Hi Folks, Have been lucky enough to be able to find a beautiful spot in Maine in which to retire to in a few years in Milbridge. It's on the water and already feels like home even though there isn't a house built yet. Would love to hear of any links or good books on Maine gardening. It will be quite a shock gardening wise as I will be moving out from California!
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Brian
Moving to Maine!!!
You lucky dog! I know that town. It is beautiful.
http://davesgarden.com/gbw/c/55/
brimcgin - Welcome to the NE! I am a displaced Southern Californian and live in Connecticut - not nearly as cold as Maine - but then Stockton is colder than Tustin where I used to live in CA. Capecodgardner is originally from CA as well and now living on (where else?) Cape Cod which is colder than where I live in CT but not as cold as Maine. Wait till you see daffodils and tulips come up in the spring for the first time - you will be so in love with the NE! Then there is the color in the Fall - bam, pop, sizzle! Ok - enough from me - for now.
Thanks you guys! Yep, the only thing that makes me hesitate is the cold, but, then that's what they make the indoors for! I'll take the cold over the 110-115 degree summers here. Have been out for a couple Fall color changes ( or as a couple locals put it..."watching the foliage die!" ).
Thanks for the link Claypa. You're right. Milbridge is a beauty as is all of N.E.
Love your enthusiasm Cat. I feel the same way. Last Spring I planted a few things along the shoreline and plan on doing the same next Spring. Probably not the best time to put in bulbs but will try anyway. My brother and family live in Hallowell and have property in Harrington so maybe they will get bulb planting duty!
Thanks again, Brian
Hello Brian!
Welcome to the northeast! I hope you will find the gardeners here as helpful and friendly as I have.
Dave
Brian,
Welcome to the N.E. forum and Welcome to Maine!!!! You will freeze your little toush off in the winter, but it's still beautiful and peaceful. The first thing you need to know is an old Maine saying:
"If you don't like the weather now....what a little while, it will change" The only place I know you put the heat on in the mornings and then the A.C. on in the afternoon. LOL Yesterday it was 17 degrees in the morn., warmed up to 33 by 3pm. Today it was 47, tomorrow they say it will be 27 for a high. I like the 47 much better!
Hi Dave! Hi Pixie! Thanks for the welcome. On every visit the people are at the top of my list of "likes".
I drove through South China last time on my way to Liberty (love Liberty tool and Liberty Graphics across the street). In fact, South China might have been where we stopped for a tool show at the veterans hall. My sister in laws dad wanted to stop at the war memorial and we have great pictures of the us scratching our heads and thumbing a ride at the sign posts. That's South China or very close right?
It's freezing here today. Must be in the low 60s...........sorry.;)
Brian
Brian ~ You were in S. China!! I know exactly what sign your talking about...I live about 2 minutes(by car) away! Well the weatherman lied...he said 1 - 3 " of snow, it's more like 6 - 8. He said 27 degree's, it's 20 degree's with 30 mh winds making it dangerous wind chill and droping the temps. to single digits.
This was taken this morning around 9 am.
Hi Pixie- BRRRRRRRRRRRR...but beautiful! Puts me in mind of a hot cup of cocoa and a fire in the fireplace! Just keep thinking of those bulbs getting ready to pop up! What else do you like to plant?
Brian
Any perennial that will survive here...daylilies and oriental lilies being my favorite. Asiatic & Trumpet lilies, Iris's, daffs, tulips, allium, Jacobs ladder, wisteria, lilacs, blueberries, mock orange, Holly, Rose of Sharon, Applles, pears, plumbs, cosmo's, snapdragons.....way to many to list. Some day I will get my diary and journal done and you'll be able to view it. Good project for stormy days like these. I did have the hot chocolate, but not the fire today. Did build one in the fireplace the other day, it was 17 degrees when I got up and I just needed that extra warmth!
And you? What do you like to plant?
Celeste
This is CapeCodGardener, ringing in on the welcome to brimcgin from Stockton (which city I know; we moved last year from the Monterey Peninsula). Gardening in the NE--or almost anywhere else in the country--is so different from coastal California with its temperate climes. The Sunset Western Garden book was my gardening bible in CA, but now I've found that most general books on gardening relate to the more seasonal gardening we have in the NE. Actually, the best source of information is the NE gardening forum on Dave's Garden!
"Putting the garden to bed" is what is new to me in this season--and putting up my outdoor holiday lights in 30 degree weather--and knowing that it will be a long wait until daffodils and tulips and forsythia and lilac, but it will be wonderful when they appear.
