Home Improvement
05/21/25 | Liz and Ellie Local
This week is cold and clammy but Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner and Liz and Ellie are working on their gardens! Even if you live in the city and have limited space, there is always room for a stylish planter or two. A sunny balcony, a front stoop, or even a window box—a little green is all it takes.
Garden Design Trends We’re Loving in 2025
This year, it's all about bold colors and layered textures, even in tiny gardens. Think colorful foliage combinations, edible herbs combined with ornamentals, and vertical gardens that climb instead of sprawl. There's also a big push for native pollinator plants; you can identify the best options for your New England garden on the Mass Audubon site or through Grow Native Massachusetts.
Where We’re Shopping This Spring
When it comes to sourcing beautiful, healthy plants and unique containers, here are our top local spots:
Ricky’s Flower Market – Somerville
A neighborhood gem with a laid-back vibe and a surprisingly large selection of annuals, perennials, herbs, and succulents. Great prices and great people.
Pemberton Farms – Cambridge
A garden center/gourmet food store hybrid. Come for the plants, stay for the treats. Their hanging baskets and herbs are especially worth a trip.
Mahoney's Garden Center – Winchester & Brighton
A go-to for anything from containers to garden decor to expert advice. It’s not the least expensive option, but their selection is top notch and inspiring.
Plant Now, Enjoy All Summer
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just dipping your toes in the water with your first basil plant, May is the perfect month to get planting. A few strategically placed stalks can turn your backyard—or even your fire escape—into a cozy little haven.
With the spring market now well under way in Greater Boston, buyers, sellers, and we in the real estate industry are reckoning with an ever more complicated residential landscape. National economic uncertainty, along with unease about local industries, is making it more important than ever to make fully informed decisions. With that in mind, we’ve compiled some top-down information to help you on your way.
Regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil has to say, the spring real estate market can begin as early as the day after the Superbowl. If you want to take advantage of the most robust market of the year, now is the time to take steps to prepare.
You may have heard or read about a recent settlement between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Department of Justice that resulted in several significant changes to how real estate commissions are handled. We’d like to address how we are responding to the settlement, and how changes may affect you.
With their complementary communication styles, responsiveness, competence, and ability to truly listen, Ellie and Liz enable their clients to feel at ease throughout any real estate transaction. They would welcome the opportunity to be your next real estate advisors.
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