Skip to main navigation Skip to site navigation Skip to content

Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard

Habitat Gardening

Would you please give advice on how to begin an overall landscaping design and how to purchase soil?

Question: I want to start planting perennials and some bushes and I need advice with: 1. Overall landscaping plan 2. What kind of soil to get delivered for the plants? Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant Start here – Designing Your Landscape for Maine. This Bulletin will walk you through all the things you want […]

Are there any references available about pollinators?

Question: I am the founder of a community garden and we are looking to start our season with a presentation on pollinators and bee friendly gardening. We would like to see if you have any references? Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant That’s great! You should definitely check out our Pollinator Program webpage which has a lot […]

How do I determine the best trees for my lot?

Question: I will be landscaping my yard and want to put lots of trees on the land. How do I go about figuring out which trees are best? How do I “reforest” a small lot? Answer: Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant Thanks for your question – sounds like an exciting project! The first thing […]

Should large invasive trees be removed and replaced with native species?

Question: I’ve been slowly working over the last few years to remove a rather large amount of invasive plant species dotting my property and replacing them with alternative species. I’ve got several different kinds, but the three most pervasive are Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Norway Maples, and Multiflora Rose. They’ve taken over everything, and have all […]

How do you eradicate knotweed and replace with a native plant?

Question: I have an area about 200 square feet where we cut, treated and then scraped out knotweed this fall. We know it will be a constant battle to try to completely eradicate for the next few years but would like to replant the area with something native and invasive-ish to help with squeezing out […]

Can you suggest a short shrub that will attract birds?

Question: I am interested in planting a shrub or two in my yard that will attract multiple kinds of birds. I would prefer the shrub to grow no taller than 8 feet in height. My yard has sunny and shady areas. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: Vina Lindley, Food Systems and Home Horticulture Professional […]

Which native species tree should I plant in my backyard?

Question: I am not sure if you cover this type of question, but here goes! 🙂 I would like to plant a tree in my backyard and I want to ensure that I plant something that is native and supportive to the wildlife in my town of Westbook — do you have any suggestions? Perhaps […]

Why aren’t any Monarchs coming to my milkweed?

Question: I’ve let milkweed grow in my vegetable garden, which I didn’t take time to plant this year. I pulled out half but left some for monarchs, esp. since our new neighbor keeps the adjacent field mowed, instead of letting all the native plants grow. I thought the monarchs would have arrived by now, but […]

How do I attract and provide homes for bees?

Question: I want to make some bee hotels for my yard in Old Town. However, I don’t know which species are best for gardens and their nesting preferences. I want to ensure that I am attracting/homing the right bees. Answer: Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maine Cooperative Extension […]

Is it acceptable to plant butterfly bushes in Maine if they are sterile?

Question: Is it acceptable to plant butterfly bushes in Maine if they are sterile? Answer: Lynne Holland, Community Education Assistant (Home Horticulture), Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties That is a great question and it also brings up a problem we often face-the use of common names for items that have both invasive and non-invasive members in […]

« Previous 1 2 3 Next »

Top