Each spring our local Public Works department offers up rain barrels and compost pails at discounted prices.  Surprisingly, I do not see a rain barrel in more than a couple of yards with gardens.  Either our neighbors hide theirs very well, or they simply don't bother.  I'm a huge fan of the rain barrel.  Ours fills fast with a heavy rain as we place it directly under a gutter drain.  To water the yard, I fill cleaned and emptied milk jugs with water from the barrel, place about 12 filled jugs in my kids' old radio flyer wagon to transport, and take a trip around the yard.  Maine doesn't have watering restrictions so we are lucky.  But shouldn't we?  Water is taken for granted and those who have an automatic sprinkler system (which even runs when it's raining), I believe, are purposely wasteful.  What worries me more is that these same neighbors who believe that perpetual green grass is a symbol of wealth and prosperity also use chemical enhancers on their lawn (for grub control and fertilization) which then wash into our street drains and back into our oceans or water supply  polluting both.

From what I've read and learned from my sister (who has a degree in landscaping) grass in Maine is problematic on two levels.  First, cool weather grasses will go dormant in summer, it's completely natural no panic needed.  Second, warm weather grasses, that will be bright green in July, won't survive a cold winter.  So, in Maine, it really isn't possible to keep that green grass looking green year round, so accept the dormancy as the growth cycle and stop expecting miracles from your lawn.   And if you follow simple suggestions, like leaving grass clippings on the lawn (as it decomposes it will release nitrogen into the soil), you can have a decent lawn without the extra effort or expense.

If you really like the idea of cutting costs and avoiding pesticides, here is another good suggestion (from my sister and from experience).  If you notice bugs on your plants (like aphids, or other small eating bugs) throwing your dirty dish water onto the plant will actually help it.  The soap in the dishwater will smother the bugs (and if the water is slightly oily it will cling to the leaves for a longer period of time) and you will be watering the plant without getting out the hose.

While I understand that most people are weekend gardeners and don't have the time to dedicate a large amount of general care for their yards, small changes can really make a difference.  For example, when we bought our first house in Brockton, Massachusetts, we had overgrown shrubs, weeds all over, and grass 2 feet high (we got it cheap as a bank owned property, so no complaints). Slowly we began to trim, pull weeds, and establish several small garden areas.  We were quickly informed that Brockton had strict watering policies.  We could only water the lawn during certain hours of certain days of the week.  As it turns out, we really never had to "water" using a hose or sprinkler.  First, we let our grass go dormant in the summer.  We had good soil and it always rebounded in the cooler months. Then, we put out a couple of plastic trash cans for water barrels, planted drought resistant perennials, and used every bit of water from washing dishes and laundry and emptying our dehumidifier during dry periods to keep new shrubs and perennials watered.  Coworkers and friends who lived in Brockton were amazed by our yard; they claimed they didn't garden because of the water restrictions and had thought that plants couldn't thrive.  I hope we proved them wrong.  

I'm thinking of applying the "no mercy" rule this Spring.  There is a Pagoda Dogwood leaning badly that we planted before we moved our fence and now it just looks sad.  It was a $5 "orphan" and we couldn't resist it as we had purchased a full price Pagoda Dogwood a couple of years previous to put in the back yard and it has filled its corner beautifully.  When we first saw our sad orphan it looked like a dead twig.  I thought the neighbors would collectively perform an intervention suspecting that we had lost our minds to plant such a hideous thing on purpose.  But, sure enough, like all other "orphans" we have brought home, it did well.  So well, in fact, we quickly realized we hadn't taken enough care to plant it in a space that was appropriate to its ever increasing size.  Now that we have moved a fence (longer story later about a land/fence dispute), the space seems so much smaller and I am bracing myself for what I think may be the right thing to do, take it down.

