Category: Horticulture

Going Native Establishing a Native Plant Nursery

  You can start hundreds of native plants in a small area to create your own nursery. Heather McCargo photo By Heather McCargo The traditional nursery industry has been following an ecologically destructive trajectory similar to the path of conventional agriculture. Most plants are mass produced using an arsenal of synthetic chemicals; many varieties are

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Planting Fall Bulbs in Maine

Maine winters are long, but our cool, wet spring season is even longer because of our impatient yearnings for fresh greens, dry paths and more color in the landscape. And as farmers adapt to the rising problem of climate change, it’s important to plan ahead for bulb planting. Spring bulbs are the bright spots, the

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Hungry for Hostas

Hostas are edible when young and sheltering when older. English photo. By Ansel Oommen Hostas – count on them to liven up your shady patches, borders and sidewalks in ways no other plant can. With an endless array of low maintenance choices, they offer an artist’s palette of groundcovers. Yet, despite being so familiar, these

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Ten Easy Species for the Edible Landscape

Cornelian cherry dogwood flowers in spring and fruits in summer. Jean English photos. By Jean English Want to increase the amount of homegrown food you produce, with very little work? Plant any or all of these 10 edible, perennial, ornamental species in your landscape. They’ll provide fresh, mouthwatering snacks and sustenance from early spring until

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Native Trees

Shadbush blossoms (Amelanchier). Kerry Hardy photo. One Tree-Hugger’s Opinion by Kerry Hardy It’s hard not to notice the foliage on our beautiful native trees at this time of year, and it’s worth remembering that “the spring of the leaf” in May and “the fall of the leaf” in October are the sources of those seasons’

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Hummingbirds

Solomon’s seal is one of dozens of flowering plants that support the ruby-throated hummingbird. English photo. by Deb Soule Hummingbirds of North America, by Sheri Williams, lists 31 species of hummingbirds, but the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the only breeding hummingbird living east of the Mississippi River. It is found in Maine between May

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Growing Nursery Stock for Fedco Trees

Growing Nursery Stock for Fedco Trees Growing fruit or ornamental trees or shrubs can be a lucrative diversification for a farm, the sole purpose of a farm, or a rewarding hobby. John Bunker, coordinator of Fedco Trees, discussed growing stock for Fedco Trees at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show in January. Fedco is a worker-consumer

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Growing Housetrees from seed

Growing “Housetrees” (and Other Houseplants) from Seed Copyright 2006 by Larry Lack and Lee Ann Ward We really enjoy having plants in our house. They clean and freshen the air, they’re beautiful, they remind us of our bond with nature many times each day, they cheer us up. Where long winters and dark days are

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