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ANTIQUES: Garden statues inspired by ‘Wally Birds,’ F7 IN THE GARDEN: How to maintain a bonsai, F3 HOME: Old TVs in the kitchen have become a new trend, F6 Mount Holyoke botanist shares his expertise in this month’s ‘Garden Talk,’ Page F2

GARDEN TALK

The secret for bountiful bulbs in spring?

Plant them in the fall, according to Mount Holyoke College botanist Thomas Clark

By Dawn C hipman

Special to The Republican Garden Talk is a monthly column that features master gardeners and other experienced plant people in western Massachusetts. Each month, you’ll meet different experts, learn about their gardening lives and get advice on everything from pest control to haircuts for lavender. A big part of gardening is community — people sharing tricks, trowels, plants and a general love of gardening — and these stories are an extension of that ethos.

OCTOBER INTO EARly November is prime time for spring bulb planting, so read on for related tips and tricks from this month’s plantsperson, Thomas Clark. A gardener and botanist who’s planted thousands of bulbs, Clark is also director and curator of the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden, home to a popular, flowering bulb show you may know about. (More on that later.)

Clark grew up in Hadley where his early horticultural experiences included weeding onions on a local farm, participating in 4-H, and working at the Hadley Garden Center. After he graduated from the University of Massachusetts with degrees in plant and soil science and botany, he spent a year in Scotland at Threave School of Horticulture and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. Clark says his passion for plants is broad and definitely extends to all kinds of bulbs from tulips and daffys to native lilies. “You plant them in October, kind of forget about them until they pop up with a burst of color the following spring; somehow it’s like finding a fiver in April in the pocket of a jacket you last wore in October — a welcome surprise!” Clark said.

Q. What’s your favorite part of your job at Mount Holyoke College?

Clark: There are several aspects of my work I could readily label as “my favorite.” Foundational to all the work we do is maintaining an incredibly diverse living collection that serves our mission of plant-based education, conservation and engagement. Developing the living collection and working closely with plants is likely my absolute favorite part but beyond that what I enjoy most is sharing my enthusiasm for plants and engaging visitors of all ages with the fascinating world of plants and the vitality of the work we do — you can talk with anyone about plants. After all, plants are absolutely essential to life and to the functioning of the planet.

Q. Could you share some behind-the-scenes details about the spring bulb show at the Talcott Greenhouse?

Clark: As we have for the past 53 years, the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden is gearing up for our annual spring flower show, which will run March 7 – 22, 2026 — it always begins the first Saturday of March — but it’s the culmination of a year-

long process. Planning for the following year’s show begins before we’ve even recovered from the current year’s show! Our entire staff consists of only three people and staging the show is a collaborative and monumental effort.

The greatest satisfaction comes not from what we’ve created per se, rather, it’s getting to witness people’s enjoyment of what we’ve created. When winter still has at least a tenuous grip on the weather, winter-weary visitors walk into the greenhouse and are overwhelmed by the wonderful fragrances and vibrant colors. We try new things every year so it’s a great way to see and smell a wide range of bulbs that visitors may want to consider for their own garden. One thing many people are unaware of is that the Botanic Garden’s greenhouse is open to all visitors year-round.

Q. Please take us on a brief “tour” of your personal garden.

Clark: My wife and I have a large and (for better or worse!) ever-expanding garden. We are blessed to have a range of soil types, exposures, and natural features that provide exciting opportunities to grow a wealth of plants. Throughout our garden we’ve favored

informality, flowing lines and, in places, a decidedly naturalistic approach, except in the veggie garden where straight rows and a formal geometry present a distinct contrast to the rest of the garden. We have hundreds of different kinds of plants — mostly trees, shrubs, perennials (including bulbs) but many selfsown annuals make a strong showing throughout the garden as well as many we raise from seed and plant each year. It’s very much a plantsperson’s garden, a collector’s garden, and every year we accumulate many dozen new plants of all kinds to try — grown from seed, shared by friends or purchased at plant sales and nurseries. We do our best to work with nature, but we do enjoy the challenge of growing plants that need that bit of extra attention and careful siting to achieve success.

We know we’re plant-crazy; our neighbors probably think we’re just plain crazy!

Q. What are your best bulb-planting tips?

Clark: Tip number one: pointy side up! Once you’ve mastered that, above all, plant bulbs in masses if at all possible; a single daffodil or snowdrop is lovely but for real impact, plant in groupings or drifts as opposed to sprinkling one here and one there. If you only have the resources to plant ten daffodil bulbs, for instance, plant them in an informal group. Relatively speaking, bulbs provide a great return on investment; they’re relatively cheap and other than work involved in planting, they ask very little of the gardener and many pay increasingly handsome dividends each year.

Lee Reich | In the Garden

How to maintain a bonsai fig

MY LITTLE FIG tree put on a lot of new growth this year. Let me qualify this statement. By “fig,” in this case, I mean my weeping fig (Ficus benjamina). It’s a relative of edible fig, also edible (but rarely eaten), and a common houseplant, valued for its relaxed appearance, its small, glossy green leaves, and its tolerance for indoor environments. By “a lot of new growth,” I mean a half an inch or so.

Despite that meager growth, the plant has grown too large. Nothing like it would have grown outdoors in open ground in the tropics, where these trees’ branches quickly soar skyward and sideways to the size of our sugar maples. From those branches drip aerial roots which anchor themselves in the ground, the ones nearest the trunk eventually merging together to become part of a fattening trunk.

My little fig, you probably guessed by now, is a bonsai.

STOCKBRIDGE

Upcoming harvest events at Berkshire Botanical Garden

Berkshire Botanical Garden presents On Saturday Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12, the annual Harvest festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Celebrate fall at one of the Berkshires’ most beloved

traditions! Every October, the Garden’s 24-acre grounds are transformed into a lively celebration of community, culture, the natural world, and the region’s agricultural heritage.

This year’s Harvest Festival features: Family-friendly activities: pony rides, hay maze and hay jump, hayrides, face painting, haunted house, petting zoo, square dancing, and more; live music on the Main Stage; shopping and food with over 50 artisan craft vendors,

regional food trucks, plant sale and more. New this year is the Scarecrow Walk & Design contest.

Event takes place, rain or shine. Tickets at the gate: $15, children under 12 free. Free parking in adjacent fields. No pets allowed (except registered service animal. For more information, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.

The tree, if I may call a fourinch-high plant a “tree,” began life here as one of a clump of what evidently were rooted cuttings in a small, plastic pot I purchased on impulse from a big box store. Back here at the farmden, I got to work on it, first teasing the plants apart from each other, selecting one as keeper.

The road to bonsai-dom began as I trimmed back the roots to be able to fit the plant into its new home, a 3 by 4-1/2 -inch shallow pot about an inch deep. There was little to prune aboveground, but I made any cuts necessary, with the future in mind.

