Summer 2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter

July 15, 2026 Horticulture, Master Gardener Newsletter, News

In this issue…

Committee Corner

The Cumberland County MGV board has fully transitioned to an Advisory Committee. We meet 7 to 9 times a year and hammer out events and educational programming, plant sale updates and seed grant requests as well as business that arises as we go forward. This Committee Corner, as it is now called, is a place for advisory members to share some thoughts and update the MGV community on our activities. 

Master Gardener Volunteer Advisory Committee member Sally Wright
Master Gardener Volunteer Advisory Committee member Sally Wright

From committee member Sally Wright:

Happy summer, gardeners!

I like to read random science articles and this spring I read that MIT researchers discovered that seeds can sense the sound of rain and this helps them sprout faster. In their experiments, seeds exposed to the sound of water droplets emerged from dormancy growing up to 40% faster than seeds left in silence. It’s a reminder that even the smallest life forms are tuned in to the world around them in ways we’re only beginning to understand.

For me it’s a reminder to listen and absorb.

I had plenty of time to listen for raindrops and catch up on random science articles this spring as I was given the gift of stillness; a 12-week sentence in late April in Maine. Crutches, scooters, shower chairs; all the fun. What I realized is that gardeners aren’t just active, we’re also passive. In my confinement I gained an appreciation for those gardeners who are not digging, who are not shoveling compost, and are not working their yards at all. I see you. I was you.

However, we passive gardeners are still active in mind and spirit. We have knowledge to impart, projects to manage from a desk, and beauty to see from our chairs.

I am wondering if, like me, many of you have turned into Dear Abby’s of your own for family and friends who want help with plant ID, pests, and general plant knowledge? It seems letting folks know you are an MGV automatically places us in the expert category. How many of you receive random photos of plants with the word “help” and then no explanation or reference? It’s comical that my community outside the MGV sphere has placed me on this strange pedestal when I know full well that most of you inside the MGV community are way ahead of me in botany and common sense! One thing I know I am good at is offering resources for people to find their way. This also absolves me from giving damaging advice.

I’m fortunate to be back on two feet working outside again. But I will take with me the lesson of stillness. Of empathy. Of listening. (Maybe I will become 40% smarter.)

A quick reminder about our upcoming summer picnic at Tidewater (Wednesday August 12, 2026 5pm) and Harvest Celebration at Falmouth Audubon (Thursday November 12, 2026 5pm). 

Three members of the Master Gardener Volunteer plant sale committee during the 2026 sale
Rose GreelyRose Greely, Dd Swan, and Heather Winslow of the Plant Sale Education Committee during the 2026 sale

And finally, kudos to the Plant Sale Committee! The annual event was an incredible success. Thank you to Marty and Pat and the many many people who assisted them in another banner sale in May.

Plant Sale Committee:

Pat Wheeler
Marty Riehle
Lucretia Bagley
Sandi Dunham
John Fox
Linda Grant
Rose Greely
Nicki Griffin
Vivian Horoshak
Emily Mazurake
Leigh Mundhenk
Priscilla Nicholson
Dd Swan
Heather Winslow
Pamela Hargest
Abi Griffith
Ava Sharpe

Dig Team:
Lucretia Bagley
Nicki Griffin
Vivian Horoshak
Priscilla Nicholson

Project Spotlight: Cumberland County MGV Plant Sale

Shoppers in line in the field at the 2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Sale
Shoppers at the 2026 MGV Plant Sale

On Saturday, May 23, 2026, more than 425 enthusiastic gardeners and community members gathered for the Master Gardener Volunteers’ annual plant sale. The event was a huge success, raising over $8,000 in support of Extension service programs. Hundreds of volunteer hours—spent digging and dividing perennials, planting and selecting annuals and vegetable seedlings, planning the event, and staffing the sale—culminated in outstanding results.

The energy throughout the day was upbeat and inspiring. Attendees browsed a wide selection of annual flowers, vegetables, herbs, perennials, and native plants. Volunteers kept the atmosphere welcoming and lively, helping guests find the perfect plants and offering expert gardening advice with enthusiasm and big smiles.

Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Sale committee member and volunteer Linda Grant organizes flower seedlings at the 2026 sale
Plant Sale committee member and volunteer Linda Grant organizing seedlings ahead of the sale

Children and their parents visited the 4-H booth, leaving with both stickers and a better understanding of soil health and sustainable gardening practices. Thanks to Wicked Sharp’s presence, shoppers had the opportunity to get their garden tools in top shape while perusing the sale including the popular “gently used” tent and educational demonstrations. New this year was a beekeepers demonstration booth which was most helpful for new beekeepers. Our attendees and crew also enjoyed Maine Maple Creemees ice cream and coffee and treats from Kim’s Coffee.  

All proceeds from the sale will go toward Extension sponsored community-based horticulture projects—initiatives that continue to make a meaningful impact across the region.

