Spring FeverSpecial supplement to

Castine Patriot, Island Ad-Vantages, and The Weekly Packet

April 28, 2011

Penobscot Bay PressCommunity Information Services

Also on the Web at www.penobscotbaypress.com

The days are longer and getting warmer bit by bit. It’s time toshed those extra layers (and pounds), get moving and back in shape,

spruce up the house, start those gardening chores and look ahead to thegardening season. It’s time for SPRING FEVER! This special section takes alook at what we can and should be doing at this special time of year.

Around the house:A passionate foodie, 2Inspiring kids, 2Eat right with color , 2The new dietary guidelines, 3Get organized, 3Spring cleaning, 7Home maintenance, 7Poison prevention pointers, 7

In the garden:Organic fertilizer, 4Companion planting chart, 4Home garden planting chart, 5A rain garden, 6A woodland garden, 6A container garden, 6A butterfly garden, 8Pansy: What’s in a name? 8

2 Spring Fever, April 28, 2011

Passion for food leads Wixon to “eat locally”by Caroline Spear

STONINGTON—Cheryl Wixon is a self-confessed “extraordinary eater,” passionateabout her food. She knows where it all comesfrom and who grew it.

For the past two years, with few exceptions,Wixon has eaten primarily food grown inMaine—year-round—focusing on those foodsgrown or raised locally, including meats,vegetables, fruits and grains. Everything shedoesn’t grow comes from the greater Blue HillPeninsula. The key things she hasn’t been ableto source within Maine are coffee, chocolate,celery (available seasonally only) and citrusfruit.

Wixon accomplishes this remarkable feat bygrowing a large garden, freezing and canningwhat she grows and buys, and storing producein a root cellar under her house. She processesapproximately 400 jars of food each year andmakes her own juices, tomato sauce, salsa andcatsup. She freezes items like broccoli, greenbeans and berries, and hunts and goes clam-ming.

Wixon, a chef and agricultural engineer, tookon this challenge to further her current role as

the organic marketing consultant for MaineOrganic Farmers and Gardeners Association.At the Blue Hill Co-op’s “Digging into Spring”event in March, Wixon spoke about “rootcellaring.”

Keeping a root cellar is not for everyone,Wixon says. It takes attention and focus,requiring good recordkeeping, routine inspec-tion for problems—“one bad apple spoils thebunch”—and further processing of stored foodsas it becomes necessary. Rodents can be a chal-lenge, she says, requiring inventive storagesolutions, such as plastic bins for some foods—and maybe a cat.

Successful food storage requires eventemperatures and humidity, and different foodsrequire different levels of these.

The easiest to store are winter squash, pump-kins and sweet potatoes, which Wixon stores inan unheated bedroom (50° to 60° and 60 to 70percent relative humidity).

Preferring dry and cooler conditions (32° to50° and the same humidity levels) are garlic,onions and dry beans.

Potatoes, apples and cabbage store best ineven colder and moister conditions (32° to 40°

and 80 to 90 percent humidity). Wixonroutinely checks her apple supply and turnsapples in less than prime condition into apple-sauce. She stores “winter” varieties such asBlue Permain and Mildon and has been able tokeep them through to August. In warm years,they must be moved to a refrigerator in summer.She hangs cabbage from the ceiling.

Root cellar conditions of cold and very moistare required to successfully store beets, carrots,leeks, turnips and Daikon radish (32° to 40° and90- to 95-percent humidity).

If these conditions can be met, foods canremain unprocessed as long as possible.

Wixon “shops” in her root cellar by seeingwhat needs to be used. She misses a good saladin the dead of winter and has found that the tasteof celery can be achieved using celeriac.

To get going in root cellaring, Wixon recom-mends the book Root Cellaring: Natural ColdStorage of Fruits and Vegetables by MikeBubel. To cook foods seasonally, she recom-mends Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lindand Cathleen Hockman-Wert.

More information on storing garden vegeta-bles is available at the MOFGA Web site,www.mofga.org.

Maine seasonal foodsMaine Organic Farmers and Gardeners

Association has produced the Maine SeasonalFood Guides for consumers, available atmofga.net/Directories/FarmersMarkets/tabid/352/Default.aspx. What follows are selecteditems from these little brochures, beginningwith the “20 foods Maine has the capacity toproduce for its citizens to enjoy all year.”Maine-grown foods are available at farmers’markets and local grocery stores.

Year-round—the “Maine Local 20”:blueberries, apples, potatoes, carrots, beetsand beet greens, garlic, salad and braisinggreens, tomatoes, winter squash, cabbageonions, milk, cheese, eggs, ground meat,seafood, dry beans, maple syrup, honey,wheat.

In season January through April: apples,dry beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, celeriac,leeks, onions, parsnip, potatoes, rutabaga,sweet potatoes, turnip, winter squash, garlic.

In season May and June: rhubarb,asparagus, radishes, salad turnips, scallions,peas, fiddleheads, chives, parsley, beetgreens, bok choy, chard, dandelion greens,kale, spinach, lettuce, turnip greens.

In season July and August: berries,peaches, melons, broccoli, cabbage, carrots,celery, green beans, greens, potatoes, summersquashes, tomatoes, culinary herbs (just partof a long list).

In season September and October: cran-berries, raspberries cucumbers, broccoli,cauliflower, celery, sweet corn, green beans,zucchini, peppers, tomatoes (just part of along list).

In season November and December:apples, pears, dry beans, beets, Brusselssprouts, cabbage, carrots, celeriac, late seasongreens, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, potatoes,radishes, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, turnips,winter squash, garlic.

