimental insulation materials were not structurally sound, said Garber-Slaght. “It looked like a bunch of sawdust with fungus on it.”

“ Our goal is to be a oneto-one replacement with expanded polystyrene, which is that white beadboard in Alaska people put on the outside of their buildings to make them more energy-efficient,” she said.

The researchers continue to tweak the recipe, but the lab now produces consistent, cost-effective insulation boards that are 100 percent compostable.

To get this result, they take a foamy milkshake of wood pulp and water, add the fungus culture, and pour it into molds.

The mixture then incubates in what look like baking racks, allowing the mycelium to grow.

After the boards solidify, the lab team uses heat to cure and harden the pulp. The final product: hard, solid boards of lab-grown fungus insulation that resist water while remaining breathable. They are very nearly thermally equivalent to conventional petroleum-based products.

“It seems like a very interesting technique, potentially meaningful to the local community and pretty low-cost,” said Lining Yao, a biomaterials researcher from the University of California at Berkeley, who was not involved in the project. She expressed some concern about the robustness of the technology, since something that is built to be biodegradable won’t be as long-lasting and completely waterproof as the current plastic-based industry standard.

Scientists are now using mycelium insulation panels to create insulation to address housing conditions in extreme climates. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)

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The surprising reason home prices remain stubbornly high

By R achel Siegel

The Washington Post

AGROWING NUM-

ber of home sellers are taking lingering properties off the market instead of lowering their prices, keeping overall costs high and dampening available listings.

Nationwide, delistings rose 52 percent in September compared with the year before, after peaking at a nearly 72 percent annual growth rate in August, according to fresh data from Realtor.com.

That’s up from September 2024, when delistings rose 46 percent.

Summer is usually the busiest time in the housing market, and people are more likely to take their homes off the market in the winter.

But in September, the rise in delistings outpaced inventory growth threefold, above and beyond typical trends.

The number of delistings compared with new listings also rose: For every 100 new listings in August, 28 homes were delisted, up from 16 in August 2024.

There are a few reasons. Scores of owners have low mortgage rates that they secured during the coronavirus pandemic, and they are hesitant to give those up. Other households may also have unrealistic expectations about what buyers are willing to pay, or they’re waiting to see how the economy fares.

The result is that sellers are pulling back when buyers and the broader market crave more affordable options, said Jake Krimmel, a senior economist at Realtor.com.

“Delisting is taking a home off the market without

selling,” Krimmel said. “It’s emblematic of a failed transaction, and it is also a kind of metaphor for the market right now.”

Inventory isn’t vanishing entirely. Active listings still rose for the 24th straight month in September. But the pace has eased every month since May, signaling a kind of plateau when the country still doesn’t have enough homes to meet demand.

One result: Home prices are still high. One closely watched metric, released Tuesday by the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, showed August prices rose 1.5 percent compared with the year before. That was down slightly from a 1.6 percent rise the previous month.

The rising share of delistings is also part of why what’s known as the “lock-in effect” is predicted to stick around

Garber-Slaght and Amstislavski are studying the boards’ lifespan and recently completed a nine-year installation review.

They found that it was still per-

longer than economists expected. Many homeowners have been “locked in” to very low mortgage rates — 2, 3 or 4 percent — since the pandemic and don’t want to give them up. About 70 percent of current owners have a rate of 5 percent or lower, according to KPMG. Last week, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 6.17 percent, according to Freddie Mac.

Housing economists figure that “locked in” households will still move eventually; they might have more children or relocate for a job. Krimmel said a new listing could be a sign of someone “trying to get unlocked.” But if the seller isn’t pressed to move and has a low mortgage rate or wants to hold out for a desired price, the rest of the market stays “in this residual holding pattern,” he said.

Sellers may also hesitate to

forming as expected. It was free from mold, despite the extreme environment of Fairbanks.

“I think there is a need for more studies that look at longevity. It’s very resistant to decay. I think it has pretty good chances of performing for the duration of the life of the structure,” said Amstislavski.

In theory, the mycelium can work

lower prices if they watched friends or neighbors fetch skyhigh sums over the past few years, when bidding wars and all-cash offers dominated the market, said Yelena Maleyev, senior economist at KPMG.

“That kind of psychology sticks around for a while,” Maleyev said. “‘My neighbor sold their house for $100,000 over asking three years ago. Why can’t I?’”

The trend ultimately sheds light on how people feel about the economy. With much uncertainty on prices, jobs and growth, people are waiting to see what 2026 brings. They’re also hoping for lower mortgage rates as the Federal Reserve plans to trim its benchmark rate into next year. On Wednesday, the Fed issued its latest quarter-point cut, and while central bankers don’t set mortgage rates themselves, those cuts typically make mortgages more affordable. Meanwhile, major cities are seeing eye-popping delisting rates. Over the past few months in Miami, there were about 55 homes delisted for every 100 new listings coming online. For every 100 new homes listed in Houston, about 40 listings were pulled; in Tampa, about 33.

