Blog

The gardens at the Captain Jefferds Inn have sprung to life, making it truly feel like spring is here. Maine gardeners, weary from months of cold and snow, look forward to springtime and a chance to work outside in a sunny garden. Bright, cheery flowers and the feeling of renewal that they bring is worth the wait. However, gardening in Maine can be a challenge since the growing season is short the winters can be harsh, making it tough for plants to survive. The best strategy for putting together a beautiful garden is to combine a variety of winter hardy perennials with flowering shrubs, rosebushes, spring flowering bulbs and annuals. Choosing the “right plant for the right place” is an important consideration for all types of landscaping. Even the best planting practices will not help a plant to thrive if it is poorly suited for a particular site. It is also important to know the mature height and width of selected plants so that they will not outgrow the space allotted to them.

Some site conditions to keep in mind when selecting landscape plants include:

• light availability, intensity and duration (full sun to deep shade)
• water availability, both quantity and quality
• exposure to wind and temperature extremes
• soil type, drainage, compaction
• hardiness zone

It is also important to remember that low-maintenance landscaping does not mean that no maintenance will be required, as all plants will require some routine care in order to succeed.

Speaking of gardens . . . how's that for a segue, the Historic Inns of Kennebunkport will be hosting their second annual Garden Party in conjunction with the Kennebunkport Festival. On Saturday, June 8th from 1:30pm - 5:30pm, each of the six member inns of the Historic Inns of Kennebunkport (HIK) will be serving wine, tea and hors d'oeuvres as guests peruse their gardens. It is an excellent way to see and experience the unique flavor of each historic inn. The Garden Parties are only open to guests staying at one of the HIK inns: 1802 House, Bufflehead Cove Inn, Captain Jefferds Inn, Captain Lord Mansion, the Inn at English Meadows, or the Maine Stay Inn. Transportation between the inns will be provided. There is a $5 suggested donation to support Share Our Strength. So book your stay to get your fill of lovely gardens as well as all of the other fantastic happenings hosted by the Kennebunkport festival.

If you love hanging baskets as much as we do for their endless possibilities and visual appeal but hate having to water them every day, then this is a great tip for you. Not only will it drastically cut how much water you use, it will save you time as well!

Fiber planters are great from both an aesthetic and compostable point of view, but their porousness allows moisture to rapidly evaporate. As a way to mitigate this, line your fiber planter with a sheet of plastic with just a few small holes punched in it. This will allow excess water to drain off but the plastic will help hold in moisture. We have found that it cuts how often we need to water from once a day to once or twice a week. That is quite a savings in both water and effort! Now granted, plastic isn't the most earth friendly material, but you can always save it and reuse it each year as we do. We recommend a heavier gauge plastic that you can buy in sheets at your local hardware store. That's our Gardening Green Tip for April.