Jumping forward in time, the bonsai fig is now a tween, eleven years old. And it’s time for its annual preening. The goal of this preening is to keep the plant small and proportioned to its shallow pot. Like any plant, bonsai fig periodically needs new root growth for mineral nutrition and young leaves for photosynthesis.

As the garden winds down, it’s time to care for winter-prepping birds

By Jessica Damiano Associated Press

IJUST CLEANED OUT AND FILLED

a couple of birdfeeders to help my migrating backyard buddies fuel up for their long journeys south. And I’ll keep it well-stocked with high-energy seed mix throughout winter to feed the non-migratory birds that tough it out until spring in my suburban New York garden.

After all, it’s now, when the garden is slowing down, that birds need us the most. Providing sustenance is one of several ways that we can support them.

When selecting road food (sky food?) for birds, I always seek out options that provide high-quality sources of fat and protein, like unsalted peanuts, blackoil sunflower seeds and suet, which are cakes made from animal fat, seeds, grains and mealworms.

I’ll also whip up a batch of sugar-water “nectar” for migrating hummingbirds by dissolving 1 cup of white sugar in 4 cups of boiling water, then allowing it to cool. All this is to supplement the buffet of seeds and berries that my perennials, shrubs and trees will naturally provide.

Let some perennials remain as food, habitat, visual interest

I’ve long ago abandoned the idea of a tidy winter garden, instead leaving most of my perennials, many of them natives, standing until spring. The plump seeds hidden in their faded flower heads will also feed the non-migratory birds that

rough it out here over the winter, when other food sources are scarce.

The asters, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, goldenrods and ornamental grasses will soon be dry and crispy, but they will continue to serve the garden and its inhabitants for months.

So will the berries nestled between the spiky leaves of my American holly bush, and those clinging to soon-to-be bare viburnum and dogwood branches. With any luck, nuts will fall to the ground encased in their “pinecone” packages, although I suspect this may be an off year for my Norway spruce.

If you aren’t already in the habit, consider leaving your spent perennials standing over winter. Not only will they serve essential wildlife, but they’ll serve you, too.

Birdsong in winter is a treat in my garden, and the view of snow-covered seedheads from my window is certainly prettier than what my neighbor sees when gazing at her barren wasteland of a flattened, cleared-out garden.

Add trees and other plants

If you don’t have seed- or berry-producing plants in your landscape, you’re in luck. Not only is early fall a great time to plant shrubs and perennials, but the plants are likely to be steeply discounted at the garden center.

Consider adding trees, too. Oaks, firs, hickories and evergreens are among

AGAWAM Agawam Garden Club meeting

The next meeting of the Agawam Garden Club will be Tuesday, Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m. at the Agawam Public Library located at 750 Cooper Street. After a short business meeting Matthew Flatow, owner of Flowers Flowers, will create fall arrangements while sharing tips and advice on how to work with and care for the plant materials. All meetings are open to the public and not restricted to Agawam residents.

those that provide quality food, shelter and nesting sites for feathered friends. And that friendship will never be more apparent than in spring, when they’ll repay you with free pest-control services, feeding their baby hatchlings with thousands of insects that would otherwise go on to ravage your plants.

Leave some leaves and cut some lights

Pushing fallen leaves into garden beds to insulate plants and nourish the soil will also shelter hibernating insects that, in turn, will sustain ground-feeding birds. It’s much better for the ecosystem — and easier for the gardener — than bagging them up and sending them to a landfill.

I’ll also disconnect my solar-powered landscape lighting and keep the porch light turned off for the next couple of months to avoid disorienting migratory birds, which rely on the moon and stars as celestial navigation cues to find their way south. It’s the closest they have to GPS, and I, for one, don’t want to be responsible for interfering with their signal.

In the end, caring for birds during the leanest moths is a gift that will fly right back at you.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

WEST SPRINGFIELD Professor to speak on tree life cycles

The West Springfield Garden Club will meet on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m., in the J. Edward Christian Municipal Office Building, 26 Central Street. Parking is available in the Municipal lot across the street. Gather in the Justin Morgan Auditorium on the second floor. The evening’s speaker will be Ken Petit, Professor of Biology at STCC. His presentation, “The Life Cycle of a Tree,” will focus on Northern Red Oaks, centering on the stages of trees’ growth, nutrients they need to flourish, and the natural and human-created challenges trees are experiencing. The public is welcome to attend. Please contact Joan at graceshad@msn.com to RSVP.

Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@ repub.com two weeks prior to publication.

The trendiest TVs are tiny, old and in your kitchen

By R achel Kurzius

The Washington Post

TELEVISION TRENDS

have hustled in one direction: toward ever bigger and flatter screens with the highest possible resolution. Bonus points if the TV camouflages as a work of art when it isn’t streaming every piece of media known to humankind.

But now, a humble, boxy, tiny-screened TV dares to ask: What if we dust off a different path? What if we put the “tube” back in boob tube, and put that boob tube on the kitchen counter to watch a small collection of beloved movies on the built-in DVD or VHS player?

The return of the so-called kitchen TV speaks to a cozy aesthetic that valorizes 1990s/ early 2000s nostalgia, a move away from open floor plans, and a hunger for retro tech and physical media.

“When I was little, it was like major, major goals,” says Ana Carver, who was born in the 1980s. “A lot of my friends had kitchen TVs, and I thought, ‘Man, when I’m a grown-up, I will have made it’” if she got her very own.

A few weeks ago, Carver finally found a squat, silver DVD-TV combo with an 8-inch screen on Facebook Marketplace near where she lives in Texas Hill Country.

“It makes me so happy,” Carver says. “It gives me all the cozy feels to have the TV going

The so-called kitchen TV speaks to a cozy aesthetic that valorizes 1990s/early 2000s nostalgia. (ADOBE

while I cook. I feel like I’m back in the ’90s, and that’s my favorite time ever.”

Her one regret? She got rid of the binder full of her childhood DVDs years back, so now she’s thrifting a new collection.

“There’s a definite resurgence in this nostalgic tech, products from the ’90s and early 2000s in particular, by a generation that seems to want that kind of a tactile experience, that old-school nostalgic look and feel,” says Paul Gagnon, a vice president at market analysis firm Circana who focuses on consumer technology. For many, it’s a return to items they loved long ago, but some younger people are finding them for the first time.

These cuboid TVs have a bonanza of sensory stimuli: the “thwump” sound they make when you turn them on; the press of the 3D buttons; the upchuck of an ejecting VHS or

If deer, rabbits and voles consider your garden to be the neighborhood buffet, tulips and crocuses may not be your best bet but daffodils are stalwarts.

If you’re going for a naturalistic look, scatter small handfuls of bulbs and plant them where they land. It’s good to keep in mind the mantra, right plant for the right place. Most bulbs appreciate a sunny site at least during their period of growth and welldrained soil. A good rule of thumb for planting depth is to set them in the ground to a depth two to three times

DVD; the subtle flicker of the screen; the way a VHS ribbon marks precisely how long you’ve watched and the need to physically rewind it.

