Western Mass Homes Lesley Lambert

Lesley Lambert

Western MA Gardening Season!

Western Massachusetts it is time to think petunias and pansies and perennials and PLANTING!
Berkshire Botanical Gardens

I love everything about gardens. I love exploring garden centers, selecting my special new additions to the landscape, getting into comfortable gardening clothes and spending a day in the sunshine getting muddy and tired. I even like the soothing monotony of weeding, once in awhile!

Here in Western Massachusetts we have lots of inspiration and ideas to be found in area gardens in parks, historic estates and neighbor’s yards.

My weakness is perennial flowers, but my daughters love annuals and we usually focus on the flowers that butterflies enjoy. Our favorite shopping destination is Meadowview Nurseries in Southwick , MA which is only open a few short months, but has a huge selection and good prices. We can spend hours (and a lot of money) bonding over our flowers and I tell them what each flower is best used for and what the names mean. It can get busy, but the check out lines move fast and the selection is worth it! Just remember to bring your checkbook or cash, no credit taken here.

A great resource for learning some fun facts about flowers is this post from The Gardening Channel, for example, did you know that Tulip bulbs can be substituted for onions in a recipe?

As a real estate agent in Western MA, I can tell you that an attractive landscape will go a long way in the saleability of your home. If you are currently selling your home it has been proven that yellow flowers attract more buyer attention.

Do you like gardening? What kind of gardening do you do in Western MA? Where is your favorite place to buy plants?

Osama Bin Laden and Loss

So I know I am not making any breaking news in discussing the death of Osama Bin Laden.

Many of you are celebrating and I understand this. The man masterminded destruction on a scale we never dreamed possible and his death is symbolically important.

What I haven’t heard mentioned is what is MORE important. What about:

The family that lost someone on 9/11?
The family that gave their son, daughter, brother, sister, wife, husband, friend to the war in Afganistan?
The children who will never understand?
The family that shared their leader with the military for months, or even years?
The people who are afraid to ride the subways in NYC?
The military people STILL in grave danger in the Middle East?

Before we celebrate, before we light fireworks, let us recognize the loss and grave expense we have incured in this war. Let us cry for those lost and the waste that war brings. Let us honor their brave and loving American spirits in the proper way.

Do not get me wrong. I wanted to see this day, too. However, this day came with a substantial price and it is fitting to reflect upon that.

If you had a part in this, no matter how small, God Bless You. Thank you for your diligence and help and thank you for being an American.

God Bless.

Stoney Hill Condominiums in the Spring

Stoney Hill Condominiums in Westfield, MA boasts lovely landscaping and it truly shines in the spring as the flowering bushes and trees take center stage. There are always people taking a walk, kids riding their bikes and plenty of birds and wildlife to appreciate.

Here are a few pictures from the complex for you to enjoy:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

To access more information on Stoney Hill Condominiums in Westfield, MA you can visit www.stoneyhillcondoexpert.com where you will find market reports, sales data and more!

Downtown Westfield, MA Pub Tour

Westfield MA downtown pub tour
Last night Morriss and I attended downtown Westfield’s pub tour and had a great time. I was impressed with how well organized the event was and how enthusiastic the volunteers working the different stations were.

Morriss and I started at the Church Street Commons check in, where we were treated to fiddle music and quick visit with my friend and event organizer, Bob Plasse.

From there we headed down to the Maple Leaf Tavern where there was a live band, appetizers and lots of friends.

Morriss and I went back to the Church Street Commons to be treated to a horse and carriage ride around a downtown block. It afforded a lovely twighlight view of several historic and beautiful buildings. The weather was ideal and the ride was a romantic slice of yesteryear.

Our next stop was Shenanigans, which Morriss wanted to visit because he used to play softball for the previous (way previous?) incarnation, City Limitz. I had never been in the bar and enjoyed their Irish decor. I ordered a Killians and was sent home with the glass, which they tell me is what they always do when you order Killians.

After that we headed to the Nook. This building always looks so nice, with holiday wreaths and flowers in each of the windows, but I have never been inside. What a treat! It was like stepping back in time in a wonderfully nostalgic way. I look forward to going back to this place and bringing friends!

Our stroll continued to perennial favorites, The School Street Bistro and finished at a very crowded Tavern.

It was so wonderful to see our city filled with happy people enjoying a beautiful evening out. Even with the city under extensive construction and not looking it’s finest, we could be proud to be residents of Westfield, MA. I felt the community spirit and found it delightful!

Thank you to the organizers for creating this terrific event, you make Westfield proud!

If you missed the event, I made a Gowalla pub tour trip of all the places that Morriss and I visited last night so you can enjoy, too!