DISTINCTIVE LANDSCAPESDESIGN AND INSTALLATION

• Terraces, Walkways and Stairs• Walls, Fences and Arbors• Pools, Water Gardens and Fountains• Cottage and Perennial Gardens• Naturalistic Landscapes

Brochure and Nursery Catalogwww.surrygardens.com

P.O. Box 145, Surry, ME 04684207-667-4493 • Fax 207-667-5532

mail@surrygardens.com

DEAN’S Automotive & Small Engine

150 N. Main St., Stonington • 367-2706

6021P Mower

$22995

Tough Name. Tough Equipment.™

Spring Sale

A Helping Hand Gardener

Paula Maxim 207-745-4244 Stonington

If it grows, I do it! Add beauty & color to your home!

Want to get your garden growing, butdon’t have the time or are unsure how?

Let us help you getyour gardening started right!

A new you for springEat right with color

The American Dietetic Association encour-ages Americans to include a colorful variety offruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteinsand dairy on their plates every day.

“Adding a splash of colorful, seasonal foodsto your plate makes for more than just a festivemeal,” says registered dietitian and ADAspokesperson Karen Ansel. “A rainbow offoods creates a palette of nutrients, each with adifferent bundle of potential benefits for ahealthful eating plan.”

Ansel offers ways to brighten up your platewith this quick color guide.

Green produce indicates antioxidant poten-tial and may help promote healthy vision andreduce cancer risks. Fruits include avocados,apples, grapes, honeydew, kiwis and limes.Vegetables include artichokes, asparagus, broc-coli, green beans, green peppers and spinach.

Orange and deep yellow fruits and vegeta-bles have nutrients that promote healthy visionand immunity and reduce cancer risks. Fruitsinclude apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit,

mangoes, papaya, peaches and pineapples.Vegetables include carrots, yellow peppers,yellow corn and sweet potatoes.

Purple and blue options may have antioxi-dant and anti-aging benefits and may help withmemory, urinary tract health and reducedcancer risks. Fruits include blackberries, blue-berries, plums and raisins. Vegetables includeeggplant, purple cabbage and purple-fleshedpotatoes.

Red produce may help maintain a healthyheart, vision and immunity and may reducecancer risks. Fruits include cherries, cranber-ries, pomegranate, red/pink grapefruit, redgrapes and watermelon. Vegetables includebeets, red onions, red peppers, red potatoes andtomatoes.

White, tan and brown foods sometimescontain nutrients that may promote heart healthand reduce cancer risks. Fruits include bananas,brown pears, dates and white peaches.Vegetables include cauliflower, mushrooms,onions, turnips, white-fleshed potatoes andwhite corn.

Ansel reminds consumers to also include avariety of colorful whole grains, lean meats andfish and low-fat dairy with their meals.

For tips, games and more information, visitADA’s Web site, www.eatright.org/nnm.

—NAPS

A new you for springInspiring kids to get active and stay fit

The experts on fitness at the U.S. Centers forDisease Control and Prevention say childrenneed at least 60 minutes of physical activity aday—and it wouldn’t hurt most adults to getthat, too.

Kids can also get moving and build self-esteem by participating in activities that help tomake their own communities a better place. Afirst step can be as simple as tapping into ahobby, sport or local charity that sparks personalinterest and imagination. Here are a few tips thatcan help your family get more active:

• Incorporate physical activities into familygatherings, birthday parties and times whenyour kids’ friends come over to play.

• Plant a garden with your kids.• Learn which sports and activities your kids

enjoy doing and locate lessons or clubs.• Involve your children in jobs or community

service activities that they enjoy and that getthem moving, such as planting trees and helpingneighbors with cleaning.

• Plan family outings and vacations thatinvolve walking, swimming, bicycling orpaddling.

• Turn on music to get the whole familymoving while indoors and even to liven uphousehold chores.

• Choose activity-oriented gifts such as ajump rope, hiking shoes or a fitness club

membership. And since kids are often inspired by actors

and athletes, parents can point to those who areusing their skills in a positive way to succeedand make a difference. One example is 13-year-old actor Noah Ringer who, two years after hebegan studying Taekwondo at the age of 10,earned his coveted first-degree black belt, andused his martial arts experience to land the leadrole of Aang in the live-action family adventureThe Last Airbender. “One of the aspects Iappreciated in Aang’s journey in the film ishow, working to make himself a better person,he also encourages others to find their ownunique abilities so they could make a positivedifference as well,” Ringer said.

Ringer, now 13, holds the 2009–10 title ofTexas State Champion in his age group in fivedifferent categories. In addition to acting andathletics, Ringer also remains active in charitywork. One of the organizations he supports isKids Kicking Cancer, a nonprofit that brings thepower of the martial arts to pediatric cancerpatients, helping them to manage stress withdeep-breathing techniques.

“When you take time to get involved in activ-ities and be surrounded by inspiring people, youget an amazing chance to grow on so manylevels, no matter what your age,” Ringer said.

—NAPS

Spring Fever, April 28, 2011 3

11-0030 CU Copyright 2011 Circulars Unlimited – www.circulars.com. Not responsible for typographical errors.

Ellsworth 667-7134 Blue Hill 374-2814 Bar Harbor 288-9756 Bucksport 469-7313

EARTHWOOD EVOLUTIONS - It's All About InnovationNew Earthwood Evolutions takes scratch, stainand fade resistance to an entirely new level, andis backed by our 25-year Fade and Stain Warranty. Its warm, natural hue and variegated color andnatural graining ensure its beauty as well.

