August 2024 Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter

In this issue…

From the President…

Single Sunflower

As the presidential election year politics simmer forward, so has the hot weather in Southern Maine. We are certainly enjoying a different growing season than last year!  July brought to my vegetable and flower gardens near-perfect conditions and a bountiful harvest at the mid-point in the growing season.  My failures (peppers and tomato production) of last year have gone on this year to be robust successes thanks to Mother Nature. My flower gardens are also bursting with an array of new colors without much effort on my part.

A couple of thoughts and observations:

  • If you have extra produce (squash, zucchini, garlic, beans, etc.) please consider donating some of your surplus to a soup kitchen or pantry. We are combining our surplus harvest with a neighbor’s extra vegetables and donating them to a soup kitchen, who greatly appreciates the fresh native grown items. If you have extra flowers, please consider donating them to local assisted living facilities or churches.     No matter how big or small your garden donations are, there will be joy shared. 
  • Local farm stands and farmer’s markets are bursting with native grown vegetables and flowers. The variety and quality of native produce is astounding and provides us with the opportunity to marvel at the ability of gardeners in Maine.
  • I am thoroughly enjoying the annual flower plantings that so many local restaurants, hotels, and businesses are using to
  • Grape tomatoes on plant enhance their establishments. Take a moment to notice and thank these businesses for their efforts to make Maine so beautiful at this time of the year.

The CCMGA Board does not meet during July and August so I have no news to share. Our next Board Meeting will be in September. Again, please mark your calendars for the Annual Harvest Celebration that is scheduled for Saturday, October 5th, 2024, from 3:00-6:00 PM at Tidewater in Falmouth.  

Enjoy the growing season. May it yield us not only a beautiful and bountiful harvest, but as importantly, tranquility.

Gary Hoyt

CCMGA President

Master Gardener Plant Sale 2024

Drumroll, please! The revenues and expenses have been tallied and we have our final numbers for the 2024 Plant Sale! Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, and the interest of the broader community, we raised just over $18k!  Our total revenue is lower because we made a few purchases this year – heat mats and temperature controllers – which will benefit both Tidewater Farm and the Plant Sale for years to come.

As shared in June’s newsletter, financial profits are only one benchmark of our annual Plant Sale Event. Community outreach, environmental education, sustainability and fun with our friends are the most important measures of our success. Thanks again to all the Master Gardener Volunteers and to the incredible Plant Sale Committee for all their help with this great event. Bonnie Barthmaier

Total Revenue $18,446.50
Total Expenses $8,660.80
Profit $9,785.70
Profit w/o one time cost* $10,148.20

*Heat mat and temperature controllers for high tunnel

Roots – Get to Know an MGV 

This month, we’re meeting Robert McArdle of Falmouth. Robert had little exposure to gardening growing up (ironically) in the Garden State of New Jersey, although his parents did grow marigolds and tomatoes along the driveway. Robert started dabbling in gardening when his first job required a lot of on-call time where he had to be availableMaster Gardener Volunteer Robert McArdle in garden

within 15 minutes. This made it hard to do much on his on-call days. Rather than watch TV, he decided to get out of the house and start experimenting in the garden. The hobby stuck! 

MGV seemed the perfect match – “It allowed me to enhance what gardening skills I had and gave me the opportunity to get involved in the volunteer community.” He has been a Master Gardener Volunteer since 2017.  

As a volunteer, he participates in the annual plant sale by digging plants from his garden, growing and donating about a dozen fig trees, and working a shift at the sale itself. He’s also provided educational programs (Growing Figs in Maine) and tries to get up to the Yarmouth Community gardens as a volunteer. He initially had a garden there but it was one garden too much.

Since his early days squeezing in gardening during on-call hours, he’s “gotten pretty good at propagating figs and grafting a variety of fruit trees. My current project is grafting multiple varieties of Mirabelle plums. I’ve also gotten pretty good at maintaining a ‘presentable’ garden – important as I live in an HOA community where neighbors don’t appreciate a mess!” 

When not out in the garden, Robert enjoys cooking, canning, biking, and water activities like sailing, SUP, and kayaking, and occasional fishing. He’s also trying to get back into reading – something other than cookbooks.

Robert has great advice for his fellow gardeners – “Don’t overextend!!  At one point I was trying to garden in two community gardens as well as my home garden. Nothing did well, the gardens were a mess, and I was exhausted. It took the pleasure out of gardening. Now I focus on my home garden beds and they are productive and generally pleasing to look at.” In fact, he shares that his happy place is his garden in the morning before the world awakens.

Is there a Master Gardener Volunteer you’d like to see featured here? Nominate them by emailing Heather Wiggins Berger.

Volunteer Opportunities

We are 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 one you would like to learn more about – please reach out to Kerri Frazier.

Upcoming MGV Events

Field Day at Tidewater Farm – Saturday, August 17, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – FREEGroup of people at Tidewater Farm from prior year field day

Join UMaine Extension staff and Master Gardener Volunteers for a family-friendly morning in the Gardens at Tidewater Farm! Come experience the gardens, learn about Extension’s work, ask gardening questions, and participate in hands-on demonstrations beginning at 10:30 AM. No registration required.

Hands-on demonstrations will focus around cultivation practices that will keep your garden healthy, productive, and looking fresh during the transition from late summer into fall. Participants will take home a gorgeous bouquet of blooms from our market garden.

Drop-in Hours at Tidewater Farm – Tuesdays, 5:00 to 6:00 PM – FREE

Do you have gardening questions? Come by the UMaine Gardens at Tidewater Farm in Falmouth on Tuesdays until the end of August from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. to ask your questions. UMaine Extension Horticulture Staff will be on hand to provide assistance and help you troubleshoot garden issues.

 Please note: We will not be accepting any live disease or pest samples during the drop-in hours. Please only bring photos of the disease or pest you have

University of Maine Extension Events

Community Events

MGV Housekeeping 

Master Gardener Volunteer Hats and Aprons for sale!

University of Maine Master Gardener Volunteer Cap

We have baseball hats and aprons with the UMaine Extension MGV logo embroidered on them for sale for $15 each. If you would like to purchase one (or both) of these items, please stop by the Falmouth Extension Office. Our summer office hours are Monday: Thursday, 8:00 AM to  4:30 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We strongly encourage payments made by check (made out to ‘UMaine Extension’) or exact change as we cannot guarantee we will have change available.

Past Editions

Missed a previous newsletter? View them all HERE  (password: ladybug)

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.