After all, if the craze were simply about watching television in the kitchen, people could do that on newfangled refrigerator display screens. Part of the lure, though, is that it harks back to a time when you could watch only what you had on hand. “Having a more curated selection and less choices is actually probably one of my favorite things about the kitchen TV,” says Rachel Dwyer. “We have too many choices today. A little bit of a limitation on your choices actually is really healthy.”

The Philadelphia resident already had a small television with a built-in VHS player sitting around unused when she saw the trend on social media. So, she brought the machine

the height of the bulb. If edible gardening is your thing, you can get in on the whole bulb-planting thing too, as this is a good time to plant garlic.

Shortly after planting, bulbs start to grow roots which in part is triggered by being in contact with moist soil so if Mother Nature doesn’t come through, plan to give your newly planted bulbs a good soaking right after planting.

Q. What’s a good way to plant a lot of bulbs quickly?

Clark: As I mentioned, right plant, right place but also right tool, right task is just as important. I’ve never found cylindrical bulb planters to be

into her kitchen, where she spends a lot of time cooking, meal prepping and cleaning. She’ll pop in a movie such as “Grease” or “The Jerk” — “nostalgic favorites that I’ve already seen a million times” — while she goes about her chores.

“It’s nice that even though this is a screen, I kind of cut down on the screen time that I’m spending on my computer and my tablet and my phone,” Dwyer says. “And to do something that feels a little more grounded and a little bit more analog.”

That’s the rich irony of the kitchen TV. Manufactured in a time filled with dire warnings that “television will rot your brain,” a small TV now seems downright quaint and even enriching compared with the addictive tyranny of smartphones and tablets. Mary Banks, who lives in Los Angeles, is trying to make her kitchen a phone-free zone. Bringing in the bigbacked, small-screened TV she had in her childhood bedroom, along with her VHS collection, helps her achieve that goal.

“I have been really surprised at how much I actually use it,” Banks says. “It’s become a part of my cooking routine to just have it going. … It’s just a small thing that is both boundary-setting and also comfort because of the nostalgia pieces.”

There’s also a hint at broader home design trends. Decades of open floor plan dominance meant that people could see

of much use but maybe I haven’t given them a fair shake. I’m a trowel guy for small bulbs but some daffys are big, three-nosed monsters that require a fair bit of excavation just to get one planted at the right depth, and for those I shift to a planting spade also called a rabbiting or poacher’s spade. That said, If you have a lot of bulbs to plant or simply value the cartilage in your wrists, a handy tool is a cordless drill with a soil auger.

Soil augers come in various diameters and a two inch auger will probably work well for most. Using a drill makes short work of planting bulbs and even more so if you have a helper: one person drilling the other setting the bulbs and covering them with soil.

the living room’s humongous screen from the kitchen.

“With the resurgence of people longing for closed floor plans, opting for closed floor plans when they’re looking for homes, even building new builds with now more closedoff floor plans, I think the kitchen TV just makes sense,” says Sara Parker, a Tennessee-based content creator who focuses on home design.

But there’s one thing that almost certainly isn’t coming back on a wide scale: the CRT (short for cathode-ray tube) television, which is the blocky-looking technology that flat-panel displays replaced.

“The tubes aren’t made anymore,” says Gagnon.

Certainly, a person could simply buy a flat screen and put it in their kitchen, but the purest kitchen TV experience involves a hunt on the secondhand market or in a storage unit.

For Kyleigh Rose, who loves vintage shopping, that’s part of the appeal of the kitchen TV: It forces people to slow down from the moment they decide they want one.

“In our day and age, it’s like you want that two-day shipping, you want it on your doorstep the next day. And I had to be patient, and I looked for a couple of months,” says Rose, who lives just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Be patient because the right one will come along and it’ll be perfect for your space.”

I’ve also used a method that involves digging out the entire planting site to the correct planting depth, setting the bulbs in the bottom of the hole/ trench/pit, and then filling in the hole. This method is really only practical where nothing else is planted or in a bed dedicated to annuals which will largely be finished by bulb planting season.

Q. What about chipmunks?

Clark: If you’re planting bulbs you know are relished by chipmunks (which will dig them up as soon as you or your cat looks the other way), laying wire or plastic mesh over the planted area will often discourage them.

Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting

Garden statues inspired by ‘Wally Birds’

THEY SAY THAT IMITAtion is the highest form of praise, and it follows that the most desirable antiques are often the most reproduced. Take the famous “Wally Birds” made by Martin Brothers of England in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. These fanciful stoneware bird figures with heavy texture, colorful glazes and endearingly grotesque faces can sell for $50,000 or more. Unsurprisingly, they have many imitators that sell for lower prices. But less expensive doesn’t always mean inexpensive. This set of two garden statues inspired by Martin Brothers’ birds sold for $1,037 at Austin Auction Gallery. It’s a low price for a pair of Wally birds, but fairly high for a vintage garden ornament. There’s no mistaking these Martin-style birds for the real thing. They are made of cast stone (a type of cement), not stoneware pottery, so they do not have the characteristic glaze. But their oversized beaks and almost humanlike facial expressions carry the same comical charm.

As garden figures, they continue a tradition of grotesque garden statuary that extends back to the Renaissance, if not earlier.

In addition to adding a touch of whimsy, personality, and maybe a little mystery, grotesque figures are sometimes said to help repel things you don’t want in your garden, from supernatural portents of bad luck to more practical concerns like plant-nibbling pests.

Q. I have two old records made with red translucent vinyl. They feature foreign artists and songs. Do they have any value? How would I find out what they are worth, and where can I sell them?

A. Vinyl records have been made in colors other than black for almost as long as they have existed. They were especially popular in the 1950s and ’60s and reached their peak in the 1970s. Colored vinyl records often fetch a premium with collectors today. However, some black vinyl records appear translucent red when they are held to a light. Other colors that can appear include dark brown (called “beer bottle brown” by some collectors), purple or green. This is usually from variations in the vinyl formula during a particular pressing.

Sometimes it can help identify the age or manufacturer of the record. Collectors disagree about whether these records are any different from typical opaque black vinyl. There are many online resources, like Discogs (discogs.com), Goldmine Magazine (gold minemag.com), or Money Music (moneymusic.com), that can help you find out the value of your records. To sell them, look for record shops in your area. Vintage records also sell at general antiques shops; online music marketplaces; sites like eBay; and platforms like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

Q. Can you tell me how I can identify a painting? I have a framed painting of an autumn landscape that I would like to sell. It does not have a signature.

A. Identifying a painting without an artist’s signature is usually difficult. Your best option is usually to contact a museum or art dealer in your area. Some museums have public events where they will authenticate art. They may also have access to resources like online data-

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.

