(Mostly) Monthly News for Gardeners |
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News and events for gardeners from Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and other trusted partners |
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December 2020
Fellow gardeners of Central Maine,
Shifting into the dark part of the year is always challenging, and this particular year is particularly dark. We are shifting to a reality of limiting and tracing our contacts and being mindful of the vulnerabilities of others. UMaine Extension has done a great job of prioritizing the health of volunteers, staff, and our communities. The pandemic has made had some significant impacts on my life, and I am very grateful for the organization and people of Cooperative Extension.
A really bright spot is the 2021 statewide Master Gardener Volunteer training, on track to launch in March! MGV trainees will have access to self-paced learning modules along with 1-hour live sessions with dozens of horticultural experts from throughout the state. We are ironing out details and developing exciting new resources. Sign up here to be notified when we announce the full program, planned for late December.
Wishing you well in the coming year. Order your seeds and supplies early!
-Trisha Smith
Community Education Assistant
Piscataquis County
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Letter from Kate Garland, Editor
Dear Maine Home Garden News Readers,
While the Maine Home Garden News normally runs from March to October, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the bright spots of a tough year and express gratitude for the kind and positive gardening community that grows strong in the state of Maine. Additionally, you’ll find a bonus article to help you also reflect on the past season.
A children’s book called “The Little Gardener” by Emily Hughes echoed through my head throughout the growing season. It’s a tale of a tiny (think 3” tall) person living in a backyard garden with his pet worm. He loves to garden, but it’s way too big for him to tackle on his own. Just before sheer exhaustion forces him into a long nap, he whispers “I wish I had a little help.” As you can imagine, help swoops in and gives him a wonderful surprise when he awakens.
I sure missed the Master Gardener Volunteers and garden visitors this year but understood that our policy to close in-person programs was meant to keep everyone as safe as possible. There were many times when I felt very alone and overwhelmed by all that needed to be done. More so, I missed the camaraderie and sharing the peace and botanical treasures the garden revealed each week. When it was time to carefully start the reopening process for in-person volunteer efforts, I was so thankful for those who eagerly came out to help finish out the season, and was equally glad to hear from those who were staying safe at home, but still keeping in touch. Deep down, I knew the ending to this season’s story would end on a bright note.
To all who stayed in touch, asked questions, and participated in our virtual programs: THANK YOU! We are still tabulating the numbers, but it has clearly been a record-breaking year in many ways in regards to the number of questions we’ve answered and people we’ve engaged in programming. Your enthusiasm and hunger for information reinforced our commitment to connecting the people of Maine (and beyond) to unbiased, research-based horticulture educational opportunities.
With sincere gratitude,
Kate Garland, Horticulturist
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Bonus Article
Keeping a Garden Record
By Jean L. Potuchek, MGV, Androscoggin County
Sooner or later, most gardeners find themselves reaching for a piece of information from previous garden years and wishing for a record-keeping system more reliable than memory. Several years ago, I gathered information about gardeners’ record-keeping strategies through an online survey of 72 gardeners and case studies of four gardeners with different record-keeping systems.
I asked gardeners what kinds of information they recorded. The range of responses was broad, but the most common were (in order of frequency) lists of plants, diagrams of garden areas, notes and ideas for future gardening, sources of plants or seeds, planting and harvesting dates, bloom times of ornamental plants, and garden maintenance.
Almost all my gardening respondents used multiple strategies for organizing the information; the average gardener used four different organizing formats. Lists were the most commonly used, followed by photos. Sketches and garden journals were also used by the majority of gardeners who responded to the survey. Most used a combination of hand and computer records, but about one-third kept records only by hand, and a smaller number kept all their garden records electronically.
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Click the links to learn more, find a chapter near you, and get involved.
Bangor Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that has conserved over 800 acres of land with public access in the Bangor area. Our mission is to protect for public benefit land and water in the Bangor region that have special ecological, natural, scenic, agricultural, or recreational significance; and to increase public understanding of the value of land and water conservation.
The Garden Club Federation of Maine National Garden Clubs, Inc. provides education, resources and national networking opportunities for its members, to promote the love of gardening, floral design, civic and environmental responsibility.
Good Shepherd Food Bank In addition to distributing food to Mainers in need, the Food Bank is leading a statewide effort to combat the root causes of hunger by engaging in advocacy, nutrition education, and strategic partnerships. Good Shepherd welcomes you to join in this effort.
Maine Audubon is a member-based organization that engages people in conservation, education and advocacy to advance wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation in Maine.
Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets' mission is to cultivate a vibrant, sustainable farmers' market community as a vital part of Maine's local food network. The Federation works with farmers, consumers, and communities to make wholesome, locally-grown foods available to all residents, to educate consumers about food resources, and to support farm viability.
Maine Gleaning Network A collaborative farm surplus rescue effort gathering crops from Maine's fields and engaging communities in resourceful and equitable food system activities.
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) The purpose of the Association is to help farmers and gardeners: grow organic food, fiber and other crops; protect the environment; recycle natural resources; increase local food production; support rural communities; and illuminate for consumers the connection between healthful food and environmentally sound farming practices.
The Grange provides opportunities for individuals and families to develop to their highest potential in order to build stronger communities and states, as well as a stronger nation.To inquire about finding a nearby Grange, contact Walter Boomsma at grange@boomsmaonline.com
Transition Towns The Transition Movement is comprised of vibrant, grassroots community initiatives that seek to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. Transition Initiatives differentiate themselves from other sustainability and "environmental" groups by seeking to mitigate these converging global crises by engaging their communities in home-grown, citizen-led education, action, and multi-stakeholder planning to increase local self reliance and resilience.