312 PER LIN. FT.

XLM - It's All About PerformanceMade of solid PVC, XLM stands up to the mostextreme environmental conditions and heavyuse - all while maintaining its style and beauty.

295 PER LIN. FT.

RELIABOARD - It's All About ValueWith the same durability and low-maintenancebenefits of TimberTech's other products - but at a surprisingly affordable price - value-conscious homeowners choose ReliaBoard as an alternative to wood.

212 PER LIN. FT.

Is Eastern

Maine’s only...

RADIANCE RAILIt's All About SophisticationElegant, hardware-free lines andsurfaces, exquisite color choicesand a sturdy, rattle-free buildare what make RadianceRailTimberTech's most in-demandrailing system.$144 - 6' RAIL KIT $192 - 8' RAIL KIT

A new you for springMeet the dietary guidelines

The numbers can seem scary: More than 81million Americans have cardiovascular diseaseand more than 23 million have diabetes, whichis a strong risk factor for CVD. There are,however, simple steps you can take to help keepyourself and your family out of such statistics,according to the Dietary Guidelines forAmericans 2010.

“Heart disease can be prevented 80 percent ofthe time with a healthy lifestyle,” notedSuzanne Steinbaum, DO, cardiologist anddirector of women’s heart health, Heart andVascular Institute, Lenox Hill Hospital, N.Y.“An ounce of prevention by choosing the righttypes of fat, carbohydrate and protein as well asphysical activity can lead to a pound of cure—without extra pounds.”

Here are tips on how:• Eat a balanced diet of nutrient-dense foods,

mainly plant-based.

smoke.• Get adequate sleep and minimize stress.• Make simple dietary swaps like water

instead of soda pop, skim or fat-free dairy prod-ucts in place of full-fat versions, and canola oilrather than other oils or solid fat.

The government’s new dietary guidelinescall for saturated fat intake to be less than 10percent of total daily calories, replacing thosecalories with unsaturated fat. Lowering satu-rated fat intake to seven percent of total dailycalories can further reduce the risk of CVD.

“The key to lowering risk of both heartdisease and type-2 diabetes is to replace satu-rated fat with health-promoting mono- andpolyunsaturated fats,” said Jim Painter, PhD,RD, chairman of the School of Family andConsumer Sciences, Eastern Illinois University.“Such replacement decreases total and “bad”LDL cholesterol, improves insulin responsive-ness and reduces markers of inflammation.However, replacing saturated fat with refined or

sugar-dense carbohydrates may actually havethe opposite effect.”

Fortunately, there’s an everyday cooking oilthat perfectly fits the dietary guidelines: canola

Getting organized can save you moneyIs your life so disorganized that it’s

costing you money?If you’re like all too many Americans,

you’re spending so much time rummagingaround for lost or misplaced items—wastinga combined 9 million hours a day—thatyou’re probably too frazzled to even contem-plate that question.

That’s a real shame. Because it turns outit’s not just stuff like car keys and medicinewe’re mislaying. According to HarrisInteractive, 23 percent of adults admit topaying their bills late because they’ve lostthem in what we’ll call “The Great Abyss.”

And you know what happens when youdon’t pay your bills on time, right? Youincur late fees—and, in the case of bankcredit cards, for example, also open yourself

to sky-high annual interest rates.“People have to realize that being disor-

“It’s an instant declutterer,” says Pollack.• Your second-best friend is your coding

system. Alphabetizing your files—yes,you’ll need files—is apparently so yesterday.The “more intuitive” way to go? Colors. Youknow, green for financial documents, red forhealth matters, and so on.

• No one should be without a “homemanagement” binder. Well, okay, you canprobably do without it if you’re payingsomeone $100,000 a year just to keep trackof your family’s schedule, emergencycontact numbers and all the rest of life’sminutiae that contribute to high stress levels.But for the rest of us, Pollack advises sepa-rating each section with Avery NoteTabs.

• Stay on top of your bills. Not only docurrent bills rate a file folder all their own—

color code it neon green, if you like—butyou need to make a habit of going through itonce or twice a week to remit payment.

• Clear your desk. If your home is clut-tered, odds are so is your office. Make apoint to clear it before you leave at night soyou can start fresh in the morning.

Pollack has three final words of advice forpack rats who insist on keeping every last taxreturn (seven years normally suffices), everylast paycheck (toss once you’ve gotten yourW-2 form) and every last credit card state-ment (shred immediately, after checking foraccuracy, since they’re a prime source ofidentity theft).

Those words? “Purge, purge, purge.”—NAPS

Being organized couldallow Americans to savethe 9-million hours a dayspent rummaging around

for lost or misplaced items.

ganized has real-life consequences,” saysorganizational expert Jill Pollack.

Time you organized your life? Read on forsome expert tips:

• Baskets are your new best friend.Everyone in your house should have his orher own decorative one to hold loose items.

• Be mindful of portion sizes and total dailycalories.

• Eat two servings of fish a week and chooselean meats.

• Aim to be physically active at least 30minutes a day.

• Don’t smoke and try to avoid secondhand

Well-being is about takingownership of your health

and taking small steps eachday to improve it.