In Nashville, Ashley Luther saw a slight summer slowdown, combined with more people taking their homes off the market instead of trying a price cut. But that has brought breathing room to the market in other ways, she said. Many owners have turned their houses into rentals, allowing them to keep their low mortgage rates — and the option of selling down the line. For renters, that has cooled prices and boosted inventory in a city

as both a carbon capture system and a sustainable insulation material, Amstislavski said. But to make the life cycle fully carbon-neutral would require finding sustainable sources of wood pulp and using renewable energy to manufacture the boards.

The scientists are continuing to hone their product in the hope that it will be picked up commercially.

that saw housing costs soar during the pandemic.

“It’s an unintended consequence of listings coming off the market,” said Luther, owner and broker of CHORD Real Estate. “I can’t remember a time, in any price point or any area of Nashville, where I’ve seen a renters’ market.”

Still, economists say there’s a split between people who can yank their houses off the market and wait for the right offer — and those who can’t.

Some households may be up against deadlines or under enough financial pressure that they don’t have a choice.

In central Phoenix, Michael Kemp and his wife listed their four-bed, three-bath house a few weeks ago, hoping to downsize to a smaller home that would cost less than their $5,300-per-month mortgage. They put the home on the market for $1.1 million.

So far, no bites.

After lowering the price — first to $1.05 million, then to $999,999 — Kemp isn’t sure what to do. Part of the decision is personal: Since the pandemic, he and his wife have had several job changes, and if work was steadier, they might stay put.

But Kemp also thinks the entire economy is in transition. As a Trump supporter, Kemp said he believes in the president’s push to recalibrate the economy. But it will be bumpy, and “we’re experiencing that crunch,” he said. In the meantime, he said his options — to sell, refinance or explore other loan products — are few and far between.

“The flexibility is not there,” Kemp said. “So here we are just dog-paddling, so to speak.”

So far, the most interest has been found in a different kind of insulation, as a replacement for popular plastic-foam fish coolers.

The scientists say they have big plans for the future of their compostable housing product.

“I would love to just grow a building,” said Garber-Slaght. But “we’re not there yet.”

The pace of active listings has eased every month since May of this year. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)

COLLECTORS SEEK out military antiques to preserve veterans’ stories and honor historic heroes. Civil War drums are some of the rarest of these antiques, and they convey powerful imagery along with their historical importance. A Civil War-era drum that sold for $2,783 at Donley Auctions was previously displayed in a museum. Still in excellent condition, it features bold blue trim and is decorated with a painted eagle and shield, as well as all 13 stars representing the Union. These drums were usually painted with patriotic images; eagles were, of course, one of the most popular symbols for both Union and Confederate forces. There is a visual cue that can help collectors tell them apart: Designs on Union drums usually include 13 stars, while Confederate drums have 11. However, there were no standards or regulations for how drums were decorated, so, like many hints for identifying antiques, these cues are not always 100% accurate.

Still, one visual cue from Civil War drums carries some of their most poignant significance. Civil War drums, which are usually about 12 to 14 inches deep and 16 inches in diameter, are visibly smaller than drums from earlier American wars. This is because Civil War drummer boys were younger. (There are also claims that some “drummer boys” were girls who disguised themselves as boys to join the army. While there are confirmed cases of women who served in the army as men during the Civil War, the stories of “drummer girls” have been contested.) There are records of boys joining the army as drummers as young as 9 years old. While these might

Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting

Civil War drums were designed to accommodate drummer boys

During the Civil War, military drums and the very young drummers who played them served practical purposes as well as being poignant images. (DONLEY AUCTIONS)

have made exciting stories for children, they are also important reminders of the dangers and tragedy of war. Drummers were in dangerous positions and were the youngest casualties of many Civil War battles.

Q. Upon my grandma’s death, I received a brooch given to her by her mother’s mother that has been reported as being a brooch worn by mourning widows of the Civil War. The time frame would certainly fit that. I have not had success finding someone to look at the piece for me. Would you happen to have any suggestions?

A. Mourning jewelry was extremely popular in the United States at the time of the Civil War, and more broadly from about 1820 to the 1880s. The death toll of the war, the sentimentality of the Victorian era, especially its mourning traditions, and the Industrial Revolution introducing manufacturing methods that allowed

for fairly inexpensive, accessible jewelry were all factors. Generally, if you want to identify or appraise a piece of antique jewelry, we recommend contacting a jeweler or antique dealer in your area.

Because your brooch is so old and a specialized type of jewelry, you may want to contact an auction house that handles jewelry.

Many major auction houses provide free assessments or appraisals, can conduct them remotely from photographs, and have their contact information online.

Q. I have a six-place dinner setting of Noritake Folkstone china. There are plates, saucers, mugs, and side plates, plus a milk jug and a medium serving bowl and platter. I am downsizing and looking to sell it. Can you tell me the possible value?