In cases like this I wish I had more friends who liked to garden.  I would be able to dig this little beauty up and carefully transport it to another yard where a friend would care for it and let me have weekend visitations.  But most people I associate with don't seem to enjoy getting their hands dirty (although I really can't imagine why, it's free exercise, keeps you out of the refrigerator, and teaches children that the outdoors isn't something that you just walk through on your way inside).  I can hear the suggestion already, "why don't you join a garden club?", well, yes, that would be one option, and one I should probably seriously consider, but I spend so much of my time with people I don't know very well, work, church, kids' school, I just don't feel like making small talk with one more group of people (FYI a gardening blog is not small talk, this is serious business we are talking here).

If I had more than a small city lot I would be better prepared to handle the size of trees and shrubs as they grow into, and out of, their designated spaces.  It is so tempting when starting a garden to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials close together to give that instant satisfying effect.  BUT DON'T DO IT!  You will regret it later.  Always give your plants plenty of room and just know that though it looks empty now, it won't in a couple of years.  You can always fill in between the shrubs and trees with annuals to give that "full" look if you need.

Looking back when we first bought this house, I don't remember taking much notice of the yard.  I was so happy to find a home with real closets I think I just figured we could take our time with the outside once we got settled.

We moved in at the end of June and sometime around the 4th of July I had my husband outside hacking away at the multitude of yew bushes that were planted far too close to the foundation and pruned flat on top (so much for taking our time).  Not that I have a problem with yew bushes in general, in fact, I think they can be quite pretty.  But unless you prune them correctly (thinned not sheared) and give them plenty of air, you can end up with a shrub all brown and dead looking in the middle and overly thick and green on top.  

I really don't know why home owners shape their evergreens into boxes, triangles, and globes.  Most shrubs (holly, boxwood, etc) have a lovely natural shape and to make them into something more formal doesn't really enhance your house and yard, unless, of course, you live in a palace (and, if you are reading this, I suspect you don't).  I've come to think that homeowners resort to these shapes as they are unsure of what else to do, or have hired some lawn care company that descends upon their lawns like a S.W.A.T. team with one goal: to get the job done as quickly as possible with the fewest number of casualties.

Once the yew bushes were gone we were left with the task of replacing the foundation plantings with something more interesting.  Over the years I have purchased a few basic gardening books to help with decisions such as these.  Sometimes I abide by the advice of the book of choice, and other times I just buy the discounted "orphan" shrub at the nursery as it's cheap, knowing that one day, with a little care, it may be healthy and vigorous, and, if not, I can pull it out without any regret.

The "pull it out without any regret" method of gardening is what I call the "no mercy" rule of thumb.  Whenever I used to ask my Dad about whether or not something should be given more time to perform, or whether I should place a plant in a particular location he would always say, "if you don't like it. pull it out and throw it away".  This advice I rarely ever take, I have a incessant need to "save" every plant like they are little lost lambs, but if you find yourself dissatisfied with where something is and there is no other place to relocate it, and you can't pawn it off by shaming your friends, well, then you should probably apply the "no mercy" rule.

If you are considering buying a house with little or no yardscaping, or have already purchased one, you may have now realized that when a house is advertised as "professionally landscaped", it really means that the yard comes with a handful of foundation plantings consisting of several yew bushes, a rhododendron, and maybe a couple of arborvitae (if you are really lucky).

If you have been fortunate enough to buy an older home (approximately >50 years old) then chances are you will have wonderful soil and be able to grow just about anything with little effort.  If you were not, which is my case in my current home, then you will be cursing the contractors who built your house knowing that they carefully scraped down twelve inches of beautiful loam to sell, replaced eight inches with broken glass, rocks, and sand, and then replaced the top four inches with average dirt (insert heavy sigh here).  (On the plus side, as we have dug holes for planting, we have carefully set aside those rocks and stones and used them as  an accent along the foundation of the house to help with drainage and provide a barrier from spraying dirt when it rains).

