I have a gardening addiction: My Vacation In Maine

 Maine is a regular vacation destination for me, two close friends and some of my family members. Luckily, we travel well together. Here are some of my observations about gardening in Maine. 

Annual flowers are beautiful well into fall. Our trips are usually in early October and we found gardens galore. Here are some pics from one of my favorites, Thuya Gardens in Northeast Harbor, just outside Acadia National Park. 

Annuals and perennials are planted together in long beds against a backdrop of evergreens in Thuya Gardens, located in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Thuya delights the senses with tall, beautiful plantings. 

Asters, botanically known as Symphyotrichum, are stalwart bloomers in early fall along the coast of Maine. 

Asters paired with celosias offers a nice texture and color to the garden.  Celosias are being used more and more in late summer and fall gardens. 

Nicotiana, aka ornamental tobacco, adds bright color to the bed alongside Black-eyed Susans and Salvia.

Zinnias, an annual that will succumb to frost any day now, is planted with Dusty Miller, Rudbeckia and Salvia. All around the garden, tall Zinnias and Dahlias play a huge part in brightening up the perennials around them. 

The tall Joe Pye Weed dominates a bed that also features Salvia, Marigolds, Dahlias and more. All of the gardens provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds migrations. 

Blue and purple Asters and Zinnias share the fall garden spaces at Thuja. Most of these are cultivars; native asters abound in the wild spaces here in Maine. 

Bright red Coleus and Zinnias alongside Cleome and Salvia are offer amazing contrast. 

Dahlia blossoms in the concrete planter gives a feeling of tranquility with the water.

Trails through the garden lead into the woods and eventually to a terrace that takes one to the harbor. 

A peek through the trees to Northeast Harbor.

Maybe it's because the season is shorter in Maine; gardens around homes, hotels and public spaces are beautiful. Thuya garden offers a look into the gardening legacy around the resort areas in coastal Maine. 

Squash and Gourds---What's the Difference?

 What is the difference between a Squash and a Gourd? 

Scores of squash varieties are available for cooking or decorating

What is the difference between a Squash and a Gourd? 

The easiest answer is that Squash are members of the Cucurbitaceae Family that we like to eat. Gourds are members of the Cucurbitaceae that we do not eat.  Both have a hard outer rind, but the Squash have softer edible flesh inside. Pumpkins, Butternut Squash, Acorn Squash, Hubbard, Crookneck and Zucchini are all types of Squash we enjoy cooking and eating.  The inner flesh of Gourds, on the other hand, tends to be bitter and quite hard.   

The colors of fall 

Squash have one of the longest records of being a cultivated vegetable in the world. They were first used 10,000-8,000 years ago in Mexico, about 4,000 years before the development of maize or corn as a domesticated crop. Many varieties were developed by Native Americans.   In the early 1600s, Europeans adopted Squash into their diets to survive the long hard New England Winters and Squash is believed to have been eaten at the First Thanksgiving.

Most of these are great for pumpkin pies

"Squash” first appears as an English word about 1640.  It came from the Narragansett word “askutasquash” which translates to “eaten uncooked.”  Many recipes for squash soup can be found among early New England documents.

Pumpkin pie anyone?

The Iroquois demonstrated the “Three Sisters” method of growing Squash to Europeans. Corn, Pole beans and Squash form the “Three Sisters” which are planted in a Hill or Mound together, rather than a straight row.  First, six kernels of corn are planted in a circle about 2 feet in diameter after all chance of frost has passed.  The beans are planted after the Corn is a foot tall.  Finally, about 4-6 weeks (about 1 and a half months) later the Squash seeds are planted. Corn provided the support for the beans; the Beans provide nitrogen to the soil to benefit all three vegetables. The large prickly leaves of the Squash provide shade to the soil, keeping it cool and moist, crowding out weeds and keeping the raccoons and other scavengers away. 

Three Sisters Photo Courtesy of MD Grows Blog 2017

In modern vegetable gardens, there are two categories of Squash: Summer and Winter. Summer Squash consists of Zucchini, Spaghetti Squash, Patty Pan Squash, Crookneck Squash, and the like.  They are grown and harvested in the Summer because they have a very thin shell.  

Squash and gourds take up less space when grown vertically

Despite the name, Winter Squash and Gourds are also grown in the Summertime.  The thicker outer shell makes them stronger, and they have a longer growing season than the Summer Squash.  Seeds must be planted in the late Spring, after all threat of frost has passed.  In Central Maryland, a planting date of just after Mother’s Day is ideal for Summer and Winter Squash and Gourds too.  Winter Squash have a lot of nutrients, such as beta carotene, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Potassium, and plenty of fiber.   

Beautifully diverse shapes and colors 

Many Gourds originated in Africa and were mostly grown for the useful hard shell that can be dried and hollowed out to make containers, utensils, tools, musical instruments, and bird houses. The versatile gourd was used for many thousands of years in African, Asian, and European. In fact, one subspecies of bottle gourd has been discovered in archaeological sites from as early as 13,000 BC. The word “Gourd” entered the English language about 1325 from the Old French “coorde”.  Today, we tend to use Gourds as purely decorative items for our Autumn and Thanksgiving Displays.  The more adventuresome folks will dry Gourds and use the hard outer shell to make items, just like our forebears. 

