16th Annual
Maine Garden Day Workshops

Please note the starting and ending times for each workshop. Some workshops last a half day (HD); others are a quarter day (QD).

Morning

• Half-Day Workshops: 8:30 - 11:15 AM

• Quarter Day Workshops: 8:30 - 9:45 AM

• Quarter Day Workshops: 10:00 - 11:15 AM

Lunch and Trade Show: 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM

Afternoon

• Half-Day Workshops: 12:30 - 3:15 PM

• Quarter Day Workshops: 12:30 - 1:45 PM

• Quarter Day Workshops: 2:00 - 3:15 PM

Half Day Workshops
8:30 - 11:15 AM

HD1 Water, Water Everywhere!
Learn methods to deal with water runoff from roofs and driveways. Rain barrels, rain gardens, and dripline techniques will be presented.
Laura Wilson, UMaine Extension

HD2 Orchids for the Home and Garden – They’re Easier Than You Think!
Orchids are often perceived as difficult and mysterious. This workshop will de-mystify them and demonstrate that orchids are really great additions as houseplants and in the garden.
Kevin Kearns, Morrison Developmental Center

HD3 Preserving the Harvest
This hands-on workshop will demonstrate safe food preserving techniques at home using the following methods: freezing, pressure canning and boiling water bath canning. Please bring your own potholder.
Kathy Savoie, UMaine Extension

HD4 Daylilies and Companion Plants
Learn how to grow beautiful and perfect daylilies. We will share a few secrets including the best varieties for northern climates, how to deal with pests & diseases and good companion plants.
Lisa and Paul Bourret, Rockhaven Daylilies

HD5 Garden Sculpture You Can Make
We will use the simple technique of sandcasting to create a small 3-D garden “creature” or perhaps a face bas-relief wall plaque that can be tucked into a leafy nook or hung half hidden in the ivy on your patio wall. There will be examples to look at and handouts for other possible projects you can do.
Iona Desmond

Quarter Day Workshops
 8:30 - 9:45 AM

QD1 Dinner Plate Dahlias
Do you want to know how to grow the biggest, most perfectly formed 14” dinner plate dahlias? Frank will share his fool-proof tips, so you can become the envy of your neighborhood.
Frank O’Connor

QD2 Growing Roses Organically
Imagine, organic roses! It can be done using correct organic methods and vermicompost tea.
Vaughn A. Hardesty

QD3 Compost: How to Make It and How to Use It
Who is in the pile and what do you need to do to make them happy? Understanding the biology of the compost pile will go a long way to making it work better.
Eric Sideman, MOFGA

QD4 Fruit Tree Bench Grafting & Bark Cleft Grafting
Two common grafting techniques used in fruit tree production and older fruit tree rejuvenation will be demonstrated. Participants will have the opportunity to try the techniques themselves.
Thomas C. Hoerth, Winter Greens

QD5 Growing Sweet Potatoes in the North
We will cover the basics of how to grow sweet potatoes. This will include which varieties to grow, how and when to plant and harvest, which pests to expect, and how to cure and store the roots after harvest.
Becky Grube, UNH Cooperative Extension

QD6 How About Hazels?
Dave has researched growing hybrid hazelnuts on his farm for the past 7 years. Learn the details of plant choice, planting and care for your hazel shrubs. It is possible to grow quality hazelnuts anywhere in Maine!
Dave Fuller, UMaine Extension

QD7 Introduction to Root Cellaring
Learn the basics of root cellar design and crop storage requirements. Cheryl will also share menu ideas and recipes for local, seasonal, organic eating utilizing the root cellar.
Cheryl Wixon, MOFGA

Quarter Day Workshops
10:00 - 11:15 AM

QD8 The Asian Longhorned Beetle in New England
The Asian longhorned beetle has arrived in MA and may be headed to Maine. Learn about this devastating pest and what is being done to control it.
Robert D. Childs, University of Massachusetts

QD9 Common Diseases of Plants in Maine
Can’t tell verticillium wilt from gray mold? Learn how to recognize and control some common plant diseases.
Bruce Watt, UMaine Extension

QD10 Native Trees and Shrubs for Maine Landscapes
Marjorie will highlight native trees and shrubs that have performed well in managed landscape trials around the state; including aesthetic features, cultural requirements, and how they can be used in the home landscape.
Marjorie Peronto, UMaine Extension

QD11 Reading the Forested Landscape
Using evidence such as the shapes of trees, scars on their trunks, patterns of decay in stumps, construction of stone walls, and lay of the land Tom will unravel complex stories etched in our forested landscape.
Tom Wessels – Author, “Reading the Forested Landscape”