A. Folkstone was a stoneware line of dinnerware by Noritake, a popular porcelain manufacturer in Japan, about

1970. Muted, earthy colors, a more “natural” or rustic look, and casual table settings were growing popular about that time, and folk art, especially stoneware pottery, was gaining recognition as an art form and collectible. The Folkstone line fit in with these trends.

Complete sets of vintage dinnerware can be difficult to sell and usually go for fairly low prices. We have seen groupings of an individual type of Folkstone dish (for example, a group of six dinner plates) sell for about $30 to $75, depending on the condition and pattern. Serving pieces sell for about $20 to $50 each. You may want to look up matching services that buy and sell antique and vintage china and silverware. They often buy vintage dinnerware sets and may pay more than you would get from an antiques dealer, consignment store, or auction.

TIP: Never wash vintage silk, satin, banners, flags, or embroideries. The dyes may fade, and the lightweight fabrics wear out very quickly.

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 closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of 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.

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. Store, bench, shoe salesman’s, bent seat, metal frame, twisted loop legs, diamond shape stretcher, 15 x 26 inches, $45.

Thermometer, Quaker State Motor Oil, round dial, green lettering, plastic face, metal bracket, 12 inches, $60.

Toy, bird, standing, sings, yellow chest, green head, multicolor wings, metal, key wind, Germany, mid-20th century, 4 1/2 inches, $155. Jewelry, bracelet, cuff, Navajo, openwork, five oval cabochons, green malachite, silver, signed, Harry Spencer, mid-20th century, 2 5/8 inches, $160.

Glass-Bohemian, bottle, uranium green, multicolor enamel flowers, pink roses, yellow trim and beading, pressed panels, three rings around neck, 1800s, 7 inches, $190.

World War I, banner, The Victory Liberty Loan, large V, red and blue lettering, wide red border, frame, 34 x 29 inches, $280.

Silver-English, picture frame, arched top, allover texture, easel back, bracket feet, marked, Mappin & Webb, late 1800s, 3 1/2 x 3 inches, $290.

Furniture, bench, Windsor, Sheraton, pine, painted, brown, turned spindles, plank seat, stretcher base, scrolled arms, c. 1800, 35 x 78 1/2 inches, $750.

Clock, shelf, gilt bronze, Rococo style, pierced leafy branches, two putti playing instruments, key, pendulum, France, 1800s, 19 1/2 inches, $1,535.

Porcelain-Chinese, umbrella stand, Famille Rose, robin’s egg blue ground, bird perching in flowering tree, wide yellow bands at rim and base, relief flower medallions, 25 inches, $2,175.

Average US longterm mortgage rate ticks

By M att O tt Associated Press

up to 6.22%

The average rate on a 30year U.S. mortgage ticked up for the first time in five weeks after falling to its lowest level in more than a year last week.

The average long-term mortgage rate moved up to 6.22% from 6.17% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.79%.

Last week’s average rate the lowest 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 rose this week. The average rate rose to 5.5% from 5.41% last week. A year ago, it was 6%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s 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 10-year yield was at 4.09% at midday Thursday, down from 4.16% Wednesday.

Lower mortgage rates boost homebuyers’ purchasing power and benefit homeowners eager to refinance their current home loan to a lower rate.

The average rate on a 30year mortgage has been stuck 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 three decades. Sales have been sluggish this year, but accelerated in September to their fastest pace since February as mortgage rates eased.

Deeds

AGAWAM

Chelsea L. Pappelardo to Griffin Thomas Wood, 8 Ash Lane, $295,000.

Mortgage rates began declining in July in the lead-up to the Federal Reserve’s decision in September to cut its main interest rate for the first time in a year amid growing concern over the U.S. labor market.

The Fed lowered its key interest rate again last week in a bid to help boost the wobbling job market. However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that there is no guarantee the U.S. central bank will cut again at its final meeting of 2025 in December.

The Fed could also pump the brakes on more rate cuts if inflation climbs further amid the Trump administration’s expanding use of tariffs, because lower rates can worsen inflation.

Bond investors demand higher returns as long as inflation remains elevated, so if inflation ticks upward that could translate into higher yields on the 10-year Treasury note, pushing up mortgage rates.

The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, and even when it cuts its short-term rates that doesn’t necessarily mean rates on home loans will necessarily decline.

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. At that time, the 10-year Treasury yield was climbing toward 5%.

The broader 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 rates would have to drop below 6% to make refinancing an attractive option for many homeowners. 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.

David W. Hamel and Sharon F. Hamel to Lynn M. Bovat and Daniel L. O’Connor, 209 Pineview Circle, $505,000.

Donna Roundy and Robert A. Roundy to Ava Carmichael and Kenneth Dreyer, 969 Main St., $377,000. Doreco LLC, to Huynh D. Le, 24 Regency Park Drive, $198,000.

