Floral touches with White House designer

Visit the festively decorated Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden with décor by White House Floral Designer Ruth Loiseau and the Suffield Garden Club at Homes for the Holidays Suffield Dec. 7, 8 and 9.  The weekend begins at the Holiday Preview Party on Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. where attendees will meet Loiseau and enjoy a champagne toast at the Phelps Hatheway House, followed by private receptions from 6 to 9 p.m. across the street at Julia Roberts’ (formerly Emma Fuller’s) 1824 house at 60 South Main St. and Janet and Dave Leishman’s 1767 house at 78 South Main St. Tickets for the Holiday Preview Party are $50. All proceeds benefit the Phelps Hatheway House & Garden. Then on Dec. 8 and 9 from noon to 5 p.m., tour the Phelps-Hatheway House and Garden and the two private homes at 60 and 78 South Main St. All three homes will be sparkling with holiday décor sure to inspire. Tickets are $15, children 6-18 $10 or children under age 6 admitted for free. The weekend will also feature a holiday greens boutique by the Suffield Garden Club on the Hatheway House grounds, with an extensive offering of greens, wreaths and topiaries, in addition to Phelps-Hatheway Museum Store, featuring period-inspired gifts by local artisans. Guests may also purchase select decorations by Loiseau and the Suffield Garden Club, available for pickup at the end of the weekend. Children are invited to participate in a special holiday craft activity creating holiday decorations. For tickets contact Jamie-Lynn Fontaine at 860-247-8996, ext. 23 or jamie.fontaine@ctlandmarks.org. Tickets to the Holiday Preview Party include re-entry on Saturday or Sunday. The Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden is located at 55 South Main St. in Suffield. The museum is closed for the season for regular tours, re-opening May 2013. For school groups or tours by appointment, contact the education department at 860-247-8996.