My Top 5 Gardening Tips
Tips For An Efficient Growing Season
September: Sweet Autumn Clematis and Hydrangea intertwined.
1. Start with the best soil.
Take the extra step to build up healthy, loose soil. If you can prepare the beds in advance, planting new plants will be effortless. I recommend a 50/50 blend of compost and loam for gardens or raised beds and “Mega Mulch” for a rich, natural, composted top dressing. Both of these products can be purchased at Country Fare in Bowdoin. They have a 4 yard minimum for delivery (equal to about 24 wheelbarrow loads), so if it’s too much- split it with a neighbor. (They will also split the load if you ask. Most of the time I order 1/2 50/50 and 1/2 Mega Mulch).
50/50 blend (left) and “Mega Mulch” (right) from Country Fare in Bowdoin, ME
2. Shop for annuals before Mother’s Day for the best selection.
Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12th) is not only a busy holiday for florists, but also garden centers and nurseries. Before Mother’s Day, plant shops will be bursting at the seams with the best selection (arguably for the year). The only downside to buying annuals this early in the season is needing to protect them from cold and frost. I have a garage where I store the tender annuals on carts, dollies or anything with wheels. I’ll open the doors on a mild day and roll them out in the sun. At night, I’ll roll them back in. Sometimes, tossing an old bedsheet over them is necessary as an extra insulator. Remember to keep them watered. This will add chores to a busy spring, but it’s well worth it if you’re able to grab more unusual plants early on. 
Andrew’s Greenhouse in South Amherst, MA
3. If you want constant color in your garden, shop for flowering perennials every few weeks.
If you’re hoping to build a perennial garden of continuous color, the easiest thing to do is purchase new perennials every few weeks. Walk around a nursery and pick up plants in bloom and plant them in the garden. The benefits of doing this will be seen the following year.
Estabrooks in Yarmouth, ME
4. Get plants in the ground as early as possible.
Perennials and shrubs can be planted in early spring through late fall, but the rule of thumb for most annuals in New England is Memorial Day (May 31st). Even if you’re not sure about placement, get your plants out of their grow pots and into the ground as early as possible (even if you have to “heal” them into a mound of loam). This will allow them to establish roots early-making the most of our short growing season. You can always move annuals and perennials after they’ve been planted.
A mail-order shrub.
5. Fertilize for the strongest growth.
Sprinkle in a bit of Plant-tone or Osmocote in and around every hole you dig. This will give your plants a great head start.
Some of my favorite gardening resources in Maine:
Country Fare Inc., Bowdoin (“Mega Mulch”, 50/50 blend)Brooks Farm & Feed, Brunswick (bagged soil, fertilizer)Estabrooks, Yarmouth (perennials, shrubs, annuals)Sound Pine Farm, Brunswick (annual and vegetable starters)East of Eden Flower Farm, Bowdoinham (Dahlia tubers)Garden Spot Farm, Pownal (large annuals, more unique plants, fair prices)Plants Unlimited, Rockport (unique and hard to find perennials and shrubs)Moose’s Crossing, Waldoboro (large selection)Barley Joe Farm Greenhouses, Warren (unusual plants)