Most adults should eat atleast every five hours andinclude plenty of produce

in each meal.

oil. With the least saturated fat and most omega-3 fat of all cooking oils, canola oil delivers onheart health. In fact, the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration authorized a qualified healthclaim for canola oil regarding its potential toreduce the risk of heart disease when used inplace of saturated fat. The types of fatconsumed are more important in influencing therisk of CVD than the total amount of fat in thediet. —NAPS

4 Spring Fever, April 28, 2011

Companion Planting

VEGETABLEAsparagus

Beans

Pole Beans

Bush Beans

Beets

Cabbage Family(Cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi,broccoli, Brussels sprouts)

Carrots

Celery

Chives

Corn

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Peas

Squash

Onion(including garlic)

Leeks

Lettuce

Radishes

Parsley

Potatoes

Pumpkin

Soybeans

Strawberries

Spinach

Sunflowers

Turnips

LIKESTomatoes, parsley, basil

Potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower,cabbage, summer savory, most other vegeta-bles and herbs

Corn, summer savory

Potatoes, cucumbers, corn, strawberries,celery, summer savory

Onions, kohlrabi

Aromatic plants, potatoes, celery, dill,camomile, sage, peppermint, rosemary,beets, onions

Peas, leaf lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, rose-mary, sage, tomatoes

Leeks, tomatoes, bush beans, cauliflower,cabbage

Carrots

Potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin,squash

Beans, corn, peas, radishes, sunflowers

Chives, onion, parsley, asparagus, marigold,nasturtium, carrot

Beans

Carrots, turnips, radishes, cucumbers, corn,beans, most vegetables and herbs

Nasturtium, corn

Beets, strawberries, tomato, lettuce, summersavory, camomile (sparsely)

Onions, celery, carrots

Carrots and radishes (lettuce, carrots andradishes make a strong team growntogether), strawberries, cucumbers

Peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumbers

Tomatoes, asparagus

Beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish (should beplanted at corners of patch), marigold,eggplant (as a lure for Colorado potatobeetle)Corn

Grows with anything, helps everything

Bush bean, spinach, borage, lettuce (as aborder)

Strawberries

Cucumbers

Peas

DISLIKES

Onion, garlic, gladiolus

Onions, beets, kohlrabi, sunflower

Onions

Pole beans

Strawberries, tomatoes, pole beans

Dill

Peas, beans

Potatoes, aromatic herbs

Kohlrabi, potato, fennel, cabbage

Onions, garlic, gladiolus, potato

Peas, beans

Pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sunflower,tomato, raspberry

Potato

Cabbage

Potato

MAINE SEA TO TREE, LLC

TREE SERVICES

WOODLAND RESTORATION & MAINTENENCE

✦ Aesthetic shorefront and roadway work

✦ Diseased & dead tree removal✦ Scenic woodscapes✦ Chipping✦ Land clearing✦ Seasonal cleanup

Insured, quality workOver 20 years experienceDANNY WEED, MLCSEDGWICK, MAINE

359-0902

WILLIAMS & TAPLINWATER WELLS

COMPLETE WATER SYSTEMS INSTALLED

• Service

• Installation

• Repairs

All types of well drillingcommercial & residential

Blue Hill

Mark Taplin374-5447

CALL

Using organic fertilizersby Charlie Nardozzi

Building up the fertility of the soil is oneof the most important aspects of gardening.Synthetic fertilizers are manufactured prod-ucts, while organic fertilizers are derivedfrom plants, animals, or naturally occurringminerals. While both can go through a manu-facturing process, there are advantages tousing an organic fertilizer that’s in a formclose to its natural source.

The advantage of organicsThe purest form of organic fertilizer is a

plant-, animal- or mineral-based fertilizerthat is applied to the garden without anyprocessing. Good examples of these aregreen manures, animal manures and woodashes. The advantage is that not only aremain nutrients added to the soil, but organicmatter and humus, as well. Organic matterimproves soil structure, moisture retention,drainage, and the microbial life of the soil.An adequate amount of organic matter in thesoil can help ensure that nutrients are avail-able to plants on a steady basis and that thesoil structure enhances root growth. Organic

fertilizers dole out the nutrients more slowlythan chemical fertilizers, so plant roots areless likely to be burned by getting too high adose.

The best way to use organic fertilizers is toapply a combination of raw materials high inorganic matter, such as manure, along withspecific organic fertilizers to target cropneeds.

This is not to say there isn’t a place forsynthetic fertilizers. They do have someadvantages. They cost less and are easier totransport, and they are more uniform innutrient content. With the exception ofcontrolled-release formulations, mostsynthetic fertilizers are more quickly avail-able to plants than organic fertilizers.

Types of organic fertilizersHere are some examples of plant- and

animal-based products you might use in yourgarden:

• plant-based fertilizers• alfalfa meal• corn gluten• cottonseed meal

• seaweed• soybean meal• animal-based fertilizers• blood meal• bonemeal• fish products• animal manures• compost

Animal manuresThe nutrient composition of animal

manures varies based on the animal, thebedding, and method of manure storage.Aged manure is better than fresh, and cow isbetter than horse (high in weed seeds). Cowmanure is the manure most commonly foundbagged in garden centers. While the nutrientscontent is low, the plants can absorb themmoderately quickly. Manure from sea birds,chickens and bats is rich in nutrients, espe-cially nitrogen. Highly soluble and quicklyavailable nutrients are useful early in theseason to stimulate vegetative growth.However, high-nitrogen chicken manuresand guanos can burn tender plant roots. It’sbest to use them as a foliar feed, diluted in

water, or in a composted form.

CompostCompost is considered the Cadillac of

organic fertilizers. The beauty of makingcompost is that no matter what plant-basedmaterial you start with, the end products arerelatively similar. Finished compost has alow, but good, balance of nutrients, and ishigh in organic matter that helps feed thesoil’s microorganisms.

Composts are available commercially oryou can make your own. They can be usedalong with other fertilizers. Making compostis a way to deal with yard waste and makefertilizer simultaneously, and you alwaysknow what ingredients went into the finishedproduct.