Valley View Farms sells Gourd and Squash seeds for planting in the Spring. We also offer locally grown Summer Squash starts such as Zucchini and Straight neck Squash in the Greenhouse in Late Spring. However, in the Fall we offer a wide selection of Squash, Pumpkins and Gourds out in the Pumpkin Patch for Fall cooking and decorating. 

September To-Do List

Enjoy your local garden centers and farmers' markets in the fall

Fall is the best time for planting many things. The soil is still warm from the summer, we’re getting cooler air temperatures, and the summer drought seems to be over. The University of Maryland Extension and our friends at Jonathan Green agree that now is the time for fertilizing and seeding the lawn. When seeding, we recommend the Black Beauty line of grass seed. Use a seed starting fertilizer and consider Mag-i-cal to help bolster your soil’s pH and overall health.  Choose the seed that fits your landscape, be it shady, sunny or a little of each. The dark green grass that emerges in 14-21 days from seed will overwinter providing a nice-looking lawn for spring. If grass seed isn’t necessary, give your lawn a fall feeding of fertilizer to boost the lawn with nitrogen for greening and potassium for overall grass health.

Like grass seed, consider sowing wildflower seed now too. You’ll need to do it soon, though. Ideally sow seed 8 weeks before a killing frost.

Plant a tree. The saying goes that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now. Trees I planted 20 years ago have created summer shade, winter protection from the wind and year-round beauty. I use Bartlett Tree Experts to thin out the trees and to remove any dying branches or branches that get in the way of mowing and gardening. My yard does not have room for one more tree, but if it did, I’d plant one now. Go with Native trees like Redbuds and exotic trees like Japanese maples. The varieties are endless. Dig a hole wider than the root ball, but no deeper. Add some Biotone transplant fertilizer and compost or soil amendment like LeafGro around the sides of the root ball. Make sure the trunk flare is visible above the soil line after mulch is added. Water weekly (more if the temperatures are up) until the soil freezes.

My neighbor's Crepe Myrtle has beautiful fall leaf color and bark texture

Perennials are great to plant now. Consider adding some natives for the pollinators as they migrate south. For butterflies, Goldenrod seems to be a favorite. Birds feast on dogwood berries and Winterberry hollies. Our local Audubon Society is a good resource for information on specific birds’ diet and habitat preferences. Stake your tall, fall bloomers like dahlias and salvias. Add some of the compost leftover from planting to top dress your gardens, Well-rotted manures work well as compost too.

Solidago/Golden Rod provides for Monarchs during migration

Mums are the stars of the fall garden. They work out well as perennials if they get in the ground soon. Kept in pots until they are finished blooming, mums are a seasonal spot of color on the porch and patio. They will not generally overwinter in pots. 

Choose mums that have just started to bloom

Pansies are great for fall color and will rebloom come late winter and early spring. While they may not overwinter in pots, similar to the mums, they do overwinter if planted in the ground. Area landscapers will plant pansies and their viola cousins for late color now and early color in spring. 

Freeze or can some of summer’s bounty. Freeze cherry and plum tomatoes whole. The University of Maryland has all sorts of tips for harvesting and preserving herbs and vegetables.

Harvest green tomatoes before frost. Store them at room temperature in brown paper bags.

My tomatoes may not ripen in time. Into paper bags they go!

Plant vegetables for fall harvest. It may be late for Brussels Sprouts, but plenty of time for kale, spinach, Swiss chard and root crops like beets and radishes.

Start or refresh a compost. Mine is just a woven wire fence staked on four corners. Fill it with alternating layers of green grass clippings, and brown leaves. Use a garden fork to turn weekly. Add the compost to your garden next spring or summer.

Get ready to dig up summer bulbs after the first light frost. Cannas, begonias, dahlias, gladiolus will not survive overwinter if the temperatures fall below 0 degrees F. 

Plant spring blooming bulbs once the ground is cooler, usually in mid-October- November. Tulips, daffodils, crocus, alliums and scores of other bulbs planted in the fall will provide beautiful color come spring. 

Trowel, auger, or bulb planters come in handy this time of year. 

Houseplants that have summered outside should be acclimated to lower light levels outside before moving them. Clean off leaves with a light mixture of mild soap and water. Then spray them with either Horticultural Oil and/or Insecticidal Soap.

The Z Z looks like an angel with the light over the pot

Ficus and Pachira enjoying their indoor home

Leave the leaves. In garden beds, they will suppress weeds and will serve as a habitat for frogs, turtles, birds, lizards and beneficial insects through the winter. In lawns, mow the leaves with the grass. Add leaves to the compost pile as well. Leaves add nutrients to the soil making it healthier as they decay.

Most importantly, enjoy the colors, temperatures and unhurriedness of fall. It's time to take it easy. Just ask your plants.