Horticulture

Luck of the Clover

By Tayla Mann, UMaine Extension Staff, Administrative Specialist The four-leaf clover has become a well-known symbol of luck, 4-H and St. Patrick’s Day. But not many of us know the folk-lore and facts behind this little green plant. The chances of even finding a four-leaf clover among the rest are 1 in 10,000! This is […]

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Gardening is for the Birds!

Article and Photographs by Amy Witt, UMaine Extension Horticulturist  Gardens bring delight to gardeners, visitors, and people passing by. They can also provide important habitat for birds, and in return, more enjoyment for the gardener and visitors. Gardening successfully for birds involves meeting their basic needs of food, water, nesting sites and shelter. Plan & […]

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Preparing for Your Next Vegetable Garden

By Clark Whitter, Cumberland County Master Gardener, Class of 2010 Analyze At the end of the growing season, including fall and early winter crops, analyze what did well and what did not. If a crop has not done well for the last two to three years, consider cutting back on some vegetables or change some […]

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Flowers From Your Valentine

By Tayla Mann, UMaine Extension Staff, Administrative Clerk Valentine’s Day has become a well-known tradition filled with chocolate, greeting cards, and especially flowers. However, with Valentine’s Day come and gone you’re probably beginning to wonder how to make those cherished flowers last a little longer. So we have compiled a few tips as our Valentine’s present […]

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seedling plants in a greenhouse

Maine Seed Distributors

By Tayla Mann, UMaine Extension Staff, Administrative Clerk 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! Johnny’s Selected Seeds Johnny’s, created in 1973, prides themselves in being 100% employee owned and producing safe, non-GMO seeds. They provide a […]

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Winter Care of Houseplants

By Kyle Fletcher Baker, Cumberland County Master Gardener and MCN Maine Zone 5 Well, here it is, winter in Maine and while all around us outside is usually covered with snow, some of us are tending the sporadic gardens inside. Whether it’s one or two plants or you have a virtual jungle of plants, the care […]

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Preserving Your Fresh Garden Veggies into the Winter

By Jason Lilley, Sustainable Agriculture Professional There’s nothing like going into your back yard to harvest the freshest possible vegetables for dinner. Using this home grown produce doesn’t have to come to an end with the first killing frosts. With some planning you can have harvestable crops in the garden well into December, and have […]

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Ugly Fruit & Vegetable Photo Contest Winner!

Food waste is a huge issue and fruits and vegetables that are considered ugly are often thrown away while still edible. So with your help we celebrated the under-appreciated beauty of ugly fruits and vegetables that you grew. Thank you to everyone who participated in this photo contest and congratulations to our winner, Sue Hochstein of […]

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Extending Vegetable Growing Season

By Jason Lilley, UMaine Extension Staff, Sustainable Agriculture Professional Given access to water, it has been a great season for growing veggies like tomatoes, peppers, beans, and basil. With the first hard frost is in sight there are a few easy actions to take to get those crops to last just a bit longer into […]

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Teachable Moments…Flower Arrangements

By Sara Conant, UMaine Extension Staff, 4-H Community Education Assistant UMaine Extension Cumberland staff members will be bringing you new skills, tips, and tricks about a variety of Extension related programs in our Teachable Moments series. This month we’ll teach you how to make floral arrangements. Master Gardeners with floral arrangement experience gathered at the […]

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