Charlie Nardozzi, a nationally recognizedgarden writer, book author, speaker andradio and television personality, hasappeared on HGTV, PBS and DiscoveryChannel television networks.

—Family Features

Beginning this week in the Compass section:

Green Thumbs

A new gardening column by

Caroline SpearCovering a variety of gardening topics

every other week

Don’t miss it!

Spring Fever, April 28, 2011 5

Plant vegetables; reap savings and freshness

Ambitious gardeners might aim to provide the full year’s vegetable needsfor everyone in their households. Assuming that gardeners can freeze andstore vegetables, the accompanying planting chart from the CooperativeExtension gives the numbers of plants required and amount of rows to do so.

For those who’d simply prefer to have a summer’s worth of fresh vegeta-bles and save some money at the grocery store, the chart provides plantinginformation, including dates, how far apart to plant and more.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has a wealth of gardeninginformation on its Web site at www.umext.maine.edu.

Penobscot Bay Press file photo

6 Spring Fever, April 28, 2011

into Heanssler Oil and Automotive Supply Associates

for all your fuel and auto part needs.

Spring

• Gasoline• Diesel Fuel

• K-1 Kerosene• Automatic delivery

to heating oil customers• Auto Parts

HEANSSLER OIL COMPANYHEATING OILS • GASOLINE

32 CHURCH STREET, DEER ISLE, ME 04627OPEN MON.-FRI., 8 A.M.-4:30 P.M.

AUTO PARTS,Donn Heanssler,Manager/Owner

207-348-2311OR

1-800-244-2311

Spring is here,and you know what that means!

It’s time to break out the mowers,chain saws, rototillers and other funtools. We have what you need tomake sure they are running right.

Batteries • Oils • Fuel StabilizersFilters • Spark PlugsTools, Tools, Tools!

Main Street at the

Stonington Fish Pier

367-5959visitthegirls@msn.com

Island Fishing Gear& Auto Parts

“The Girls”

OPEN DAILY!South Street • Blue Hill

374-2833www.mainescape.com

� Trees, shrubs, annuals& perennials—Sales!

� Lots of pottery & unique containers � Gardening supplies & gifts� Organic fertilizers & soils

� Orchids � Johnny’s & High Mowing Seeds

� Pet food, Bird seed, Toys & Supplies

has really sprung at...

Early vegetablesGet a head start on the garden in a cold spring with containers. These have arugulaand snow peas growing in early April on a south-facing deck; they’re coveredovernight to keep the soil warm and the seedlings from freezing. Use packagedpotting soil for containers (garden soil is too heavy) and keep it moist. You’ll needto water containers more often than your garden; make sure they have drainageholes. Fertilize weekly with half-strength liquid fertilizer, or use time-releasepellets. There are plenty of varieties of vegetables bred to thrive in containers; visitthe local garden centers to learn more. You can even make your own containersfrom cement, peat moss and perlite. Visit www.hypertufa.net for the how-tos.

Photo by Caroline Spear

Planting a rain gardenby Kathy Bond-Borie

Storm-water runoff can be a big problemduring heavy thunderstorms. As the waterrushes across roofs and driveways, it picksup oil and other pollutants. In many locationsthe untreated water ends up in natural water-ways. The Environmental Protection Agencyestimates as much as 70 percent of the pollu-tion is in our streams, rivers, and lakes iscarried there by storm water.

To reduce the excess water runoff, manytowns are encouraging businesses and home-owners to install rain gardens in their yards.Rain gardens are specially constructedgardens located in low areas of a yard wherestorm water can collect. The idea is to havethe water naturally funnel to this garden. Therain garden collects water runoff and storesand filters it until it can be slowly absorbedby the soil.

Sizing up a rain gardenThe rain garden’s size and location

depends on the yard. If you’re the type ofperson who likes precise measurements,there are guidelines you can follow for esti-mating the ideal size of a rain garden foryour particular situation. For example, you’dwant to measure the area of your roof thatwill be draining into the gutter leading to therain garden, as well as the size of any pavedareas that will be contributing to runoff intothe garden. If your soil is sandy (whichdrains quickly), you’d want your rain gardento be about 20 to 30 percent of the area thatwill be draining into it (roof plus driveway,etc.) If you have clay soil, your ideal raingarden would be 60 percent of the drainagearea. But don’t let these numbers intimidateyou—any size rain garden is better than noneat all.

The ideal place for a rain garden is in anatural depression. You also can funnelwater from downspouts or gutters into thegarden. The soil should be well drained sothe water doesn’t sit in the garden for morethan two days. A special rain garden soil mixof 50- to 60-percent sand, 20- to 30-percenttopsoil, and 20- to 30-percent compost isrecommended. You can dig this mixture intothe soil to depth of 2 feet before planting.

Choosing plantsThe most difficult part of building a rain

garden can be plant selection. The plants in arain garden need to be tolerant of sitting inwater now and then, so native plants andwildflowers are good choices becausethey’re so adaptable. You probably alreadygrow many of them—ferns, ornamentalgrasses, sedges, iris, milkweed, asters, and

black-eyed Susans, to name a few. The ideais to create a naturalistic planting that’s easyto maintain (no fertilizer needed) andwelcoming to butterflies and bees and othercreatures.

For more tips and garden information visitwww.garden.org, the Web site of theNational Gardening Association, whosemission is to “promote home, school, andcommunity gardening as a means to renewand sustain the essential connectionsbetween people, plants, and the environ-ment.”