It is possible to amend your soil; it make take some time, though, so if this is your first foray into planting a garden choose plant varieties that are not soil particular (day lilies, etc).  If a plant is drought resistant, I have found, it will usually perform in drier soils which will be the case if you have a lot of sand and rock in your yard.  You can take your time amending your soil, using compost scraps from the table, mulched leaves from the fall cleanup, and even spreading used coffee grounds by your plants that don't mind (or love!) acid.  These small actions will go a long way towards improving your soil.

It's February in Maine and perhaps not the best time to begin a gardening blog but I am compelled to put some notes down about my plans for the Spring.

First, let me explain that I am only amateur gardener who has gathered information by reading books, asking experienced family and friends, and, most importantly, through trial and error.  I live in a modest urban area of Portland, Maine, on an itty bitty piece of land (affectionately known as a "city lot").  I've gardened a bit before in my first two houses, but with this one I've been inspired by one major influence, GRUBS.  Yes, those wonderful little white beasts with one "eye" managed to consume every blade root across the entire area that used to be our front lawn.  Because we had kids and a dog who spent so much time in the yard we opted out of using the biochemical warfare that would certainly have eliminated our grub problem (which is what our neighbors have done and, I think, explains why they all came to live here) but I am wholly against polluting the planet and possibly the health of living things that make it home.  So what to do with all the dirt and crabgrass left behind by the little marauders?  Plant perennials, shrubs, ground covers, and a little mulch and hope that the neighbors don't think we have lost our minds.

Second, let me address why I wanted to start a blog and how I came up with the name.  I was never interested in gardening as a kid.  My dad spent many weekend hours laboring over his beloved plants and shrubs and though I helped from rare time to rare time with the watering and other chores I never felt compelled to begin my own garden or sustain a small village with vegetables and fruits that I nurtured from seed to table. But once my husband and I purchased our first home and began the daunting task of trimming shrubs and trees that had long since been neglected, it made me realize that though we could never afford a large, fancy house, with rose trellises and picket fences, we could manage to have the most interesting and colorful yard in the neighborhood simply by doing a little work.

And when I say it takes a little work, I do mean it.  We do not spend every weekend hour outside slaving away.  We do not spend our extra money on fancy shrubs and fickle exotic plants.  And I am not what you would ever describe as a "lovely lady gardener" complete with straw hat and cotton gloves (this girl likes to get her hands dirty, and her t-shirt, jeans, face, whatever!).  So I balk when I hear people say gardening is either too much work or too expensive.  It doesn't have to be either and I hope this blog can prove it.

As for the name, I guess it's o.k, if I had titled it "Wit and Wisdom from a Maine Gardener" the bar would be set too high and your expectations of being entertained quickly dashed (although do I hope to be a tiny bit clever at times).  I also considered "A Maine Gardener's Perspective" but that seems very dry and uneventful.  So, by choosing "Flowers, Hearts, and Bones" I hoped to convey the following ideas:

I prefer flowers to vegetables (with the exception of cucumbers and cherry tomatoes).  Vegetables are lovely but a lot more work than perennials and they do not always come through, sometimes it's just cheaper to buy them from a local farmer (with the poor soil in my yard it is almost always the case, but I will address soil amendment later).

The word "Hearts" is because there has to be some love in order for a garden to work.  A bright green perfect lawn may be the symbol of an American ideal, but it is sterile and loveless.  A yard filled with living plants that evolve, change, and reflect the seasons is, in my opinion, more realistic, interesting, and, dare I say? FUN.

And for "Bones", I had two separate thoughts.  "Bones" is a word used to describe the underlying structure of a garden, a basis upon which everything else is developed as a cohesive plan.  We also have had several pets who have passed away while we have lived in this house.  We have used special plantings (like our Sterling Linden, and White Coast Cedar) to memorialize a lost pet and use as a final resting place for cremains, and, in the case of our smaller loved pets (pet rats to be precise) we have planted their regular remains in the now established "Memorial Garden".  So our yard has bones in two interpretations.

With this in mind, please be kind as you read this blog and I sincerely hope you will come away with something useful.