Opaline, powder jar, hinged lid, round, light blue, Mary Gregory style, white enamel scene, young girl in landscape, ormolu mounts, three scrolled feet, 3 1/2 inches, $60. Halloween, decoration, die cut, pumpkin house, on wheels, pulled by black cat, walking on two legs, wearing orange overalls and pointed hat, cardboard, two-sided, 5 x 7 inches, $85.

Toy, train, locomotive, black, gilt stencil, red cab, bell, spoked wheels, tin, clockwork, 7 x 10 inches, $115. Pearlware, punch bowl, ladle, black transfer, nautical scenes, Jolly Boatswain center, short foot, England, mid-1800s, 5 x 11 1/2 inches, $185.

Garden, hitching post finial, figural, horse’s head, bridle, O-ring, painted, black, cast iron, 1800s, 16 inches, $250.

Furniture, chair, Shaker, no. 1, painted, dark brown, three back slats, acorn finials, red and black woven seat, stretcher base, arms, 1800s, 28 inches, $310.

bases that can help you research and identify your piece. If you cannot identify the artist, the value of your painting can be determined by its medium (for example, if it is an oil painting), subject matter, and even its size. Landscapes are usually appealing subjects. If you can identify the landscape as a specific location, that will add to its value, especially to buyers in that location. Buyers will be interested in your painting for its decorative value, so consider where it would fit on a wall.

Paintings that are very high and narrow usually sell for about 30% less than a painting of the same quality sized to fit over a sofa or fireplace. If the frame is high quality, period-appropriate, or suits the painting’s aesthetic, that will also add to its value. Buyers prefer to save the money they would have to spend to have the painting framed.

TIP: Outdoor stonework and statues, even if made of granite, can be damaged by acid rain, frost, and plants, like ivy. Put garden statues on stands to keep the moisture from the grass away from the statue. Wash with a hose and a soft brush.

Toy, tractor, pedal, red paint, three wheels, black and white decals, International Harvester, $530.

Furniture, desk, Louis XVI style, mahogany, gilt bronze mounts, flowers, leafy scrolls, figures, three drawers, cabriole legs, 20th century, 31 x 57 inches, $960.

Steuben, vase, jade green, iridized, short neck, flared rim, gold threading around neck and shoulder, tapered base, Carder, 9 inches, $1,150. Purse, belt bag, square, black, leather, diamond quilted, 24K gold plated hardware, removable chain, Chanel, 6 x 6 x 2 inches, $2,050.

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. 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 eases to 6.3%

Rate is back to its lowest level in about a year

By A lex Veiga Associated Press

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage edged lower this week, returning to its lowest level in about a year.

The average long-term mortgage rate slipped to 6.3% from 6.34% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.32%.

The modest drop brings the average rate back to where it was two weeks ago, after a string of declines brought down home loan borrowing costs to their lowest since early October 2024.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also eased this week. The average rate dropped to 5.53% from 5.55% last week. A year ago, it was 5.41%, 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 4.13% at midday Thursday, up from around 4.09% the same time last week. The yield has been trending higher since it slid to around 4.02% on Sept. 11.

In late July, mortgage rates started declining in the lead-up to the Federal Reserve’s widely anticipated 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.

However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has since signaled a cautious approach to future interest rate cuts. That’s in sharp contrast with other members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee, particularly those who were appointed by President Donald Trump, who are pushing for faster cuts.

Even if the Fed opts to cut its short-term 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 ticked higher, eventually reaching just above 7% in January this year.

Deeds

AGAWAM

Amanda Joy Robare to Nicole M. Ash and Dustin Jones, 268 South Westfield St., $390,000.

Amy Lynne Brunelli and Robert Edward Brunelli Jr., to Kimberly Constance, 59 Corey Colonial, $255,000.

Benjamin S. Sullivan and Jennifer L. G. Sullivan to Louis Paul Kertiles, 1D Maple View Lane, $330,000.

Claire Y. Pater, trustee, and Falardeau 2018 Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, to Albert J. Grimaldi, 12 Losito Lane, $475,000.

Debra Ann Desmond to 92 Agawam LLC, 1444 Main St., $125,000.

Jordan H. Paddock II, to Aaron J. Baskin, 38 Autumn St., $100,000.

Joseph D. Shaer to Margarito Demirev and Emily Demirev, 36 Woodcock Court, $374,000.

Karina Lo to James D. Caldeira and Elena C. Caldeira, life estate, 418 Meadow St., Unit D-15, $259,000.

Prabodh Reshamwala and Mina Reshamwala to Sean Stevenson, 127 Forest Hill Road, $540,000.

Stephen M. Brown and Rosemary DiNatale to Angela Santos, 140C Autumn St., $223,000.

Teresa L. Toyfair to Kailin M. Lancour and Joseph E. Lancour, 19 Hunters Greene Circle, $582,000.

AMHERST

Thierry S. Magnier and Nicole E. Seah to Dan Ai and Nan Zhou, 170 East Hadley Road, $285,000.

Barbara Z. Perman, trustee, and Barbara Z. Perman Revocable Trust to Douglas Kremm and Angela King, 123 Maplewood Circle, $835,000.

ASHFIELD

Gerald A. Itzkoff and Julia Itzkoff Ruby, “aka” Julia Ruby, individually and as trustees of the Itzkoff Realty Trust, to Susan B. Todd, trustee of the Todd Investment Trust, John Ford Road, $78,000.

BELCHERTOWN

Noah Fossner and Allison Fossner to Chenyang Xu, 25 South Washington St., $485,000.

R. Douglas Reynolds, Annie G. Reynolds and Annie F. Granger to John Casey Noerr and Sarah Carpenter Newcomb, 158 North Washington St., $600,000.

Patti A. Calarese to Chocorua Construction LLC, Segur Lane, $65,000.

BERNARDSTON

Venazio Ciolino to EDS Enterprises LLC, 91 West Mountain Road, $160,000.

BLANDFORD

David A. Givens, representative, representative, and Judy C. K. Bergland, estate, to James Kim Bergland and Patricia M. Bergland, O Sperry Road, $125,000.

Nancy Jean Lheritier, representative, and William H. Needham III, estate, to Daniel Gnidenko, Adam Daniel Gnidenko, Eva D. Gnidenko and Yevgeniya Vasilyevna Gnidenko, 0 North Blandford Road, $410,000.

BUCKLAND

David E. Chaplin and Jodi M. Chaplin to Joanne DiSciullo, 13 South St., $445,000.

CHARLEMONT

Frances M. Bruck, trustee of the Frances M. Bruck Trust, to Jenna Marie St. Pierre and Geeg Wiles, 103 Mountain View Drive, $25,000.

CHESTERFIELD

Marie Kirk, Joan Marie Kirk and Marie Joan Kirk to Ronald Michael Shaldone and Diane Shaldone, 46 Bray Road, $235,000.

