The 2022 “So, You Want to Farm in Maine” course registration is closed. Sign up for our interest list to be notified when the course is offered next.

Your friends at UMaine Cooperative Extension are so grateful for your efforts this season! Please enjoy this thank you video and know how much you're appreciated. The song at the end was generously performed for Maine Master Gardeners by David Mallet (davidmallett.com). 

Foliage plants and flowering plants can brighten any home. People who keep plants in their home report feeling happier and more relaxed. Natural aesthetic beauty is soothing to people, and nurturing plants reduces stress levels. Research shows that workers are more effective when they have plants around them and that people are more cheerful when they are surrounded by plants. Plants also provide an important link to nature, and it’s interesting to watch plants change and grow throughout the year. It is very rewarding to grow a prize specimen, whether it’s an orchid or a cactus.

Most of our houseplants come from tropical and subtropical climates. They are well adapted to the warm conditions in our homes and offices. Because they evolved near the equator, they have adapted to similar day lengths throughout the year, which we maintain in our homes and offices through the use of artificial lights

Here at the UMaine Extension we love local. Local foods, local farmers, and local seeds. Lucky for us, Maine has some great seed distributors worth talking about!.

As you are pouring through your seed catalogs and getting ready to place your seed order consider a planting and harvesting schedule for the upcoming year. Having a plan in place will help make your workload a bit more manageable as well as help you plan for those larger food preservation projects.

“Growing Microgreens” details the ideal conditions for growing high-quality microgreens indoors, and the variety of herb, flower and vegetable seeds typically used. UMaine Extension horticulture professional Pamela Hargest will lead the workshop.

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The On Demand Webinars series includes bundles of three to four prerecorded webinars about starting and maintaining a home orchard, gardening with native plants, composting and soil health, and seed selection and starting. The webinars allow viewers to watch and learn at their own pace and include lists of recommended resources. 

The webinar bundles are offered on a sliding scale fee of $0–$30. More information about how to purchase the bundles is available on the gardening webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Rebecca Long, 207.743.6329; extension.gardening@maine.edu.

Click the links to learn more, find a chapter near you, and get involved.

Master Gardener Volunteers

to report their time and activities in the on the Master Gardener Volunteer Reporting Volunteer Hours website.

Did you forget the password? Contact laurie.bowen@maine.edu

Check out Kate Garland's information about the "Take Five" Winter Walk Series for Master Gardeners starting in January that was sent to MGVs in a separate email.