--Emily
Yarmouthport, MA
Brian, just want to say hi, and welcome to NE. I've always lived in NY state. nothing to compare to. 4 seasons is just where it's at for me. sounds like a wonderful place to retire. and 2 of your best Maine gardening resources just introduced themselves to you, so you've got a head start.
gram
Congrats on finding the perfect spot to retire and congrats on your retiring in a few years! You must be thrilled and excited.
Hi Everybody! Wow..I'm overwhelmed.
Celeste (always liked that name) it sounds like you stay very busy during the growing season and also that you have a farm! I'm going to have to look a few of those up but we sure share some likes. I just put a wisteria in the ground on the front corner of the house last Spring and hope it takes off. I sure wasn't aware that you could grow pears back there. I hope being close to the water wouldn't slow it down because I will put a couple in on my next visit.
I inherited a Plumeria from my Mom a few years ago which really got me caring for gardening. That along with Colius,Salvia (love Mexican Sage), Flowering Maple, All matter of Fern, Hostas,Cactus and succulants, Moses in a cradle and moss of practically any type are among my favorites. Sadly, alot of these just won't make it there. Unless I have a REALLY big GreenHouse...HMMMM. I really like Lilac but have not had much luck with it out here for some reason. It will be everywhere when I get there though!
I have attempted to start a journal but didn't figure out early enough how to post pics so I went to the diarie and put some "as is" shots of some new landscape work I did in the last 2 years. You are all welcome to take a look of course. They really are just basic shots to remind me next summer what it looked like this last Fall/Winter. Yes, there is alot of brick in the backyard!
Hi Emily! Celeste told me you were a transplantee! You come from one of my favorite places on Earth, the Monterey Bay area. There is a small Pine on my property right on the edge over the water that totally reminds me of ...is it "Lone Pine" on the coast? Darn it , can't remember if that's right. Bet you know what I mean though. Much smaller of course but the "atmosphere" is there.
Hello Gram! Wow, this is getting strange. I spent many years growing up in upstate NY. In Ithaca. My Dad taught at Cornell for, like, forever! I do miss the seasons changing. As you know it's either Hot (here in the central valley anyway) and dry or wet and cold. I'm not complaining of course. It's beautiful here too.
And Dawn! Thanks for the welcome! I'm looking forward to getting to know you guys and picking your individual brains!!
Man! I'm writing a book!
Thanks Folks, Brian
Hi there, my husband's family is from Dryden, NY and his father worked at Cornell...What years did you live there?
We were in Oakland for a couple years and are now working on restoring our new "retirement home" a 175 acre farm at the northern edge of the Adirondacks.
Not too shabby dmcdeitt! Congratulations to you too!
Oh it's VEEEERRRRRYYY shabby in fact!! LOL but the land is beautiful.
Hi Dmcdevitt! I believe my Dad started at Cornell after we moved from Wisconsin in about 1960-'61 and taught until 1991-'92. His name was Rober t McGinnis and taught Sociology and mathmatics. I wasn't in Ithaca past age 8 (divorce). That's when my Mother and sister and I moved out to California. So I was there from about 1960 to '65.
My grandmother lived in the Oakland hills for many years and I've been to Lake George as a kid! SMALL world!!! What a beautiful area of upstate!
175 acres....I think I'm REALLY jealous. Of course that could be alot of work too and I'm fairly lazy! Do you keep alot of it pretty well natural/wooded? I picture this farm I went to upstate as a kid. Can't remember where it was, but it had a great big pond that we swam in with tons of Bullfrogs and there was a huge white Barn Owl flying around scaring me to death! ( I was like 6 or something). I love Owls now
Really appreciate the welcome.
Brian
Hi Brian,
welcome to beautiful New England... sorry to welcome you so late... I am a transplantee from Brazil... so I love the cold and the season change in New England... I am just way to anxious about spring this year since I am a new gardener...
The gardeners in this thread are wonderful... the nicest people I have met! and they are wonderful enablers too... I love them!
So here goes my one tip I can give you... for roses visit North Creek Farm website - the owner is a warm and wonderful person and she is from maine... also Green Mountain Transplants - they were highly recommended by a master gardener at the Ma Horticultural Society ... really nice people ...
Hi Brian! Glad to have you on the east coast - the best coast, not the west coast. No fear of slipping into the Pacific over here! My DH, Jack, and I love Maine!
Hi Brian!
I'm a newbie as well. In addition to my gardens in Framingham, I plan and care for my Mom's garden in Wells, ME. If we can keep the deer from eating it, it's going to be stunning in a few years.
If you are ever in southern Maine, there is a good garden center in York, Salmon Falls ... i can't remember the rest of the name! Oh well,
Welcome and I hope you enjoy Maine!
Tamberlin