Molly A. Hogan, Molly A. Meehan and Steven Hogan to Jessica Humphries and Andrew Ettenger, 101 East St., $591,000.

CHICOPEE

Ariana A. Goding to Patricia Yagmin, 67 Richmond Way, Unit 39, $283,000.

Cynthia J. Feeley to Kyle Sylvester and Maria Sylvester, 62 Ludger Ave., $330,000.

Daniel G. Forest to Michael John Ash and Christine L. Lopes, 105 Syrek St., $180,000.

Dawn V. Nielsen and Misty D. Mcginnes to Oleksandr Kalashnik and Tetiana Kalashnik, 1013 Montgomery St., $325,000.

Harris Davey and Patricia Davey to Jennifer Rodriguez and Natalie Rodriguez, 77 Reed St., $475,000.

Heather M. Bowen to John K. Mackie and David Norton, 127 Woodbridge Road, Unit 625OB, $239,900.

J & E Real Estate LLC, to JustB LLC, 353 Chicopee St., $650,000.

Jennifer Rodriguez and Natalie Rodriguez to Marina Marchuk and Oleksandr Marchuk, 61 John St., $345,000.

Jessica M. Picard, Sarah J. Brandt, representative, and Melvin P. Ogonowski, estate, to Ana M. Rivera Polanco, 32 Wildermere St., $275,000.

John-paul Boisvert to Om Real Estate Holdings Llc, 1150 Granby Rd, $237,000.

Justin E. Packard to Scott Family Properties LLC, 12 Stebbins St., $173,000.

Palpum Raw LLC, to Ellery Cole Buckowski, 61 Abbey Memorial Drive, Unit 122, $235,000.

Patricia L. O’Brien to Patricia L. O’Brien, Michael P. O’Brien and John W. O’Brien, 60 Yorktown Court, $100.

Richard D. Huard to Ryan Dean Jarrett, 721 Pendleton Ave., $362,000.

Richard Kowalski to Ryan Paul Kemp, 93 Melvin St., $250,000.

Sareen Properties LLC, to Kellianne Iacaboni,

169 Montgomery St., $365,000.

Sharon A. Florek, representative, Harry James Madru, estate, and Harry J. Madru, estate, to Nadejda Dombrowski, 9 Union St., $259,900.

Trina K. Garcia and Pedro R. Garcia to Jessica Ann Smola, 84 Glendale St., $300,000.

Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc., to Retail Propco Borrower LLC, 577 Meadow St., $4,680,000.

CUMMINGTON

William W. Walker Jr., to Vincent J. Fanuele and Judith A. Fanuele, Stage Road, $49,000.

DEERFIELD

Jon Patrick Foster and Wendi Weber to Betheny Deshaies and James Deshaies, 16B Duncan Drive, Unit 32 Meadows of Deerfield Condominium, $387,000.

JVJ Realty LLC, to M&K Properties LLC, 10 Coates Ave., $333,000.

Francis J. Naida to Glenn F. Brozo, 40 Conway St., $368,000.

Peter C. Uden, trustee of the Peter C. Uden Revocable Trust, to Sasha M. Wilde and Timothy J. Wilde, 26 North Hillside Road, North Hillside Road and Stage Road, $550,000.

Gogriz LLC, to 198 Mill Village LLC, Mill Village Road and Childs Cross Road, $860,000.

EAST LONGMEADOW

Evelyn Lamon Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, Robert C. Lamon, trustee, Richard C. Lamon, trustee, Scott C. Lamon, trustee, and Evelyn Lamon to Catherine Moretti, 47 Young Ave., $375,000.

Jessica Elizabeth Thomas to Chloe DeAngelis, Chloe Marie DeAngelis, Brendan Benoit and Brendan L. Benoit, 102 N. Main St., $375,000.

Kathleen F. Bachetti to Nico Sarkis and Angelina Gisolfi, 40 Rollins Drive, $676,200.

Michael Kane to A Crane Properties LLC, 31 Favorite Lane, Lot 20, $285,000.

Rachael L. Fountain, Zachery M. Lancto and Zachery M. Fountain to Patrick Morrissey, Nicolle Morrissey, Mark Phelps and Donna Phelps, 267 Maple St., $320,000.

EASTHAMPTON

Richard M. Houston and Sheila R. Houston to Stacey M. Pacheco, trustee, and Houston Family Irrevocable Trust, 28 Carillon Circle, $100. Marie Rohrbacher, Michael Rohrbacher and Suzanne Rohrbacher to Andrew J. Bellotti, 37 Payson Ave., $385,000.

Patricia G. Dougherty and Patricia Dougherty to Alexandra Lorraine Reid and Anne Mackenzie Bartlo, 82 Lovefield St., $371,365.

Patricia B. Slate to Michael W. Buehrle Sr., to Lorna Karolyn Hunt, 2 Admiral St., $351,000.

Sharon M. Wagner to Ronald P. Altimari, 37 Kenneth Road, $308,500.

Joanne G. Katz to Sarah Gonzales and Jesse Gonzales, 13 Maple St., $320,000.

Pineview Development LLC, and West Co Investments LLC, to Patricia A. Teden, trustee, and Patricia A. Teden Revocable Trust, 5 Nicols Way, $717,265.

Deeds

ERVING

JoAnn Cyhowski, “fka” JoAnn Young, to Appleton Grove LLC, 17 West High St., $87,000.

Beth E. Hanson to Elizabeth Santos Flis and Jonathan J. Flis, 43 Ridge Road, $450,000.

GILL

Daniel L. Whitney and Michele M. Whitney to Jonathan J. Hawkins and Brooke Wotton Matuszko, 6 Walnut St., $390,000.

Patricia L. Wilkerson to Raymond E. Purington, Atherton Road, $75,000.

GOSHEN

Hosea Baskin, trustee, and 206 South Chesterfield Road Trust to Jeffrey M. Siegel, trustee, and Hammond Hill Realty Trust, 206 South Chesterfield Road, $420,000.

GRANBY

Linda M. Randall, trustee, and RanLin Nominee Trust to George A. Randall IV, and Jessica A. Randall, East State Street, $100.

L.J. Development LLC, and LaFleur & Son Inc., to Laura L. Stamborski and Gary J. Stamborski, Cold Hill Road, $90,000.

Susan Aline Oehler, partner, Laurelae Lynn Oehler, partner, Harold Michael Oehler, partner and Oehler Real Estate Partnership to James Trompke, East State Street, $30,000.

GREENFIELD

Renee J. Kampfe-Leacher to Gregory James Dutre and Duncan Oliver Kampfe-Leacher, 75 Shattuck St., $360,000.

Roland P. Currier, personal representative of the Estate of Marilyn Currier, “aka” Marilyn L. Currier, to George N. Koumantzelis, 28 Wildwood Ave., $371,000

James Finley McClelland and Teresa McClelland, “aka” Theresa McClelland, to Fernando Cantillo and Kjersten Cantillo-Kuhlman, 390 Log Plain Road, $353,500.