Pine Crossing Construction Inc., to Jean Zacarie Bataille and Daniela Bataille, 10 Nolan Lane, $650,000.

West Co. Investments LLC, to Lois A. Rising, 115 Meadow Brook Road, $301,000.

AMHERST

Christine R. Acker to Ryan Severin, 53 Henry St., $455,000.

Yuju Tai and Evelyn Yuju Tai to I-Chen Chang, Tsui-Yu H. Change and Youko R. Parsons, 11 Salem Place, $300,000.

Thais Moulin to Hao Huang and Chaotian Zeng, 112 Leverett Road, $455,000.

Patricia A. Cahill to Marada LLC, 12 Moorland St., $378,000.

U.S. Bank Trust NA, trustee, LSF9 Masters Participation Trust and Hudson Homes Management LLC, attorney-in-fact, to Dinakaran Ranghanathan, 74 North Whitney St., $480,000.

BELCHERTOWN

Henry Doubleday Waters Jr., and Anna Rose Cieri to 546 Federal LLC, 546 Federal St., $100.

Henry Doubleday Waters Jr., and Anna Rose Cieri to 546 Federal LLC, Federal Street, $100.

Richard M. Gold and Niles A. Gold to Brad M. Dimiero and Anne M. Dimiero, Spring Hill Road, $165,000.

James M. Roche and Kara J. Roche to Shawna Harrington and Dennis Coleman, 325 Stebbins St., $735,000.

Rachel McArdle and Rachel Thomas to Daniel R. Daoust and Katherine Daoust, 65 West St., $638,202.

CHARLEMONT

Levi Janssen and Wesley Janssen to Joshua Mann, 145 Main St., $399,000.

CHESTERFIELD

John W. Lyons, personal representative, and William G. Lyons, estate, to Jonathan L. Kassen, 39 Cowper

Road, $415,000.

CHICOPEE

637 Front Street LLC, to Chicopee Electric Light, 637 Front St., $825,000.

Daniel Stamborski and Timothy Foley to Caroline Lareau and Jacob Wheeler, 24 Driscoll St., $310,000.

Efrain Suarez and Angela G. Suarez to Efrain Suarez, 22 Tenney St., $75,000.

Jill A. Lueb to Kaitlyn Peterson, 29 Lester St., $313,323.

Joanne Cebula to Mohammed Al Bayati and Mina Al Bayati, 104 Wheatland Ave., $313,500.

Joyce L. Duquette to Matthew Jensen, 441 Britton St., $130,000.

Juana Hoyos, estate, and Natalie A. Gabriel, representative, to Briana C. Luzio, 49 Mitchell Drive, Unit Q15, $187,500.

MJTD LLC, to JRP Properties LLC, 599 Chicopee St., $620,000.

Nancy M. Kubetin to MC Nest Properties LLC, 16 Monroe St., $370,000.

Rachel A. Coderre to Zeki Yildiz, 66 Applewood Drive, $186,000.

Robert J. St. Laurent, representative, and Elizabeth A. St. Laurent, estate, to Zachary P. St. Laurent, Gregory R. St. Laurent and Ruth St. Laurent, 183 Olko Circle, $260,000.

Waycon Inc., to David J. Letasz and Anne Marie Whelihan, 6 Stockbridge St., $565,528.

CUMMINGTON

Susan M. Teasley and Susan Teasley to Edward J. Dobkowski, 69 Cole St., $710,000.

DEERFIELD

Karen K. Murphy to Cheryl A. Bohonowicz, trustee of the Bohonowicz Family Trust, 107 Plain Road, $550,000.

Jamie C. Cocco and Morgan R. Lentz to Christine Edler and Susan Kennedy, 49 Eastern Ave., $435,000.

EASTHAMPTON

Valerie J. Stevens to Coreen Stevens and Matthew Stevens, 14-16 Searle Ave., $210,000.

Jumana Jaloudi to Norwich Properties LLC, 3 Adams St., $540,000.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Lois A. Rising to Ahmad Kabbout, 503 Parker St., $455,000.

Pride Operating LLC, to Colvest/ East Longmeadow LLC, 21 N Main St., $1,000,000.

Steven D. Rich and Kimberly M.

Rich to Stephanie A. Gordon, 37 Bent Tree Drive, $699,900.

ERVING

Lidia Tricolici and Nicolae Tricolici to Tam Nguyen, 7 Lester St., $47,000.

Chelsea Ann Mesloh, trustee of the Northfield Road Nominee Trust, and Deborah A. Wills and Michael E. Wills to Richard Petithory, 29 Northfield Road, $530,000.

GRANBY

Gregory K. Hurley and Cheryl A. Hurley to Susan M. Teasley, 16 Jennifer Drive, $415,000.

Chocorua Construction LLC, to Anna Kierkla and Marianna Kierkla, 2 Circle Drive, $395,000.

Melanie Sharick, personal representative, Meghan Sharick, personal representative, and Raymond Michael Sharick, estate, to Mary Ann Donze, 68 Harris St., $352,000.

