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!

Won’t you visit my neighborhood in the West End of Hartford this weekend? We’re having a host of activities and surely there will be something to make everyone smile.

Kick off your weekend yummy-style Friday on your way home from work. Stop by the United Methodist Church at the corner of South Whitney and Farmington Avenue from 4-7 for the season’s first West End Farmer’s Market. Partake in the (free) Strawberry Shortcake Festival and support some local farmers by purchasing produce, breads, and meats for your weekend meals.

On Saturday, from 9-2, be on the lookout for bargains and come to our first annual West End Neighborhood Tag Sale. Tons of families will be participating. You’ll be sure to find some treasures, and it’s a great opportunity to admire some of the fine architecture in the West End. Kyle and I will be selling some of our stuff, so cruise down Oxford Street and try to find us. Free items for you if you say “I read your blog!”

On Saturday and/or Sunday, stop by Elizabeth Park for the Annual Rose Weekend Festival. It’s running both days from 11-4. Check out the rose gardens, perennial gardens, annual gardens, arts and crafts, and other activities. Just don’t feed the ducks!

Hartford’s Elizabeth Park opened its annual Spring Flower Show yesterday. You can stop by the greenhouses any day until March 20 between the hours of 9:00am-2:00pm. Check out a bounty of tulips, daffodils, and other varieties of perrenials.

On Saturday March 22 the flowers will be sold between 10:00am-2:00pm. If you’d like to purchase flowers, I would recommend arriving about 45-60 minutes early, as there is always a long line when the sale begins at 10:00am.

Here are some pictures from the greenhouses…