Lucas Giusto and Dominic Santaniello, trustees of Naples Home Buyers Trust, to Alison P. Figucia, 18 Silver Place, $266,000.

Lynn W. Waldron to Barbara Robbins, 71 Solar Way, Unit 6E Wisdom Way Solar Village Condominium, $300,000.

David C. Brooks, trustee of the

Western New England Trust #VI, to Malcom Burris, 5 Western Ave., $135,000.

Rose Sinclair to Benegan 2 LLC. 28 Power Square. $195,000

Regis MacNeil Johnston, Trustee of the Revocable Indenture of Trust of Regis MacNeil Johnston to Christina Crocker and James B. Crocker. 302 Countryside, Unit 302 Country-Side Condominium, $300,000.

HADLEY

Earle Shumway and Jeanne Shumway to Iris Properties LLC, 121 Huntington Road, $450,000.

Dennis A. Verdi, Elaine Verdi Prinzivalli and Matthew D. Verdi to Philip A. Verdi, 124 Mount Warner Road, $300,000.

HAMPDEN

Jack C. Kennedy to Joshua A. Cusson and Jolene Cusson, Glendale Road, Lot 2, $30,000.

HATFIELD

Ronald F. Omasta, Nancy S. Omasta, Robert J. Omasta, trustee, and Robert J. Omasta & Frieda Omasta Trust to Martin M. Omasta, 152 North Hatfield Road, $250,000.

Pioneer Valley Redevelopers LLC, Danica Perry, estate, and Hatfield Town Health to Ronald P. Smiarowski and Shelley Szawlowski, 16 North St., $130,000.

HOLLAND

Monica A. Miller, representative, and Randy N. Miller, estate, to Arenas Investments LLC, 11 Chandler Road, $20,000.

HOLYOKE

Alfred I. Haberman, estate, and Greenfield Savings Bank, representative, to Ryan Randall Realty LLC, and KMAK LLC, 129 Morgan St., $180,000.

Debra L. Whitlock, representative, Debra L. Whitelock, representative, and Doris L. Bushey, estate, to Quintin Fowlkes III, 1357-1359 Dwight St., $425,000.

Family Market Group Inc., to La Placita Mini Mart Inc., 81 North Bridge St., $45,000.

John J. Ferriter to John J. Ferriter, trustee, and Longfellow Trust, trustee of, 31 Longfellow Road, $600,000.

Jose T. Almonte to La Placita Mini Mart Inc., North Bridge St., Lot A, $100.

LC2 Holyoke LLC, to Partnership Essex Village Apartments Limited, 190 Chestnut St., $630,000.

Mark Ryan, Kaelly Ryan and Kaelly Miller to Joel Abraham Vallejo, 34 Maple Crest Circle, Unit H, $230,000.

Patricia L Beauchemin, Kelly A Przekopowski, Karen A. Wilkinson, Susan M. Carmel, Maika L. Dueitt, trustee, Michael J. Bolko Jr., 2016 Living Trust, trustee of, Mary L. Bolko and Mary Lou Bolko to Sergey Petlyakov, 7 Breton Lane, $370,000.

Rebecca J. Foltasz and David Christopher Manglass to Mindy McQuillan, 328 Linden St., $275,000.

Robert A. Hendrickson Jr., and Kendall A. Hendrickson to Connor Silvernail, 34A Saint Kolbe Drive, $146,000.

Robin M. Hernandez, representative, and Robert S. Miller, estate, to Sean T. Adams and Sophie Kanetani, 207 Lacus Drive, $310,800.

Ryan M. Ferriter to John J. Ferriter, 31 Longfellow Road, $600,000.

LEVERETT

Ruth Folchman and Richard F. Wagner to Emmanuel Dalomba and Kalpana Devi, 436 Long Plain Road, $386,000.

LONGMEADOW

Brian Collins and Kristyn Collins to Robert Michael Chambers and Tracey Bonita Chambers, 48 Colony Acres Road, $505,000.

Elizabeth M. Klein to Thomas C. Haramut, 41 Oak Road, $375,000.

John L. Abbott and Marilyn S. Abbott to Chun Yang and Mengying Zheng, 52 Coventry Lane, $650,000.

Michael Langieri Jr., and Florence S. Langieri to Farah Sheraz and Ghulam Sheraz, 425 Inverness Lane, $835,000.

LUDLOW

Adrienne DeSantis to Andrew Roxo and Kylie Roxo, 49 Valley View Drive, $460,000.

Casimir S. Lopata, estate, and James P. O’Shea, representative, to Christina Matera, 80 Loopley St., $363,750.

Destiny Homes LLC, trustee, and 288 East Street Realty Nominee Trust, trustee of, to 288-292 East Street LLC, 288-292 East St., $980,000.

Jacqueline H. Kolodziey to Anthony M. Clark and Trystin R. Burger, 88 Marion Circle, $355,000.

Ludlow Town and Linda J. Nunnally-Chartier to Lucas Giusto, trustee, Dominic Santaniello, trustee, and Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, 68 Fairview St., $95,000.

Mark Daniel Miller to Joseph D. McAdam and Angela C. Gheen, 43 Elaine Drive, $375,000.

Mary L. Hiney and Mary Hiney to Zorina Rahman, 51 Morse St., Unit 8, $230,000.

Michael A. Delnegro and Linda S. Delnegro to Jason Hamelin, 99 Colonial Drive, $370,000.

Paula C. Cordeiro to Brielle Edwards, 118 Cedar St., $380,000.

Terry M. Vermette, Leona Vermette and Neil Vermette to MA Home Buyers LLC, 896 East St., $59,000.

MONSON

Brett Hanson and Jana Hanson to Brandon Jenkins and Marie Dallaire, 18 Old Wales Road, $437,000.

Frederick L McDonald III, to Nathan J. Paulhus and Mariah Paulhus, 221 Munn Road, $441,000.

Jessica Mae Murray and Michael Goode to Manuel Burnias, trustee, and Burnias Family Trust, trustee of, 4 Crest Road, $365,000.

Mahmood Realty LLC, to Darren Nguyen, 297 Main St., $210,000.

Nicholas Truax to Adam C. Butler, 196 Munn Road, $320,000.

MONTAGUE

Henry Komosa to Parody Builders LLC, Gunn Road, $60,000.

Donald E. Wysocki to Alexxis Wright and Zachary Wright, 12 Farren Ave., $455,000.

Sarah D. Pruitt, personal representative of the Estate of Christopher D. Sawyer-Laucanno, to Morales Real Estate Solutions LLC, 70 Prospect St, $265,500.

NORTHAMPTON

Stephanie Ann Jones to Boone W. Shear, 9 Laurel Park, $349,900.

Nova Realty Holdings LLC, to Vivek Menon and Dana Menon, 67 Higgins Way, $895,000.