Kathy Bond-Borie has spent 20 years as agarden writer/editor, including her currentrole as horticultural editor for the NationalGardening Association.

—Family Features

Woodland gardens give so much for so littleby Robert Gillmore

Do you recognize this scenario?It’s a house surrounded by shrubs, flower

beds, a lawn and woods. The shrubs, flowersand lawn are all carefully tended but the wood-land is mostly ignored—it’s left growing wild.

And that’s a shame, for instead of anunweeded woodland—where dead branches liewherever they fall and anything is allowed togrow wherever it wants—our woods could belovely woodland gardens composed of largetrees, handsome evergreen shrubs and shade-loving ground covers and flowers.

Instead of being the least attractive parts of

our property, our woods could actually be oneof the most beautiful—and for only a fraction ofthe time and money we spend on our lawns andflowers.

Woodland gardens, after all, are extremelylow-maintenance naturalistic landscapes.

• They don’t need mowing because they haveno grass.

• They need little, if any, raking, mulching orfertilizing because their leaves and needles areleft on the ground, where they provide naturalmulch and fertilizer when they decay.

• They need little, if any, watering becausethey’re kept cool and moist by their leaf-and-

needle mulch and shady tree canopy.• They need little weeding because their

natural mulch and canopy inhibit other plants.Woodland gardens are economical in other

ways, too.They can keep your house cooler in summer

and warmer in winter.When deciduous trees leaf out in the summer,

they provide shade, thereby reducing and some-times eliminating airconditioning costs. In thewinter, when the trees are bare, they let the sunshine on your house, thereby providing solarheat.

Then you lay out smooth, gently graded pathsthat wind throughout the garden.

Along the paths in front of and between thetrees, you install low-maintenance, shade-tolerant plants. For year-round interest, themajority of plants should be evergreen. Tomake the garden as colorful as possible, chooseplants with large, profuse blossoms or white,yellow or blue foliage.

Taller shrubs, such as rhododendrons, gofarthest away from the paths. In front of theshrubs, plant sweeps of evergreen groundcovers such as vinca, ivy or pachysandra and,for accent, drifts of colorful shade-lovingannuals and perennials such as impatiens andhostas.

Still more low-maintenance, year-roundcolor and interest can be created with handsomeoutdoor furniture and sculpture.

When finished, your garden will be a lush,private outdoor room whose walls and ceilingare formed by the trunks and canopy of largetrees. In most residential gardens, the plants—lawn, flowers, etc.—are low. In a woodlandgarden, the plants rise all around you. Instead ofwalking over beauty, you walk, as Lord Byronput it, in beauty.

Also, most lawn-and-flower gardens areconsumable goods, like cars. Without mainte-nance, they wear out. A woodland garden isdifferent. Left alone, it doesn’t wear out,because it’s an ecosystem, a little gardenmachine that mainly goes by itself.

Even better, a woodland garden is a capitalinvestment, like a good mutual fund. Its port-folio of trees, shrubs and spreading groundcovers grows in size, and therefore in value,year after year.

Robert Gillmore is a landscape designer inGoffstown, N.H., and author of The WoodlandGarden, which explains how to make woodlandgardens, and Beauty All Around You: How toCreate Large Lush Low-Maintenance Gardens,Even on Small Lots and Small Budgets.

Evergreen trees can cut heat bills by shel-tering your house from strong winter winds.And every tree helps cool the air around ahome—and thereby the house itself—by tran-spiring water vapor through needles or leaves;happily, transpiration is greatest in summerwhen it’s needed most.

Unlike a lawn or flower garden, a woodlandgarden isn’t made from scratch. Its largest andmost expensive plants—the trees—are alreadythere. The woods may also have evergreenshrubs, such as mountain laurel, or attractiveground covers of wildflowers, or impressiverock or water features such as ponds, brooks,boulders or ledges.

To transform a woodlot into a woodlandgarden, you begin by removing dead wood,both standing and fallen, and weeding out mostsmall deciduous trees and brush. Thisprocess—I call it “gardening by subtraction”—makes a woodland neater, more open and moreparklike, all by itself.

Woodland gardens are extremely

low-maintenance naturalistic landscapes.

Spring Fever, April 28, 2011 7

21 Water St., Ellsworth, ME

207-667-7166 • 1-800-660-8994

www.coastalinteriors.info

We’re more than just floors!

Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.Sat., 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

218 River Road, Brooklin

We only sell what we raise ourselves

Free-Range Pastured Pork ProductsVegetables, Raspberries,

Firewood, Eggs

266-0672http://polandfarm.com

Call326-4600

tonytreeguy@gmail.com

Minimum Impact Arboriculture

BLUE HILL, ME 04614TEL. (207) 374-2871

DEER ISLE, ME 04627TEL. (207) 348-6144

An Anchor to WindwardSince 1919

367-5570Mon.-Sat., 9-5 p.m.Sunday, 9-2 p.m.

Stop by and have us help you. We are the helpful hardware place!

Craftsman Lawn Mowers21” Push Mower, 3 in 1 Mulch,

Bag and Side Discharge$19999

22” Self-Propelled, 3 in 1 Mulch, Bag and Side Discharge

$29999

Spring poison prevention pointers Keep safety in mind as you clean and garden

It is important to keep safety in mind as youbegin your spring cleaning and gardening.Many of the products used, such as gardenchemicals, paint thinner, bleach and furniturepolish, are poisonous. Almost anything can bea poison if it’s used the wrong way, by thewrong person, or in the wrong amount. In caseof a possible poisoning, call the Poison HelpLine at 800-222-1222 to talk to a poisonexpert.