GREENFIELD

Jason M. McKinnon, “aka” Jamie M. McKinnon, and Robin L. McKinnon to Maureen Hart, 79 Beech St., $300,000.

Mikayla Panko and Robyn Panko, trustees of the Panko Irrevocable Trust, to 4 Silver Crest LLC., 4 Silver Crest Lane, Unit 5 Silver Crest Condominium, $365,000.

Donna M. Card and Richard B. Card Jr., to Robert L. Kuttner, 23 Birch St., $360,000.

OV Properties LLC, to Linden L. Bainbridge, 34B Princeton Terrace, Unit 34 Meadowview Manor Condominium, $157,000.

Bruce L. Austin to Paul D. Viens, 5 Carpenter Lane, $73,500.

Daniel A. Lapine, “aka” Daniel Lapine, and Sheila Lapine to Tyler Perreault, 84 Thayer Road, $380,000.

HADLEY

William C. Podolak, Bill Podolak and Robbin Podolak to Alinas Real Estate LLC, 86 Russell St., $517,500. Peter Kenneth Earle and Megan Thornton Earle to Douglas George and Donna George, 4 Kosior Drive, $427,000.

HAMPDEN

John J. Goetcheus and Sabra E. Goetcheus to Garth Matthew Mastello and Kendra Geralyn Mastello, 88 Tall Pines Road, Unit 33, $445,000.

Joseph Rescia and Kara S. Rescia to Anthony S. Campbell and Samantha Campbell, 8 Evergreen Terrace, $484,450.

Deeds

HATFIELD

Hannah E. Zahn to Peter R. Irvine, trustee, and 22 Pantry Road Trust, 22 Pantry Road, $450,000.

HAWLEY

124 E Hawley Road LLC, to Derrick P. Russell and Karen M. Russell, 124 East Hawley Road, $449,000.

HOLLAND

Dan Mason and Samantha Mason to Mitchell Harter, 77 Vinton Road, $310,000.

Jarret Tanner Sumwalt and Stephanie Sumwalt to Jacek Zielinski and Anna Zielinski, 122 Vinton Road, $119,900.

HOLYOKE

Daniel Liboissonnault to Luke Ratcliffe and Jeannine Ratcliffe, 267 Southampton Road, $530,500.

Diane G. Martel and Janet Kuster to Ralph A. Simpson, 22 Lexington Ave., $555,000.

Joan C. Champagne, estate, Gerald L. Champagne, representative, Jacob D. Champagne and John J. Champagne to Keri Padua, 89 Meadowbrook Road, $315,000.

Mary M. Moriarty and Mary D. Moriarty to Vihdydevi Lalchand and Narvanie Lalchand, 31 Reservation Road, $405,000.

Neil A. Lippman, trustee, and Burton S. Resnic Irrevocable Inter Vivos Trust, trustee of, to Dreampath Homebuyers LLC, 20 Longfellow Road, $330,000.

Todd Rolland, representative, and Louis J. Luchini Jr., estate, to Salim Abdoo, 641 Northampton St., $275,000.

HUNTINGTON

Cheryl Brooks and Michael Long to Jeffrey M. Siegel, trustee, and Holiday House Nominee Trust, 236 Norwich Lake, $515,000.

LONGMEADOW

Cynthia L. Kesterke and David J. Kesterke to Harold D. Gray and Deeba A. Zaher, 77 Longmeadow St., $630,000.

William K. Cargill and Bianca M. Cargill to Ayush Garg and Tulsi Mali, 595 Laurel St., $570,000.

LUDLOW

Cari A. Breault to Ashley Lukas and Jakob Chartier, 124 Yale St., $340,000.

Daniil Gerasimchuk to Isan Diaz, 835 West St., $670,000. Jacqueline Goncalves to Andrea J. Gancarz, 57 Stivens Terrace, $565,000.

MONSON

Kevin M Brown to Hannah Jean Niemiec and Garrett Mark Cassavant, 164 Wales Rd, $501,535.

NEW SALEM

Lori-Jo Oliver and Richard H. Oliver to Alexandre A. Lapuh, 148 West St., $668,000.

Lana Copeta, Lori J. Copeta, Lynn Copeta, Lisa Duran and Lois Ray-Paliulis to Jennifer Duran, 78 N. Spectacle Pond Road, $286,000.

NORTHAMPTON

Erin M. Mahon-Moore and Jerome W. Haines to Jason L. Johnson, 163 Main St., $180,000.

David K. Kirk, trustee, Edith P. Kirk, trustee, and Kirk Realty Trust to Noelle R. Moss, trustee, and Noelle R. Moss 2021 Revocable Trust, 36 Sovereign Way, $840,000.

NORTHFIELD

Dorothy Peck Foster and Rebecca J. Foster to Mary Lou Moore, 4 Linden Ave., $85,000.