QD12 Pruning Berry Bushes and Grapevines
Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, grapes – how can you make them produce the best fruit and keep them from taking over your yard? David will demonstrate the “how tos” and “why nots” of pruning these plants to help you make them a welcome part of your garden.
David Handley, UMaine Cooperative Extension

QD13 Growing Lavender in Maine
Betz has grown lavender for over 40 years, in clay soil at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate to the fertile fields of the Shaker Community in New Gloucester. Learn all the tips, tricks and garden lore of this prolific lavender grower.
Betz Golden, Common Folk Farm Herbs

Half Day Workshops
12:30 - 3:15 PM

HD5 Saving Energy Assessment
Learn how to assess your home for energy savings. Participants will receive factsheets, do-it-yourself projects, and energy savings tips. Participants should measure a home window and bring 4 layers of cardboard cut to the size of that window. We will be making removable indoor shutters that will save energy in winter and summer
$5.00 participant fee for this workshop.
Donna Coffin and Kathy Hopkins, UMaine Extension

HD6 Painting Florals in Watercolor
Come paint your favorite flowers in vivid watercolor with instruction in basic drawing and color mixing. Materials provided.
Judith Kinsman, Artist in Your Garden

HD7 Garbage Treasure Hunting
Learn the basics of compost and the importance of source separation for home or school by creating a compost pile using waste from today’s lunch.
Mark Hutchinson, UMaine Extension

HD8 Healthy Cooking with Flavorful, Backyard Herbs
We’ll discuss the benefits of growing medicinal and culinary herbs at home, then demonstrate how easy it is to use them every day to create fresh meals that satisfy the palette and maintain health. We’ll co-create our own original dish using common and not-so-common back yard herbs.
April O’Keefe, Herbalist

HD9 Essentials for the Backyard Apple Tree
Successfully growing fruit for your family and neighborhood depends on several essential orcharding skills. What starts off sounding so "awfully complicated" can be pretty straightforward when you narrow the big picture down to getting the basics right. This workshop is filled with practical information for growing apples right!
Michael Phillips, Lost Nation Orchard, Author of "The Apple Grower"

Quarter Day Workshops
12:30 - 1:45 PM

QD14 Topiary – How to Train
Learn the ABC’s of topiary! You will make your own, so bring a pair of sharp, sturdy scissors with you to this workshop.
Tony Elliott, Snug Harbor Farm

QD15 Have You Tried This? A Look at New Varieties for the Home Vegetable Grower
In this workshop we’ll explore new varieties and interesting crops that you may not have tried in your vegetable garden.
Mark Hutton, UMaine Extension

QD16 Community Forest Boards – Do You Have One?
Every town needs trees! Come learn what community forest boards do and how one can benefit your town.
Douglas Beck, Lewiston Auburn Community Forest Board

QD17 Managing Pests of Berry Crops and Grapes
Berry crops and grapes may be plagued by many insect and disease problems. Learn to identify and manage their major pest problems so that you can bring in a healthy harvest.
David Handley, UMaine Extension

QD19 Diversity in the Shade Garden
The diversity of perennials available to gardeners is at an all time high. Learn about gardening with lady-slippers, trilliums, primroses and other woodland gems.
Mike Murphy, Wake-Robin Nursery

Quarter Day Workshops
2:00 - 3:15 PM

QD20 Wormy-Vermi-Composting!
Composting with worms is a great and/or supplement to outdoor composting. Whether for the worm compost that will make your favorite plants healthy and happy – or to use as an educational tool with school or youth groups – worm composting is easy and fun.
Frank Wertheim, UMaine Extension

QD21 Low Maintenance Landscaping
Do you love the way your yard looks after a long weekend of mowing, watering, weeding and pruning? Would you like to love your yard without spending so much time and money on it? Learn some techniques for creating a low maintenance landscape your neighbors will be jealous of.
Tori Jackson, UMaine Extension

QD22 Raising Poultry on a Small Scale
Raising poultry on a small scale for eggs or meat can be fun and rewarding. Learn how to get started and succeed at selecting, housing, feeding, and enjoying chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl and waterfowl.
Richard Brzozowski, UMaine Extension

QD23 Growing Cranberries in the Home Garden for Thanksgiving Treats
Learn the history of the cranberry plant, why cranberries are important to human health, and most importantly, how to grow, propagate and protect them from pests organically. Gardeners are in for a hands-on experience!
John Harker, Owner, Cranberry Creations

QD24 Getting More From the Vegetable Garden
Soaring food prices have made many of us reconsider the role our vegetable gardens play in our food budget. Learn strategies that can help to maximize your harvest.
Barbara Murphy, UMaine Extension

QD25 Gardening to Conserve Natural Enemies
Learn how to identify beneficial insects and discover the best plants, garden designs and habitat management techniques needed for their long-term survival.
Mike Sowers, Insect Ecologist and Arborist