Jessica Salloom and Simon J. Salloom to Rosalind Chapman, 57 Dryads Green, $1,045,000.

James Quinn, trustee, and James Quinn Revocable Trust to Desiree Pelletier, 78 Vernon St., $435,000.

Tara Formisano to Jinbiao Zhao and Yuan Yang, 79 Pines Edge Drive, $390,000.

Paul Lenkowski and Ann Lenkowski to Russell Zomback and Lisa Zomback, 21 Birch Lane, $800,000.

Tara Brewster, personal representative, Andrew Larkin, estate, and Andrew B. Larkin, estate, to Kenneth P. Kleinman, 53 Clark Ave., $322,500.

ORANGE

David J. Silva and Joan Silva to JASONRHOMES LLC, 30 Cottage St., $150,000.

PALMER

Aimee Beth Fyfe and Sheila Lee Fyfe to Tyler John Shonak, 4063 Main St., $345,000.

Cynthia Leech and Emily Leech to Mark A. Rehbein and Deborah J. Rehbein, 1025 Central St., Unit C, $132,000.

Heritage Housing Op LLC, to Byrnes Investment Group LLC, 99-105 Lawrence St., $2,857,000.

James F. Nallett, trustee, and Nallett Family Trust, trustee of, to Iovanni Baez and Mayrelis Baez, 2018-2020 Prospect St., $360,000.

Jean M. Tavernier to Fumi Realty Inc., 188 Breckenridge St., $140,000.

SHUTESBURY

Melena Bonnello to Megliola Realty LLC, 119 Lakeview Road, $151,472.

Sylvia Rataj, “fka” Sylvia Buzzell, to Suzanne Elizabeth Rataj, 58 Old Egypt Road, $110,000.

SOUTH HADLEY

Robin A. Schmitter to Linda L. Marek, 4 Pine Grove Drive, $349,900.

Adriane L. Racine and Habip Ozgun Sulekoglu to Michael Tomas HerrSmith and Katleyn Phaup, 6 Central Ave., $404,000.

John M. Turner to Steve Aube, Ludlow Road, $50,000.

John M. Turner to Andre Duquette and Dawn Duquette, 34 Ludlow Road, $250,000.

Roger T. Duval to John Stevenson and Amber Montgomery, 7 Lamb St., $400,000.

Michael P. Fahey and Maria Fahey to Brayden Eugene Burgielewicz and Brayden Burgielewicz, 24 Charon Terrace, $425,000.

Luigi Solla Jr., to John Mackin and Amy Mackin, 13 Red Bridge Lane, $665,000.

Dana R. Sicard to Cynthia C. Hansen, 44 Pittroff Ave., $330,000.

Mary Ellen Lecca to Christopher O. Hess and Bernadette Smith, 62 Pine Grove Drive, $349,900.

SOUTHAMPTON

Nancy Geary and Nancy Peterson to Ryan Nulph, 30 Gunn Road, $216,000.

SOUTHWICK

Dennis Aube to Natalya Petrovna Kravchenko, 11 Silvergrass Lane, $169,500.

Douglas Dichard and David Bibeau to Mark A. Saliga and Linda Saliga, 10 Sawgrass Lane, $665,000.

Deeds

SPRINGFIELD

Adam L. Goguen to Eva A. Bellucci, 28 Dayton St., $320,000.

AJ Capital Inc., to Ramon Gomez, 91-93 Melrose St., $525,000.

Albert L. Eldridge and Joanne C. Eldridge to Albert Lecompte, 42 Manitoba St., $225,000.

Ambrose Mwea to Rosanny Lopez Gil, 30-32 Montgomery St., $550,000.

Andrea J. MacGovern and Baron Paul Raymonde to Dennis A. Dominguez, 10 Dorchester St., $300,000.

Angela M. Seperghan, representative, Walter Robert Bland, estate, and Walter R. Bland, estate, to Fiona Edmund and Robert Crane, 14 Wellesley St., $70,100.

Anibal Collazo Rivera to Anibal Collazo Rivera and Maria Collazo, 100 Garvey Drive, $100.

Chelsea Rohman and Nathan Jackson to Luz Rodriguez, Juan Lopez Rivera and Sterling Jaquez, 80 Rochelle St., $270,000.

Douglas Dichard to Michael Benjamin Ortiz and Melissa Torres, 32 Pine Hill Road, $335,000.

Everette W. Frye Jr., and Robyn Frye to Ortega LLC, 142 Wachusett St., $215,000.

Foster J. White Jr., to Jose Escalante Crisostomo, 18-20 Eldridge St., $298,000.

Gemini Town Homes LLC, to Alfonzo Woods, 66 Morris St., Unit 703, $206,000.

Gemini Town Homes LLC, to Johanna Maria Castilla, 56 Morris St., Unit 603, $227,000.

Gerald E. Fecteau, estate, and Keith E. Fecteau, representative, to Bretta Construction LLC, 49 Hatch St., $250,000.

Gregory P. Rice to Taylor Alexis Bains, 123 Buckingham St., $250,000.

Hyacinth Dixon to Frengi Emilio De Ole O Abreu, 86 Amherst St., $230,000.

J& LLC, to Isiah W. Tolbert and Kimberly Tolbert, 116 Homestead Ave., $450,000.

Joanne Tougas, Christine A. Shaw and Carolyn R. Sears to James C. Wyllie, 76 Clydesdale Lane, $385,000.

Jose Ramon Martinez to Joshua David Stephens and Leyshell Marie Williams, 46 Orlando St., $307,000.

Katherine J. Killoran, Elizabeth Lurie and Michael Killoran to Christopher Jason Oconnor, 53 Wood End Road, $275,000.

Keila Santiago and Eduardo Zayas to Kamania Gray and John Wills, 177 Hartford Terrace, $323,500.

Melissa Torres to Amber Lindenfeld and Andrew Lindenfeld, 29 Sterling St., $285,000.

Michael Peros, representative, Mary Peros, estate, and Irene Peros to Leida E. Carreras and Diana Diaz Carreras, 11 Laurence St., $219,000. Nishant Mathur to Stem Invest-

This plant, like any bonsai, must manage this (with my help) without growing larger and larger. Here is how all this is possible:

The first thing I did was look at the plant and admire its form. The plant’s trunk and main limbs look gnarly and wizened even if the trunk is only about three inches high and those main limbs don’t have much more heft than that of toothpicks. After a summer outdoors in part shade and regular watering, the leaves look strong and healthy, worthy dressings for those limbs.

The leaves, like the rest of the plant, are diminutive as compared with their counterparts in the tropics, even their seven-foot-tall potted houseplant counterparts. Which brings me to my next move. That was to cut off all the plant’s leaves. I do this twice a year. One effect of defoliation is to reduce the size of new leaves that grow in, so they’re more

ments LLC, 23 Leete St., $100. Precious Oise and Preciouse Oise to Nicholas Yeomans, 69 Keddy St., $266,000.