ORANGE

Marc D. Manuel and Lorena E. Rosenbaum-Manuel to Harold David Dansby and Suzanne Sarty-Dansby. 58 Mattawa Circle, $375,000.

Cory Perry to Jessica S. Marshall, Susan Marshall and Nathan K. Swartz. 180 Holtshire Road, $325,000.

PALMER

Martin Skowyra and Donna A. Skowyra to Michelle M. Rame and Adam J. Dziewit, 52-54 Beech St., $562,500.

SHELBURNE

Etienne M. Debaudringhien to Sarah Davenport, 339 South Shelburne Road, $246,000.

SOUTH HADLEY

Nora H. Viets Van Dyk, Nora H. Mariano, Jennifer Mae Viets Van Dyk and Jennifer Mae Viets to Shana Avrutick Wallace and Greenlee Brown, 18 Sunset Ave., $325,000.

Anthony Traiforos and Annierose Traiforos to Zulma D. Rodas De Aguilar, 3 Ralph Ave., $280,000.

Katherine Eleanor Adele Orszulak to Daniel Covington and Alyssa Covington, 15 Karen Drive, $456,000.

Laurel J. Dugre to James Woods III,

41 West Summit St., $247,000.

Brian Michael Keller to Brian David Krok and Dana Leann Kleinschmidt, 28 River Lodge Road, $580,000.

SOUTHWICK

Anastasios E. Karathanasopoulos, trustee, and Tasos Family Trust, trustee of, to GTC Enterprises LLC, 25 Powdermill Road, Unit 36, $108,000.

William A. Tourigny to Kyle P. Kelleher and Cesira L. Kelleher, 76 Rosewood Lane, Unit 76, $315,000.

SPRINGFIELD

AJ & Sons Properties LLP, Aimee Nieroda and John Nieroda to Lilian Colman and Tho Le, 70-72 Sorrento St., $315,000.

Anthony Baumann to Andrew C. Spruce, 103 Nassau Drive, Unit 103, $192,500.

Anthony Gibbs Jr., to Luis Alberto Alvalle Mercado and Isabella Marie Alval le Soto, 116-118 Johnson St., $425,000.

Bailey Housing LLC, to Property Management Investors & Developers LLC, 498 Liberty St., $40,000.

BMO Real Estate LLC, to Myhozotys Balbuena and Jose Armando Balbuena, 580 Plainfield St., $600,000.

Daniel E. Dwarska and Mackenzie Dwarska to Steven D. Rich and Kimberly M. Rich, 121 West Crystal Brook Drive, $375,000.

Daniel M. Triggs and Emily Jarvis to Kimberly Rueda, 30 Beauchamp St., $289,000.

Daniel R. Daoust and Katherine L. Daoust to Phonethip Nankhaty-Rivera and Phaengphanh Nankati, 152 Druid Hill Road, $345,000.

David Anthony Gonzalez and Yuliana Garcia to Mohamed A. Ahmed and Iman W. Ali, 24 Porter St., $360,000.

Donna M. Padilla and Darrin Padilla to Antonio Lewis Jr., 19 Ruthven St., $315,000.

Freedom Parker LLC, to Zulma Colon, 1130 Parker St., $305,000. Isan Diaz to Steven Ericson, 77 Gates Ave., $452,250.

Jason Rafael Hernandez Bermudez, Silvia G. Bermudez De Hernandez, Leslie Nicolle Duran Guandique and Rafael Hernandez to Ana Luiza Franco, 61 Kimberly Ave., $360,000.

Justin D. Gillette to Anthony Baumann, 240 El Paso St., $276,000.

Kaitlyn Peterson to Anthony Dickerson, 7 Turner St., $255,000.

Karen E. Drenzek and Kimberley A. Mercure to Ian C. Harvey, 246 Hartwick St., $279,570.

Karen Robertson, representative, and Dorothy D. Nicholas, estate, to Christopher J. Marion Jr., 396 Hermitage Drive, $245,000.

Kevin A. Labbe, representative, and Joan L. Rice, estate, to Fefabo Management LLC, 71 Fairfield St., $215,000.

Lenora V. Johnson to Lynn Pineda and Jose Falcon, 184 Russell St., $280,000.

Linda M. Sacenti, Bianca M. Sacenti and David A. Sacenti to Jeffry Manuel Moya Acosta, 124 Washington St., $212,000.

Blythewood Property Management LLC, to B-Home Properties LLC, 55 Pheland St., $290,000.

Marina A. Luff, trustee, and Marina A. Luff Revocable Family Trust 2020, trustee of, to James J. Greer Jr., and Elizabeth J. Wilson Greer, 131 Endicott St., $321,500.

Maritza Crespo to Rodney Vazquez, 11-13 Spruce St., $325,000.

Mass Housing Connect Inc., to Brian Cruz, 871-873 Worthington St., $535,000.

Pedro Aguirre and Martany Aguirre to Cesar Huaman Puente and Daysi Brea Coronado, 71 Hilltop St., $400,000.