You can also protect yourself and thosearound you by exercising a little caution. Hereare some simple tips to help you clean safely:

• Keep household cleaning products andother chemicals in the containers they came in,and always store them away from food and out

of the reach of children.• Read and follow directions for use and

disposal of cleaning products, and never mixchemicals, including household cleaners ordetergents.

• Turn on fans and open windows whenusing chemicals or household cleaners. Don’tsniff containers to see what is inside.

• When spraying chemicals, direct thenozzle away from people and pets.

• Bug and weed killers can be taken inthrough the skin or inhaled and can bepoisonous, too. Even leather shoes and glovesdo not offer full protection, so stay away fromareas that have been sprayed for at least anhour.

• Wear protective clothing when using anyspray products. If pesticides are splashed ontothe skin, rinse with soap and running water.Wash your clothing after using chemicals, too.

• Tell your children that they should ask agrown-up if they’re not sure if something isdangerous. Tell them to stay away from thingsused to clean the house, clothes or car.

• If you suspect someone has been poisoned,call the Poison Help line right away at 800-222-1222 to talk to a poison expert. Itdoesn’t have to be an “emergency” to call. Nomatter where you are in the U.S., the PoisonHelp Line will connect you to your localpoison control center.

Poison centers are not just for parents of

young children. They are for everyone whoneeds advice, including adults and health careproviders.

Nurses, pharmacists, doctors and otherexperts specially trained in poisoning answerthe phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Thecall is free and confidential, and you can gethelp in 161 languages. Services are also avail-able for the hearing impaired. Post the numberby your home phone and program it into yourcell phone for quick access.

Keep these tips in mind as you start yourspring cleaning. If you would like to learnmore, visit the Poison Help Web site atwww.PoisonHelp.hrsa.gov.

—NAPS

Ten items to put on your home spring-cleaning listThe changing season is a reminder that it’s

time to check around the house to make surethings are operating properly and safely.Here are 10 often-overlooked tasks to add toyour home spring-cleaning list.

1. Defrost the freezer. Ice buildup makesfreezers less efficient and takes up space.Throw away out-of-date or freezer-burntfood.

2. Update the first aid kit. Replace missingsupplies and update emergency contact

information, including the poison controlcenter.

3. Donate old clothes. Clean out closetsand take unused clothes to a clothing dona-tion center.

4. Clean up the computer. Delete old filesand e-mails, organize documents and photosinto folders and run a virus scan.

5. Clean the chimney so it’s ready for thenext heating season. Hire a chimney sweepto clear the flue and perform an inspection.

6. Caulk and weather strip. Keep rain fromseeping in and cooled or heated air fromseeping out by caulking around windows anddoors.

7. Drain the hot water heater. Check forrust and remove sediment that may havecollected at the bottom of your hot waterheater.

8. Call the pest control inspector.Carpenter ants swarm to establish newcolonies every spring, so get a professional

inspection of your home.9. Review your family emergency plan.

Have an established plan in case of fire orother emergency. Make sure windows andother escapes are easy to open from theinside.

10. Check batteries: There are 21 battery-operated devices in the average home—fromflashlights to smoke detectors to cordlessphones. Test each device and replace thebatteries with fresh ones.

Spring home maintenanceStay on top of necessary chores and cleanup

Every spring, daylight saving time givesus an extra hour of light in the evening. Hereare some home maintenance tips that you canuse while enjoying that extra springsunshine.

Repair the ravages of winter• Prune broken branches from trees and

shrubs.• Spring is a good time to paint fences and

the exterior of your home, especially woodsurfaces. This way, they will be protectedfrom summer heat and sun. Wood decksshould also be sealed once a year.

• Since roofing shingles are brittle inwinter, they may break if you handle or walkon them. This makes spring a good time todo an inspection. Look for loose or curlingshingles and replace where needed.

• Now that the heating season is over, havea chimney sweep clean fireplaces, wood-stoves and flues.

• Inspect door and window screens fortears. You can often repair small tears usinga kit from your local hardware store. Thiswill prevent insects from getting into yourhome, and keep you comfortable on thescreened porch.

• Clean your gutters and downspouts tokeep rainwater flowing freely from yourroof.

• Head to the shed and do a tool inventoryto make sure you have all the items you’llneed in the months ahead. Inspect the toolsyou already have; clean and oil as necessary.Test hoses for leaks.

Beautify the outside of your home• Before you buy seedlings, make notes

about where you would like to plant and howmuch shade and sun these areas receive. Thiswill help you determine which plants areappropriate for which areas.

• After any planting, be sure to water andmulch properly.

• Consider planting flowers and vegetablesin hanging baskets or containers if yourgarden space is limited.

• If you have bare patches in your lawn,prepare these areas for seed or sod. To carefor your new and existing grass, be sure towater properly.

Safety• Before cleaning gutters or climbing onto

your roof, make sure your ladder is in goodshape.

• Reacquaint yourself with lawnmowersafety tips and inspect all electrical lawn andgarden tools.

• If you haven’t used your power toolssince last summer, review the operations

manual and safety tips before you begincutting.

Eliminate hazardsSpring is also a great time to go through

your house to identify and eliminatecommon safety hazards.

• Test your house for radon. This odorlessgas can cause lung cancer, and the only wayto find out if it’s present is to get a test kitand run the test. For more information, visitthe Maine radon page atwww.maine.gov/dhhs/eng/rad/Radon/hp_radon.htm.