Robert Bearce and Anna O’Donnell-Bearce to Maxwell Adam Lemkin, 62 Homestead Ave., $300,000. Round Two LLC, to Hector Rodriguez Marchena, 27 Newland St., $240,000.

Sandra Murray to Flipped & Finished LLC, 3 Riverton Road, $110,000.

Simeon Payano Eustaquio to Yailin Bermudez Rivero, 74 Everett St., $370,000.

Stephen A. Hilbert and Luis A. Alvelo Rolon to Jose Endo, 20 Drexel St., $325,000.

Thanh Nguyen to Real Estate Investments Northeast LLC, and CFC Development LLC, 0 Bay Street $42,500.

Tiago Costa and Hans Meireles to Djonatan P. Oliveira, 59 Kensington Ave., $472,375.

Walgreen Eastern Co. Inc., to Retail Propco Borrower LLC, 619 Chestnut St., $1,970,000.

SUNDERLAND

Diane M. Alexander to Brian Koldy and Stacy Lucas, 64 Kulessa Cross Road, $540,000.

WARE

Markopoulos Family Revocable Trust and Nicholas Markopoulos, trustee, to Paul Pilch, 69 Aspen St., $285,000.

in proportion to the size of the plant and the pot. Removing leaves also reduces water loss, important for a plant that will be root pruned and be temporarily less able to absorb water.

With the plant stripped of its leaves, I next trimmed the branches — the most difficult part of this whole operation. My goal here is to reduce the size of the plant so it’s pleasingly proportioned to the size of the pot, and to do so by retaining or even enhancing the plant’s wizened appearance.

As I study the limb structure, I keep an eye out for what looks right and what new growth would enhance the appearance. A dead limb or branch isn’t an eyesore or something necessarily needing removal in a bonsai. Wild trees often have some dead limbs, adding to their wild appearance.

As with any plant, shorting a stem coaxing buds on the remaining portions of the stem to sprout. Removing a stem right to its origin generally elicits no response. I avoid getting uptight over what and where to snip with pruning shears

William A. Korzec and Jacqueline M. Korzec to William A. Korzec, trustee, Jacqueline M. Korzec, trustee, and Korzec Realty Trust, 103 Church St., $100.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

Angeljoy Galatians LLC, to Kylie Nooney, 435 Cold Spring Ave., $156,500.

Donald J. Clark, representative, and Diane Louise Stawiarz, estate, to Raeha L. Spano, 735 Amostown Rd, $385,000.

Kathleen E. Cummings and Michael F. O’Brien to Karlie Petlock and Chevrin Wall, 171 Lower Beverly Hills, $275,000.

Marie T. Nadeau, trustee, and Marie T. Nadeau Revocable Trust, trustee of, to Conery Clark, 194 Windsor St., $200,000.

WESTFIELD

Baypoint Real Estate Llc to N&D Realty LLC, 52 Court St., $295,000.

Gary B. Pease to Kelly Carroll and Scott Carroll, 19 Sunrise Terrace, $370,000.

Governor Drive Realty LLC, to Angela Gegetskas and Jonathan Gegetskas, 52 Governor Drive, $360,000.

Helga M. Heiden to Jacqueline T. Nascimbeni and Paul J. Nascimbeni, 138 Sackett Road, $385,000.

Jason J. Schrecke to Nicholas Bouvier and Amanda Bouvier, 54 Day Ave., $405,000.

Michael H. Metzger and Mary J. Metzger to Deanna C. Young

by reminding myself that plants grow, so errors can be corrected in the future. Sometimes the plant takes it upon itself to grow a particularly well-placed or craggily bent shoot.

With pruning completed, I come to the final, easy part of the operation: root pruning. The roots need some pruning so that new roots can grow in that small amount of soil I provided. And old soil, spent of nutrients can be replaced with new soil. I lift the plant out of its pot, turn it over, and tease soil from between its roots. Not too much, though. I leave the surface layer intact, mostly to preserve the lush, green covering of moss that has developed beneath the tree. With some of the soil teased out from below, I comb out a few of the roots and then clip them back.

Finally, I put a layer of new soil in the bottom of the pot, just enough so the plant will sit at the same level in the pot as it did previously. The “soil,” in this case, is potting soil. I make mine from equal parts compost, peat moss, perlite, and soil, rubbed

and Randy Perez, 17 Laurel Ave., $340,000.

WILBRAHAM

Denise LaFountain and Wayne E. Phaneuf to Lynette Crossen Haggard and Gregory Warren Haggard, 8 Fox Hill Drive, $635,000.

Helena Kacen, representative, and Stanley M. Dabrowski, estate, to Daniel J. Wilson and Mikaela A. Wilson, 200 Stony Hill Road, $260,000. Mary G. Rooke to Erin H. Hundley and Richard H. Krug, 3 Christopher Circle, $652,500.

Peter W. Ablondi and Peter Ablondi Jr., to Lotus & Hawk Properties LLC, 2205 Boston Road, Unit I82, $265,000.

Plan Hampden Homebuyers LLC, 401(k), trustee of, and Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, to Nidal Adam Sholi and Rachael Sholi, 200 Crane Hill Road, $610,000.

Sergio A. Dias, Natalie Vale Da Serra and Natalie Val Da Serra to Ivan S. Kwagala, 8 Weston St., $240,000.

Theresa A. Cox to Harold T. Dearborn and Candace Dearborn, 39 Ivy Circle, $390,000.

WORTHINGTON

Kathleen DiCamillo to Serena Gralla, Fritz Road, $50,000.

Stephen T. Smith, Nancy E. Smith and Stephen T. Smith, power-of-attorney, to Logan J. Demerski and Kailey Simmons, 196 Huntington Road, $343,000.

through a quarter-inch sieve. What I’ve described is basic maintenance of a fairly simple bonsai. In my book, The Pruning Book, I devote a whole chapter to bonsai, from starting a new plant, to training, and to maintenance. Quoting from my book, The Pruning Book, “More than a ladder marks the difference[s] in technique . . . from a bonsai as compared with a fullsize tree.” Gouging out where a large cut is made in order to create a slight hollow or wiring limbs to force them to bend a certain way are some of the details covered.

With good maintenance, a bonsai plant can live for decades, even centuries! I wrote “A bonsai planting portrays, in miniature, a natural theme — the rugged beauty of a gnarled pine on a windswept slope, the tranquility of a grove of larches, the joyousness of spring in the cascading branches of an old fruit tree bursting into bloom.” Already, at eleven years old, bonsai fig has begun to portray, in miniature, an old tree in a verdant field.

PUBLIC AUCTION

PUBLIC AUCTION

PUBLIC AUCTION

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 202 5

2 PM 61 Taylor Hill Rd, Montague, MA

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 202 5

2 PM 1187-1189 Dwight St, Holyoke, MA

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CASH - S. Hill - MA Lic. AU 3381