Phantom Holdings LLC, to Monica Kuku, 64-66 East Bay Path Terrace, $349,000.

R. Sitterly LLC, to Bar Belmont LLC, 270-274 Liberty St., $250,000.

Ralph F. Hess, Christine Hess and Chrstine Hess to Roman Long and Tashe Long, 62 Wayside St., $399,900.

Rita L. Banks to Glenroy Andre Henry, 67 Manhattan St., $225,000.

Rita M. McAloon to Family & Developments LLC, 17 Jeanne Marie St., $205,000.

Round Two LLC, to Panther Dev Towers LLC, 80 West Alvord St., $360,000.

Samuel A. Smith and Melisa A. Smith to Ralitsa Gencheva and Daniel Long, 81 Oak Hollow Road, $395,000.

Samuel E. Gledhill to Joseph P. Albano, 31 Fallston St., $322,500.

Sergey Dikan to Shafiqul Islam and Kamrun Nahar, 22-24 Medford St., $430,000.

Soraya Tejada to Don Philip Silverman, 140 Chestnut St., Unit 402, $92,000.

Tricia L. Dunfield, representative, and Gordon R. Granger, estate, to Emtay Inc., 106-108 Breckwood Circle, $229,000.

Tunisia V. Ezell, representative, Tunisia Vennetta Ezell, representative, Elijah Washington Sr., estate, and Elijah Washington, estate, to Hummad Ijaz, 141 Hood St., $165,000.

Victor English and Bethany English to Veteran Stan LLC, 191 Laconia St., $195,000.

West Jam Man LLC, to Shantay Hawk, 716 Parker St., $312,500. Wicked Deals LLC, to Maderose LLC,

19 Eldert St., $145,000.

Y & E Legacy LLC, to Alia Maria Bownoth and Evelyn Julissa Hernandez Mo, 37-39 Porter St., $395,000. Yenit Degracia and Ursela De Gracia to Rosemeire A. Dos Santos, 135 College St., $440,000.

Zahoor Ul Haq to 5 Star Wilbraham Realty LLC, 603 Wilbraham Road, $1,100,000.

WARE

Mabel Rivas and Eduardo Alberto Tavares to Guivens Andre and Aimee Andre, 35-37 High St., $360,000.

WARWICK

Scott M. Vandenberg, personal representative of the Estate of Patricia Marie Vandenberg, “aka” Patricia M. Vandenberg, to Corey Bass, 316 Gale Road, $40,000.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Daniel McCarthy and Sharon McCarthy to Shashi Murlidhar Bharvirkar, 27 Park Ave Court, Unit 8, $162,900. Lane Contracting Co. LLC, to Hunter Sarnelli, 69 Lancaster Ave., $360,000.

Leena T. Rahmat to Abduallah Abbas Murad, 30 Day St., $380,000.

Mark A. Paddock, representative, and Eleanor S. Paddock, estate, to Alejandro Ruiz-Bocanegra and Pamela J. McClure, 40 Hampden St., $235,620.

Peter Novik and Tatyana Novik to Nadia Baraban, Peter Baraban and Aleksandr Baraban, Hyde Road, Lot 3, $168,000.

West Co. Investments LLC, to George J. Borelli III, 636 Amostown Road, $290,000.

WESTFIELD

D & A Investments LLC, to Derek Kenneth Piquette, 3 Norton St., $470,000.

Daniel Brendan Holland, Mara Holland Lindsay, Kelly John Holland, Anthony Lee Lindsay and Emily Helen Holland to Lawrence J. Carnes, 110 Kensington Ave., $350,000.

Darlene G. Swaffer, trustee, Thomas A. Swaffer, trustee, Tom Swaffer, trustee, and Swaffer Trust, trustee of, to Travis Searles, 72-74 Notre Dame St., $404,300.

Eileen Adams and Timothy V. Flouton to Timothy V. Flouton and Carol Flouton, 89 Northwest Road, $150,000.

Everett F. Pitts to Nicholas J. Connaughton, 7 Toledo Ave., $270,000.

Joshua C. Cyr to Sergey Ovechkin, 9 Crown St., $356,000.

CONTINUES FROM PAGE F3

Cost is $60 members, $80 nonmembers. For more information, visit www. berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.

WILBRAHAM

Wilbraham

Garden

Club

meeting

The Wilbraham Garden Club November meeting will meet in the St. Cecilia

Deeds

CONTINUES FROM PAGE F9

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.

WILBRAHAM

For main crop figs, make thinning cuts of all stems growing from ground level or off the trunk(s) below about 2 feet height, and heading cuts back to a few inches long.

Because the breba crop forms on one-year-old stems, pruning a plant for a breba crop demands more restraint. Leave enough stems for a good breba crop in the coming season. Also plan for a future crop by heading back some stems to coax new growth this coming season for a supply of breba-bearing, one-year-old stems next season.

