Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog

With rising food prices, growing your own vegetables at home is a good way to reduce your expenses.

Vegetable gardening is rewarding on many fronts, reducing your food bill is just one benefit. You’ll get to spend time outside in the fresh air, get some exercise, have better tasting food, and make the world a little greener.

One of the downsides of vegetable gardening is that you may spend a lot of time loving and caring for your garden, only to find that the wild neighborhood animals are enjoying the fruits of your labor. I read this book two summers ago and related very well to the author. After working all summer on a bountiful crop of tomatoes, Kyle and I came out one morning to find all of them missing. Well, except for the ones with one small bite taken out and dropped to the ground. Grrrr….I had some choice words for little furry animals that day.

Since then, Kyle and I have taken a minimalist approach and grow basil on our porch…

Kyle’s parents who live in Vermont have gone to the other extreme with their rooftop garden. They grow swiss chard, lettuce, green beans, and a host of other veggies…



A good tomato crop is on the way…



You really don’t need to worry about squirrels, deer, and bunnies eating from your rooftop garden…



While we all can’t enjoy rooftop gardens, outside container gardening may be something you’d like to consider for next year, or inside for this coming winter. It’s easy enough to fill some pots and get started (as long as you have adequate sunlight). Here’s an excellent book that got Kyle’s parents started on their journey.

Have fun and eat fresh!

I’ve always wanted one of those miniature rooms on the top of my house.  You’ve seen them before, usually on larger houses or down by the shore.  It turns out they’re called cupolas and pronounced CUPE-o-la.  Technically the term covers protrusions of all sizes, from the capital dome to little vents on barns.  I would definitely want one with windows that I could go up and sit in. Like this one here in the West End.

It’s tough to tell exactly how big this example is (could both gain access AND fit a chair for reading?), but the windows open, so I would have a nice breeze if I could.  It looks to me like it is a little bigger than the dormers, so it’s close to being usable space.

From what I’ve read, cupolas historically served a few different purposes. 

- In homes by the shore, they generally have windows and were built so that the home’s owners had an unobstructed view of the water.  In those cases they are enclosed examples of the ”Widow’s Walk” since so many men unfortunately never came home from sea.

- In barns, and in some cases in homes, the cupola serves as a vent.  Hot air rises, so by putting a vent at the very top of the structure, the architect can encourage natural air conditioning.  This is a passive version of attic fans, where the hot air is actively blown out from the top.

- Cupolas also serve a design element, giving the outside of a structure a specific look.  If they rise above an open ceiling, they can illuminate a large space with without too much direct sunlight.  The main social area at Darden, the business school Amy and I attended, makes excellent use of the cupola for lighting.

- Finally, Wikipedia notes that they were used as lookouts for Indians.  However, the same entry also notes that they are often seen in Victorian architecture, which was well after the time when Indians were a major concern in the upper Atlantic states.  So we’ll take this one with a grain of salt.

Whatever their use, they are a unique part of a home and a distinctive design element.  Since it’s unlikely that we’ll ever own a home with one, I think my only opportunity to check one out in person will be the next time we rent a house at the beach with our friends.  Guess that means I shouldn’t protest so much the next time Amy talks about heading to the shore.

I don’t know about you, but I am always up for finding new things to do in the state of Connecticut. This week I had a very interesting website introduced to me that has set me up with weekend activities for a good long while…Connecticut Museum Quest.

The author of the site, Steve, is on a quest to visit every museum in Connecticut and shares his insight, and opinions, of each adventure with readers. This guy is very dedicated to his goal, as you’ll see from his lengthy list of completed trips. Every review chronicles the pluses and minuses of each place and provides pictures (unless photography is prohibited at the site). You’ll also find the admission cost and hours of operation. Quite handy.

And if museums aren’t your thing, Steve has other activities covered too. Like the crazy Frog Bridge in Willimantic. Or hikes galore.

So if you’re ever looking for something to do and can’t quite figure it out, head over to Connecticut Museum Quest to get some ideas.

For some additional Friday happiness, here’s a random flower picture from my garden…