Have gardening questions?

WRITTEN BY EMILY BAER

This time of year, when the days are short and the months are long, few things are more hopeful than sitting down with a hot mug of tea and slowly flipping through a seed catalog. There’s something about the promise of bright red tomatoes, plump blueberries, jewel-toned flowers, and verdant landscapes that makes late winter’s wind and cold more tolerable. As the light begins to change and you find yourself staring at page after page of possibility, something takes root within you. It’s time to start planning your garden! 

We’re lucky to live in a state with a rich tradition of home gardening, but the prospect of planning can feel daunting, even for those who have done it many times over. Most public libraries have a section of gardening resources to get you started and some even host small seed libraries, where patrons can swap seeds and learn from each other throughout the year.

But, if you can’t find what you’re looking for locally, there’s always the internet. It was there, as I was weeding through how-to gardening videos on YouTube, that I stumbled across the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension channel. 

Broadly speaking, the extension’s mission is to help connect everyday people with research-based information on topics ranging from gardening to beekeeping, food safety and preservation, youth development, and more. Despite being the university’s largest outreach branch and racking up thousands of views on their videos, I felt like I’d discovered hidden treasure.

“If you add ‘UMaine’ to almost any gardening question you have, there’s a good chance we have a relevant resource,” says horticulturalist Kate Garland, who works in the Penobscot County extension office. Garland and her colleagues make sure of it. “I love helping people find practical and often simple strategies to meet their horticultural goals.” 

Beyond free online videos, the cooperative extension offers resources on a variety of Maine-based topics and in a variety of formats. Some are educational, like the Victory Garden for ME course that helps gardeners of all experience levels with everything from garden planning to soil prep to harvesting and food preservation tips. There’s also a Pollinator-Friendly Garden Certification for those interested in providing food, habitat, and water to support pollinators, and webinars that explore topics like home orchards and planting native species. Garland and her team also produce a free newsletter, Maine Home Garden News, that includes monthly to-do lists, timely how-to articles, important updates on pests and diseases, and interesting articles on related topics, such as the Backyard Bird series by Maine Audubon. But more than just providing information, the cooperative extension also helps connect communities.

“We offer a variety of in-person workshops throughout the state, and staff in many of our county offices are available to support individuals with their gardening questions,” she explains. And, as gardeners get comfortable, they turn to each other for help. “Witnessing the greater horticultural community supporting one another is a wonderful part of the job.”

Many of the extension’s offerings are free and easy to find online, and their in-person programming runs throughout the year. 

“Gardening is a year-round process! I never stop planning and checking out new resources,” Garland says.

So, once you’ve picked out some seeds and finished your tea, grab a notebook and get to work. Here are some helpful tips to help get you started.

Start small. “Think carefully about how much time you want to commit to gardening before making any big decisions,” Garland says. “A large vegetable garden may seem lovely in the winter months, but requires (at least) weekly attention throughout the entire growing season.” The same holds true for houseplants.

Pace yourself. As with anything, you win some and you lose some. “Some of the greatest gardeners have killed a lot of plants.” Expand your efforts when you’re able. 

Know thyself… and thine garden. One of the most important steps you can take is to get to know your site conditions. Be sure to pick your plants based on your location and its unique characteristics. The extension offers soil testing and insect identification services to help. 

Learn, grow, and document as you go. Garland recommends taking lots of pictures of your garden as it grows. Detailed notes can also be quite valuable. “I look back at pictures of our gardens all the time to inform my future plans,” she says. “This includes documenting both the good and not-so-good things.” It’s all part of the journey.  

Teamwork makes the dream work. Your gardening goals will be specific to your life’s needs, so consider bringing friends and family along as you start planning. Their perspectives may be helpful, and you can always use an extra pair of hands in the garden.

Ask for help. The cooperative extension’s resources are designed for all experience levels. “In horticulture, there’s so much to learn, so many new things to try and experience, and countless gardens and fellow gardeners to be inspired by,” Garland says.

Level up when you’re ready. 

If you feel like it’s time to really dig in, the extension offers three major training programs for advanced gardeners. There’s the Maine Master Gardener Volunteer training, the Maine Horticulture Apprenticeship Training, and the Maine Gardener program. Each is designed with specific goals in mind, so if you’re curious, call your local county office. You’ll be amazed by what you learn!