Some examples from today’s pruning might further clarify. For the variety Kadota, which bears mostly a main crop, I prune severely. A plant can be trained to have one to three trunks (I do one). Pruning is easy. Completely remove (thinning cuts) all growth, except for the trunk(s), that originates below a couple of feet above ground level, then drastically shorten (heading cuts) back to one or two buds any growth from the top of that trunk or trunks.

At the other extreme is the variety Verte, also known as Green Ischia, which bears only

a breba crop. I leave lots of oneyear-old stems, but also shorten a couple or so of them to coax sufficient new growth that will be one-year-old, breba-bearing stems two years hence. (Yes, yes, I do see that the photo has a couple of figs trying to ripen on new growth, indicating that they’re main crop figs. I guess this plant didn’t read my book.)

And then there are a number of fig varieties — Excel, Genoa, Celeste, and Honey, for example — that split the difference, bearing both main and breba crops each season. Splitting the difference is also the road to take when pruning these varieties..

I’m not yet finished with figs for the season. In my greenhouse, where winter temperatures are allowed to dip to a still fig-friendly 35° on cold nights, my four fig plants are trained as espaliers.

Espalier is the training of plant stems to an orderly and attractive design. In the case of fruit plants, this two or three dimensional design is also very productive.

My fig plants each have a single, permanent trunk about 18” high. From the top of this trunk extends two permanent, horizontal arms in opposite directions, or a single, permanent, horizontal arm. Each year new shoots grow vertically, with some help from me and

bamboo poles, along which new figs develop and ripen. Main crop figs, obviously.

Pruning is super simple. Today I cut all those shoots back to the horizontal arms. Done. Fini. Finito. Terminado.

Still not finished with figs for the season. Although winter air temperatures are too frigid for figs here in zone 5a, ground temperatures are not. Making use of warmth from the ground, I’ve trained two fig plants just like those in my greenhouse, except with trunks a few inches or less above ground level.

Soon I will cut all vertical shoots from the permanent, horizontal arms. These low plants are then easy to cover with some sort of insulation — autumn leaves, for instance — topped with a waterproof cover to keep out rainfall and hold leaves in place.

The winter home of these inground figs could, unfortunately, provide food and lodging for rodents. I’ll avoid this by putting off covering the plants until weather turns colder and the animals are likely to have already secured their winter quarters elsewhere. I’ll also spray the plants with Bobbex, a very effective repellent. And I’ll cut lots of mint from my still-green mint plants to strew under the figs. Rodents reputedly stay away from mint. I hope so.

Lawrence J. Carnes and Kelley M. Carnes to Aaron Brodeur and Jasmine Brodeur, 128 Skyline Drive, $530,000.

Pauline M Carmel, Pauline A Carmel, Michael J Carmel and George E Carmel to Aaron J Musa and Kimberly A Musa, 0 Little River Rd, $55,000.

Advent Christian Church of Westfield and Westfield Community Church to Jessica E. Wright and Truly Wright, 15 Central St., $165,000.

Tok Chang to Judith Stolfo, 44 Governor Drive, $378,500.

Tracy W. Gamble, representative, and Beverly Jane Gamble, estate, to Stuart W. Gamble, 646 Granville Road, $350,000.

Wicked Deals LLC, to Donn Michael Bulan, 23 Hancock St., $391,500.

WESTHAMPTON

Helen K. Desantis to Aaron Bauer, Main Road, $250,000.

Sarajane E. Whiting to David J. Johnson and Rachel A. Johnson, 258 Main Road, $525,000.

WHATELY

Deyanne Harrison and Shayne Harrison, individually and as trustees of the BDH Trust, to Joseph Watson, 1 South Part Road “aka” WS Mt. Esther Road, $47,500.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation to Nouria Energy Corp., 372 Old State Road, $100,006.

Alina J. LeClaire to Tina M. Cordi and Tina Cordi, 2205 Boston Road, Unit M125, $330,000. Alyn Coler to Richard F. Loud Jr., and Joan B. Loud, 7 Decorie Dr, $415,000.

Chantal Bernard and Robert S. Ferrier to Meghan K. Safford and Bryan D. Safford, 10 Primrose Lane, $372,000.

Charles Stark, trustee, and Stark Family Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, to Raymond J. Crooks, 16 Jewell Lane, $391,000.

James E. Hogan to Joshua Holt and Gwendolyn Holt, 37 Longview Drive, $460,000.

Kimberly A. Spock, trustee, Thomas F. Spock, trustee, and Kimberly A. Spock Trust, trustee of, to Marissa Provost Contreras and Alejandro Contreras, 5 Hilltop Park, $1,035,000.

Richard F. Loud Jr., and Joan B. Loud to Christopher Krupczak and Meghan Monaghan, 1 Sunset Rock Road, $475,000.

Steven Michael Harper to Hazel Zebian and Joseph Zebian, 103 Main St., $265,000.