Transition Skowhegan meets every 1st Thursday at 6 pm, Skowhegan Public Library.
Contact Iver Lofving 474-7370 or Jason Tessier 474-4380
Wild Seed Project works to increase the use of [Maine] native plants in all landscape settings in order to conserve biodiversity, encourage plant adaption in the face of climate change, safeguard wildlife habitat, and create pollination and migration corridors for insects and birds. Check out their Native Plant Blog.
Maine Agriculture in the Classroom promotes the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public. Curricula and resources for educators and others working with young people. Check out newsletters and/or subscribe here.
Maine Farm to School Network supports the rapidly spreading farm to school movement in Maine. This network knits together a wide diversity of students, teachers, school nutritionists, parents, farmers and groups who support child nutrition and Maine agriculture. Search their resource database, join the network.
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension buildings are open, at least part-time, and some projects have begun to allow in-person volunteering. The health and safety of the community and the spread of the Coronavirus are still of concern, and offices are implementing strategies to maintain CDC-approved conditions. We have developed a number of new online resources for those who have reliable internet connections. Here are a few ways we’re available:
New Resources to Meet New Needs
You may have missed the live Zoom presentations, but we've rounded up fact sheets for each week's discussion for your reference
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Victory Garden for ME series: videos for first time vegetable gardeners
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Growing Maine Gardeners: An initiative led by UMaine Extension’s Home Horticulture team to address the increased demand for gardening education throughout the state of Maine and to provide additional support for beginner gardeners.
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Garden Mentorship Program: direct technical assistance and encouragement via phone or email throughout the season from trained Master Gardener Volunteers
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Maine Farm Products and Pick-Up Directory: The directory provides information on available local farm products and alternative pick-up options developed by farmers statewide to accommodate the recommended social distancing in light of COVID-19.
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Learn at Home: Educational Resources to Use During School Closures: With novel coronavirus closing schools across Maine for several weeks, UMaine Extension has assembled a collection of helpful educational resources for parents and caregivers. From science to financial literacy, whether for toddlers or teenagers, we encourage you to take advantage of these activity books, guides, and other resources to help children remain engaged in educational experiences throughout their school closure.
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Learn at Home with 4-H Friday Fun! Each Friday, watch for a new hands-on activity that you can try out with simple materials you have at home. Watch a short video clip to see how it’s done or download our 4-H Learn from Home activity sheets. Each activity outlines materials needed, easy-to-follow instructions, reflection questions for discussion and activity extensions.
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Social Media: Many of our staff are stepping up efforts to communicate to audiences via social media. For example, see Rogers Farm Demonstration Garden’s short educational Facebook videos (also on Instagram).
Traditional Services Being Offered in New Ways
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Identifying insect pests: Clay Kirby, Associate Scientist/Insect Diagnostician, will identify pest samples via images. See instructions for submitting an insect specimen.
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Identifying plant diseases: Dr. Alicyn Smart will identify plant disease samples via images. See instructions for submitting a sample.
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Tick testing: Ticks are being tested on a limited basis. See instructions for submitting a tick sample.
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Publication orders: We are still processing orders from our publication catalog, including pesticide application training materials.
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Soil testing: The Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service remains open and is taking samples with a priority on commercial samples. If you need to drop off a sample, you can place it in the box outside of Deering Hall; do NOT enter the building.
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General gardening questions: Contact your county office. Emails are preferred. If it’s necessary to leave a voicemail, please leave your email address (if available) or a mailing address in addition to your phone number.
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Master Gardener Volunteers |
UMaine Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are beginning a gradual restart process, which initially will focus only on Maine Harvest for Hunger.
All other in-person Master Gardener Volunteer related activities remain suspended until further notice, including (but not limited to) plant sales, in-person meetings, and demonstration garden maintenance.
Master Gardener Volunteer trainees who are currently working towards their certification will continue to receive additional time to complete their initial 40 hours of volunteer service. Currently, active certified Master Gardener Volunteers will still not be required to complete their annual 20 hours of volunteer service in order to maintain their certification. However, individuals may, with approval, continue to volunteer as they are able. Please report those hours in a timely way so we can track our impact within our communities.
Updated: 9/3/2020
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Mission
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the major educational outreach program of the University of Maine with offices statewide. UMaine Extension provides Maine people with research-based educational programs to help them live fuller, more productive lives.
Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.
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The goal of the Central Maine Gardening Newsletter is to connect gardeners with resources and events that encourage and inform.
Quick Links
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Local Weather Anytime
Most outdoor activities are driven by the weather. Our local National Weather Service in Caribou has meteorologists on staff 24 hours a day. They are willing to talk with you about predictions for your town. Give them a call at 492-0180. Or check out their online detailed maps at http://www.weather.gov/car/.
Need Pesticide Credits?
Interested in Volunteering with UMaine Extension?
Nearly 8,000 volunteers devoted more than 150,000 hours to their communities last year through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension! Look around our
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Contributors
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
Kate Garland, Horticulturist
Kathy Hopkins, Extension Educator
Trisha Smith, Community Education Assistant
The goal of the Central Maine Gardening Newsletter is to connect gardeners with resources and events that encourage and inform.
The University of Maine does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status and gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, 207.581.1226.
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Piscataquis County Office |
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Open Monday - Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm
307 Maine Ave Bangor, ME 04401 207.942.7396 or 800.287.1485
Piscataquis County Office - website
Open Monday, Thursday, Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm
165 East Main St Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207.564.3301 or 800.287.1491
7 County Drive Skowhegan, Maine 04976-4209
Tel: 207.474.9622 or 1.800.287.1495 (in Maine)
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