Sign of genius: Witty wordplay winners announced

Henry Pincus of the Salisbury Garden Center stands by one of the winning entries in the garden center’s sign contest. Ariana Erickson of Salisbury submitted this entry.

Robin Roraback

Sign of genius: Witty wordplay winners announced

SALISBURY — Besides being known as a nursery that does garden maintenance and design and sells flowers, shrubs, and trees, Salisbury Garden Center is well known for its humorous and sometimes thought-provoking signs. Many look forward to the signs when driving on Route 44 on the way to or from Canaan.

The Garden Center’s owner, Eric Mendelsohn, decided to hold a contest this year and invited, through the signs, all who pass by to submit a saying for them. He got entries “in the double digits” and had plenty to choose from. Of all the entrees four were chosen, with more as possibilities for future signs. Since the sign can only hold sixty characters, length was part of the determination. He was happy to call the contest “a success.”

On Sunday, Aug. 25, the first two winners were announced. The winning entries were:

“If Jerry could, you can! Time to deadhead.” Submitted by Sally Spillane of Salisbury.

“A fall is a great time to plant, since you’re down there.” Submitted by Ariana Erickson, also of Salisbury.

The other two winners’ signs will be on display next Sunday, Sept. 1. At that time, their names will be announced.

The top four winners will receive gift certificates from Salisbury Garden Center and their entries will be displayed for a week. Two winners a week will have their sayings posted, one on each side of the sign. Winners’ names and a photo of their sign will be posted on Instagram.

Henry Pincus, a major in Creative Writing at Oberlin College and a summer staff member, was put in charge of the entries. He said the staff voted on the ones they liked most to pick the winners. Pincus said of the signs, “It is deceptively difficult to make them both funny and snappy. It was interesting to get other people in on the process and see them experiment in that creative space.”

Eric Mendelsohn has been the owner of the garden center since 2004. He said that he first began having fun with the signs about ten years ago. He gets the ideas from “a curating of signs the world has come up with.” He added, “There are no original ideas out there that someone hasn’t thought of.” And so, he will not claim the writings on any of the past signs as his own. During the spring and summer seasons, most signs are garden related.

He has had people who have been offended by some of the signs call or stop in to complain. Mendelsohn contributed that, “Funny gets close to the edge of that sometimes.”

Travelers on Route 44 can enjoy reading the winning entries for the next two weeks at least.

Salisbury Garden Center is located at 167 Canaan Rd (Route 44) and open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Latest News

Mountaineers strike gold at BL track championships

HVRHS sophomore Ryan Segalla went three-for-three May 17 with Berkshire League gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m races. He was also on the gold-winning 4x400m relay team.

Photo by Riley Klein

Berkshire League track and field wrapped up a season of competition with the league finals in Litchfield May 17. The BL festival followed with decathlon, heptathlon, steeplechase and hammer in Falls Village May 20 and Thomaston May 21.

The events included athletes from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Gilbert School, Lakeview High School, Nonnewaug High School, Northwestern Regional High School, Shepaug Valley High School, Terryville High School and Thomaston High School.

Keep ReadingShow less
Salisbury approves traffic detour for June NASCAR event

Lime Rock Park is slated to host the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Friday and Saturday, June 26 to 28, in Lime Rock, Connecticut.

Photo by Nathan Miller

SALISBURY — First Selectman Curtis Rand agreed to sign approvals for changes in traffic patterns and a “hauler parade” for Lime Rock Park’s NASCAR event June 26 to 28 after a lengthy and detailed discussion at a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen Wednesday, May 21.

Lime Rock Park is hosting a weekend of NASCAR events. In anticipation of a larger than usual crowd, park leadership has asked to have one-way traffic on Route 112 — Lime Rock Road — from the junction of Route 7 and Route 112 to White Hollow Road and the main track entrance between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and one-way traffic in the opposite direction between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28.

Keep ReadingShow less
MIRA enters agreement for private sale of Torrington Transfer Station
Torrington Transfer Station’s entrance.
Photo by Jennifer Almquist

TORRINGTON — USA Waste & Recycling’s $3.25 million offer to purchase the Torrington Transfer Station was conditionally accepted by the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority Dissolution Authority at a meeting of its board of directors May 14.

Torrington Transfer Station was one of two facilities in the state, along with Essex Transfer Station, that was still owned by MIRA-DA following the closure of the Hartford trash-to-energy plant in 2022. Municipalities in these service areas were given until July 1, 2027, to establish alternative solid waste contracts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joan Anderson Turnure

Joan Anderson Turnure, 91, died after a long illness on May 3, 2025, at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, CT. She was the loving widow of Michael DeBurbure Turnure.

A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Church in Salisbury on June 1, at 1:00PM, followed by a reception at The White Hart Inn.

Keep ReadingShow less