The Master Gardener Volunteers extend their deepest thanks to everyone who attended, donated, and helped create such a joyful and successful day. Your support helps grow gardens—and community resilience—one plant at a time.

We’re looking for volunteer projects to feature in our Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter. If you are interested in having your project featured – or if there is a project you would like to learn more about – please reach out to Kerri Frazier.

Ask an MGV: Tips & Tricks for Your Best Garden Yet

Exciting news! In early July, MPR’s Maine Calling dedicated an entire episode to answering listener’s gardening questions. A team of horticulture experts from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension joined Jennifer Rooks to answer callers’ questions about pest control, vegetable and flower care, invasive plant management, weeds, watering, and other issues. If you missed the episode, you can listen to the recording of “Summer Gardening” on the Maine Public website.

Q. As we encounter warming conditions, are there new things we can grow in Maine that we haven’t before? (excerpted from the July issue of Maine Home Gardening News; Answered by Jonathan Foster, Horticulturist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension)

A. The short answer is yes. We can more successfully grow things in the garden, like sweet potatoes and okra, broader varieties of peaches, and trees like shagbark hickory and tulip poplar.

The longer answer is…it’s complicated. First, even for crops that appreciate the warmer temps, there will be a broader, subtler shift to increased growing seasons and longer flowering periods with species catching up gradually; and not so much an either/or, “now you can grow this in Maine when you couldn’t before” situation. Some climate models predict that 30 years from now our climate will be more like Connecticut is now (see links below). Gardening mid-state will be something more like gardening in northern Massachusetts is now – that’s a definite difference, and your rhododendrons will most certainly bloom earlier! But your garden won’t be filled with exotic and unfamiliar species. The only things that truly grow in Connecticut but won’t in Maine are species that are already borderline at their northern habit limit. There can and will be species that are marginal in, say, northern Massachusetts, that could migrate north (like the tulip poplar), but it’s tough to predict because climate change alters other factors as well.

Rising temperatures also increase overnight temperatures, humidity and heat retention, and pest and invasive plant species taking advantage of new ground. Maine forests are struggling already to adapt to changing conditions, and we are projected to lose a lot of the species that embody Maine over the next century. Efforts are already underway to begin planting our forests with new species whose range is moving into Maine – like the previously mentioned tulip poplar and shagbark hickory. It’s also tricky to answer how new species will acclimate here because the increased temperatures also coincide with more extreme weather events (think more windstorms and heavy downpours), which diminishes benefits of the overall change, both causing direct damage to plants and inhibiting efficient use of resources (e.g., most of those downpours run off). Several years ago, a warm spring followed by a surprise, late freeze killed off most of our peach crop for the year by destroying the emerging buds. Moreover, at our high latitude, plants predominantly rely on day length to regulate critical internal cycles like dormancy, and that won’t change with higher temps. But insect pests for those species might be unconcerned with day length and carry on a longer feeding season because it’s warm longer.

In the end, yes, there will absolutely be new species (plant and insect) arriving in Maine, and a loss of many current species in Maine, as climate change progresses. It’s difficult to predict what this will look like for any particular species because the situation is multifactorial, so it might or might not provide fertile ground for that tasty new vegetable or lovely ornamental shrub you’ve noticed when visiting more southern places.

Recommended further reading:

Maine Organic Farmer and Garden Association: Climate Change and Your Garden

NewsCenterMaine: Maine’s Changing Climate

We want to help you with your gardening questions and issues. To get help from your fellow MGVs, submit your questions to Heather Wiggins Berger.

Upcoming Events

Speaker Series 

The Education Committee is pleased to present the following learning summer opportunities:

Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions for workshops and presentations. Keep the suggestions coming to Barbara Dee. 

University of Maine Extension Events

Community Events

MGV Updates

Looking for a Newsletter Coordinator 

After 2+ years at the helm, coordinator Heather Wiggins Berger will be stepping away from the newsletter after the fall (October) issue. We are looking for a volunteer to step in and compile the newsletter (currently distributed quarterly). This is an easy and flexible way to complete your volunteer hours. Please reach out to Heather Wiggins Berger to learn more. 

How to Submit Your Gardening Questions to the Extension Service

We’re simplifying how people submit gardening questions with a new statewide Extension process. You can now use our online gardening questions form to connect with a dedicated horticulturist who will provide expert guidance. They’re supported by our full team of specialists, ensuring you receive clear, reliable answers. Most responses arrive within 3–5 business days, often sooner.

Past Editions: We are in the process of making past editions of the newsletter easier to find. All CCMGV newsletter editions will be available on this Master Gardener Newsletter page soon! Thanks for bearing with us as we continue our digital spring cleaning!

About this Newsletter: The Cumberland County Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter is edited by Clarissa Brown, Kerri Frazier, and Heather Wiggins Berger. If you would like to submit an event, article, or help with any aspect of the Newsletter, please contact Heather Wiggins Berger, the newsletter coordinator.