• Eliminate mold. Dark, damp areas ofyour home are prime targets for moldgrowth, which can irritate allergies or causeasthma attacks. To clean up mold, scrub thespores off hard surfaces and allow the area todry completely. Make sure you also fix thecause of the problem or the mold will keep

coming back.• Read labels carefully. The cleaning

supplies you keep under your kitchen sinkcan contain harsh chemicals. Make sure youread the labels closely and pay special atten-tion to directions on the labels about how tohandle and store the products to prevent acci-dents. In general, it’s smart to store cleanersin a separate cabinet than your food and tomake sure the cabinet is locked if you haveyoung children.

• Check the batteries in your smokedetector and purchase a fire extinguisher.Smoke detectors give the first warning thatthere is a fire. Make sure you test thebatteries in your smoke detector at leasttwice a year to make sure it is operatingproperly. Keeping a fire extinguisher onhand will let you put out small fires beforeany serious damage is done.

—Federal Citizen Information Center

8 Spring Fever, April 28, 2011

Call 374-5049 for allyour constructionneeds

RoadsParking Lots

Septic SystemsLandscaping

Shoreline StabilizationRoll-off Container

Service

We have the experience you’re

looking for.

DEP CertifiedContractor

Serving the area since 1968www.meastbury.com

Trucks • ExcavatorsBackhoes • Bulldozers

Looking for removal of construction or demolition debris?

We have roll-off containers in several sizes to handle your projects.

20 yard • 30 yard • 50 yard

VISIT US ONLINE!at

www.penobscotbaypress.comYour online source for

local news and informationCastine Patriot • Island Ad-Vantages • The Weekly Packet

Community Calendar • Compass ClassifiedsCommunity Information • Community News

Quality Comes First Residential • Commercial

Driveways • Roads • Tennis Courts • Parking LotsMunicipalities • Free Estimates • Fully Insured

Gouldsboro

963-4104Serving Hancock & Washington Counties

Open Daily 9-5374-2145

162 Ellsworth Road, Blue Hill

CelebrateMaine Greenhouse & Nursery Day

Saturday, April 30!

~ Lots of Specials! ~

What’s in a nameby Caroline Spear

Viola tricolor, the small wildflowerversion of the large-flowered pansies that areso familiar and colorful in our gardens, mayhave as many as 200 colloquial commonnames. It was introduced to North Americafrom Europe, and the name “ pansy” isthought to be from the French penser, tothink, because of the flower’s resemblance tothe human face.

Many of us know this small, cheerfulflower as Johnny Jump Up. Shakespearereferred to viola tricolor in A MidsummerNight’s Dream as Love in Idleness.

Here’s a sampling of its common names:Bird’s EyesCall Me to YouFlame Flower

Flower of JoveGentleman TailorHeartseaseHerb TrinityJump Up and Kiss MeJupiter FlowerKiss and Look UpKiss Her in the PantryLadies’ DelightLittle Flame (Italy)Pink Eyed JohnSmall Orphan (Hungary)Stepmother Flower (Scandinavia,Scotland)Three Faces in a HoodTickle My Fancy Tittle My Fancy

Ladies’ Delight, Heartsease or Three Faces in a Hood—whatever you call violatricolor, it’s a cheerful early bloomer. Photo by Caroline Spear

Attract butterflies to your garden Choose a garden site in full sun, protected

from high winds, and visible from placeswhere you can observe butterfly activity.

If you need to create wind protection foryour site, plant a windbreak of trees andshrubs that provide food and cover forbutterflies. These woody plants also addwinter interest to the garden.

Site taller plants in back and smaller plantsin front, so you can enjoy watching thebutterflies.

Plant in masses. This is attractive to butter-flies, which are near-sighted and rely on smellmore than sight in locating nectar plants.

Use annuals as summer-long nectarsources, and perennials for single-seasonnectar sources. If you want to attract aspecific species of butterfly, determine whatit eats and when the food source is mostabundant. Then add the particular nectarplants to your landscape.

Incorporate some spring-flowering shrubssuch as viburnum, blueberry andamelanchier, which produce softmidsummer and fall fruits. As the fruits ripen

and rot, they will attract a wider variety ofbutterflies beyond those that eat nectar.

Eliminate insecticides from your butterflygarden. Learn to tolerate a certain amount ofinsect damage to your plants. Some of thatdamage is caused by caterpillars, which turninto butterflies!

Add some vegetables and herbs toencourage butterflies to lay eggs in thegarden. Eggs hatch into caterpillars, andcaterpillars need to eat. Caterpillar forageplants include parsley and ornamentalcabbage, which are excellent edging plantsfor the flower garden; clover, which makes agood “living mulch path”; and carrot anddill, whose fine-textured foliage adds interestto the flower garden.

Plant some plants for butterflies incontainers for flexibility. Window boxes,hanging baskets and other containers allowyou to attract butterflies to patios, porchesand other highly visible parts of your land-scape.

Don’t deadhead flowers late in the season.Many flowers produce seeds that are favored

A painted lady butterfly sips nectar from a buddleia (butterfly bush) in Stonington. Photo by Audrey Hamblen

by birds. Your summer butterfly garden canbecome a great winter bird garden!

Among the plants that will attract a varietyof butterflies to your garden are: lupine,catmint, hollyhock, lavender, bee balm,Shasta daisy, Joe Pye weed, butterfly bush,summer phlox, cosmos, sunflower, snap-

dragon, lobelia, zinnia, common lilac andcrabapple.

For more information, visitumaine.edu/publications/7151e.

—From a Maine Cooperative Extensionfact sheet prepared by Nancy Coverstone,Jim Dill and Lois Berg Stack