Maine Backyard Gardens (Portland, Brunswick, Pittsfield: house, pros and cons, live)

[elston]

As I mentioned on another thread, I got my first seed catalogue yesterday. My favorite Johnny's Selected Seeds; it is their 35th Edition and I believe I have been receiving it or looking at my Dads copy for most of those 35 years. Their farm is in Albion Maine, I haven't googled it yet, but I want to go there for sure!!!!!

As I peruse the catalogue and dream of bountiful gardens and look at old stand bys and the promise of new offerings, I wonder what the other backyard gardeners are planting. (My Dad had wonderful gardens where ever he lived. His Maine gardens were in Eastport, Dexter, and Pittsfield.) My Johnny's seeds connects me to him as Burpees and Johnny's were his standby catalogues.

So what old tried and true friends" are you planting in your Maine Gardens and what are you going to try new this year?

Come pull up a chair and dream with me--it helps to pass the winter.

[Maine Writer]

I'm leaving in two minutes and just HAD to check in and find THIS thread. Gardening is my life's blood. Can't wait to get home later and get right back to this.

www.fedcoseeds.com gets 99% of my order.

[elston]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

I'm leaving in two minutes and just HAD to check in and find THIS thread. Gardening is my life's blood. Can't wait to get home later and get right back to this.

www.fedcoseeds.com gets 99% of my order.

I will check out your catalogue after I get my house ready for a showing in about an hour or less!

Gardening is one of the things that pulls me to Maine. I never could get the hang of growing things in adobe soil, the water doesnt perculate and things either are sodden or hard as brick (thats for me....Californians obviously know how to grow things in great abundance!)LOL at myself.

[Abbymoulton]

Lilacs, Lilacs and Lilacs. I have many things I cann't wait to plant. Things I havn't seen in too many years. Lilacs is obviously the first thing that comes to mind. Next is forsithia, crocus, daffodils, peonies (for my grandmother's memory), johnny jump ups, pussywillows (it worked ), tiger lilies everywhere, plus everything we will eat and can to eat all year long. Oh, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries,apple trees....and on and on and on.....................
You will know my house if you drive through Limestone in a couple years, it will be the one behind all the lilacs.

[elston]

Originally Posted by Abbymoulton

Lilacs, Lilacs and Lilacs. I have many things I cann't wait to plant. Things I havn't seen in too many years. Lilacs is obviously the first thing that comes to mind. Next is forsithia, crocus, daffodils, peonies (for my grandmother's memory), johnny jump ups, pussywillows (it worked ), tiger lilies everywhere, plus everything we will eat and can to eat all year long. Oh, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries,apple trees....and on and on and on.....................
You will know my house if you drive through Limestone in a couple years, it will be the one behind all the lilacs.

I love to hear people's plans for what they will plant. I had forgotten the glory of forsithia...we don't have it out here nor the yellow daffodils or crocus or stars of bethlehem and only really pathetic hosta! There are many many exotics like Jackaranda trees and cala lilies etc but I miss the plants of my youth; plants that I associate with my parents and gram and even the things that my great great aunt chronicled in her journal.

I am wondering about corn and bean varieties and of course tomatoes and kale and cukes and English peas--you can spend a lot of time weighing the pros and cons. Most of my garden experience was in central NH, I am wondering what people have had good luck with in the Portland up to Brunswick areas. Maine is so vast, it must take in several zones. Share your practice wisdom.

[Abbymoulton]

[quote=elston;2352409] pathetic hosta! There are many many exotics like Jackaranda trees and cala lilies etc but I miss the plants of my youth; plants that I associate with my parents and gram and even the things that my great great aunt chronicled in her journal.

We too have many tropical plants here in Florida. Some that are very beautiful. However, they just do not look right to me. I so miss the plants of Maine. The welcome of Spring with the roadside lined with tigerlilies (day lilies), The crocus peeking thier heads through the snow and as I have said many times before the lilacs and thier wonderful glorious smell.
As far as the gardening for food, anything and everything will be planted. Big Boy tomatoes are one I remember did well south of Portland. Most things grow in that area, zucinni, squash of every kind, pumpkins, watermelon (my grandfather planted an entire garden of those just for me every year). Beans, peppers, cukes like crazy, and on and on. I am not too sure what grows well there further north you go and I am going about as far north as you can get and still be in Maine.....but, I will try anything once.
One thing I really do want to try is to grow a giant pumpkin and enter it in the county fair. "FUN"

[elston]

For green beans I am looking at "Provider" it says it is most popular and that it germinates well in cold soil and "yields well despite adverse weather" that sounds like it would be a good choice for a gardener with rusty skills in a new area.

I am looking at several Kabocha squash. My DP is from Japan and of all the Japanese food, Kabocha is my favorite! (We don't peel it, but cut it up and cook it in a little "mirin" (sweet wine) with soy sauce and dashi (a light flavored, fish and seaweed broth) with sugar to taste. Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful!

[Abbymoulton]

OH MY.....I found a MOOSE in my garden in Florida this afternoon.
I guess I have to bring him back to Maine.

[elston]

Abby when I was a real little kid, we lived up in Canada above Derby Line Vermont. I know Dad had real good luck with gardens up there--but he used a cold frame to get an early start and real cold weather crops like Kale, Cabbage, Peas and Parsnips were regulars for him. I think he grew scarlet runner beans everywhere he went in memory of his father.

[Abbymoulton]

El, The "Mother Earth News" that arrived yesterday says that even in Northern Maine you can grow anything by starting or even keeping in a cold frame with top to keep earth heated all winter long. I am not too sure about all winter, but should really help start things. My sister has a tiny green house that she starts things in, but that is southern Maine. One thing is for sure....I can't wait to start trying it.