The Hawthorn

The Hawthorn Spring 2014

The Annual Plant Sale at Merryspring Nature Center is a great opportunity for mid-coast gardeners to get out, get together, and get some interesting plants. And after a long and dreary winter and very slow spring, it definitely is time to start thinking GARDEN!

-10 will offer a diverse array of perennials, annuals, vege-tables, herbs, and Glenn Jenks's yearly selection of hardy roses. A special focus on beau-tiful, colorful, and unusual foliage among our perennials and annuals this year will help your gardens and potted displays be bright and compelling, even if the sun and warmth remain elusive.

Among our featured plants propagated this year by garden manager Cindy Gerry are four varieties of Heuchera and Heucherella, the Wizard Mix and Rainbow Series of Coleus; and a wild selection of Amaranthus, including

To attract butterflies and delight the eye, we have Buddleia graceful bright violet-purple butterfly bush, as well as the towering orange-flowered Tithonia add substance and brilliance in a mixed border. add interest and stamina throughout the growing season and into the win-ter. Echinacea is hot, and we have the

This year Glenn has chosen more than 10 varieties of roses grown in Canada for the plant sale. Some are lovely hybrid teas, and some are very hardy shrubs bred for our

Want to spend less time in the grocery store and more time in your garden? We will have parsley, rosemary , lavender, basil, and lots of other herbs you can plant to use fresh every day or dry and store for winter. We also have tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, and other plants for sale that can supply you and your family or friends with fresh produce all summer long.

(continued on page 5)

Focus is on Foliage at Annual Plant Sale

The Merryspring Plant Sale will be held on Fri-day, May 9, for Members Only from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday, May 10, for all garden enthusiasts from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Anyone interested in becoming a Merryspring member can sign up at the Members Only sale on Friday or by calling 236-2239.

Colorful foliage is the focus this year.

Do you have time to volunteer at the Plant Sale on May 9 or 10? Can you help set up or take down garden displays that week? Do you have perennials that need division? How about extra seedlings? Any unused gar-den books or duplicate tools?

If you would like to donate your time, plants or garden-related items to our Annual Plant Sale, please call 236-2239 or stop by the Ross Center for more information. Pots, tools and plants may be left by the garage attached to the greenhouse. Seedlings should be left on the potting bench in the main greenhouse. Books should be dropped off at the Ross Center. Donated plants should include a note stating type and color.

Looking for Volunteers, Plants, Garden-Related Items

The Hawthorn Spring 2014 Page 2

Inside this issue: Merryspring Nature Center P.O. Box 893, Camden, ME 04843 Tel: (207) 236-2239 Fax: (207) 230-0663 Email: info@merryspring.org www.merryspring.org

Mission Statement

teach, and advocate sound principles of ecology, conservation, and horti-culture in order to protect our natural environment and to provide natural landscapes and cultivated areas for public enjoyment.

Hours of Operation The park is open free of charge from dawn to dusk every day of the year. Our offices and library are open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment.

Membership Fees

Keeping in Touch You can sign up for our eUpdates at www.merryspring.org to receive the latest news on programs and events.

book page, where you can check on upcoming events. Please go to www.tinyurl.com/merryspring-facebook/.

Board of Trustees Ray Andresen, President Glenn Jenks, Vice President Richard Ailes, Treasurer Frank Callanan, Secretary Tom Jackson Kathleen Kull Karin Rector Sarah Rheault Susan Shaw Matthew Speno

Staff Toni Goodridge, Administrative Mgr. Brett Willard, Program Mgr. Cindy Gerry, Garden Mgr. David Cadbury, Property Mgr.

2014 All Rights Reserved

Wish List

If you would like to purchase, do-nate or contribute funds for any of the following items, please contact the Merryspring office.

Solar-Powered Water Fountain

Small Garden Roto-Tiller

Bee House Construction Material

Battery-Powered Garden Edger

Metal Plant Labels

Gas-Powered Weed Whacker

Office Paper Shredder

Tri-fold Presentation Stand

Battery for Riding Mower

Fire-Proof File Cabinet

Scaffolding Planks (2x10x16)

Battery Charger

Hand Tools for Craft Studio

Garden Pruners

Outdoor Power Washer

Greenhouse Shade Cloth

Wood Chipper

Toner Cartridges (Dell 2155cn)

Red Laser Pointer

Plant Sale 1

2

Pop For Change 3

New Trustees 3

2014 Education Calendar 4

Summer Ecology Camp 5

List of 2013 Contributors 6-7

Merryspring Reservations 8

Individual $35-49

Family $50 99

Business $50-100

How to Leave a Lasting Legacy at Merryspring

Merryspring has a permanent Endowment Fund to ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy the wonders of nature being exhibited and taught at your Nature Center. If you would like to make a bequest that will increase this fund, please consult your financial and legal advisors on what method would be in your best interest and would fulfill your wishes. For more information, please contact us at (207) 236-2239 or send an email to info@merryspring.org.

By Ray Andresen

about some of the exciting things happening at your Nature Center this year.

summer to include two weeks of Summer Ecology Camp (see article on page 5). We also have a full docket of our popular Tuesday Talk series as well as an interesting vari-ety of weekend workshops, family-oriented programs, and special events like the Fairy Festival (see page 4 for a full schedule).

Second, we are making some important improvements to our physical plant. The Ross Center has a brand new, deep green, long-lasting metal roof that not only protects the building, but visually enhances it. Inside, we have installed new LED lighting that should reduce our electric-ity costs. Last year we added heat-saving window inserts and insulated the water pipe coming into the building. We also have begun fixing up the Aileen Lubin Green-house by replacing all of the glass panes in the front sec-tion with two-walled polycarbonate panels. In the future, we hope to secure funding to do the same changeover in the main greenhouse as well as putting a new cedar roof onto the Hexagon.

Third, we are exploring several ideas to make the prop-erty more attractive and useful. We are now in our sec-ond year of experimenting with a test plot in the North Meadow to see if we can restore it with native grasses to attract ground-nesting birds. We hope to improve our trail system, with better markings and wider paths in some places. We would like to start restoring the Kitty Todd Arboretum and the Herb Garden, both long-term projects. And we are looking at ways to make the en-trance into Merryspring more appealing to first-time visi-tors and those who come here every day.

These improvements and ideas are an investment in Mer- a future I hope all of you will continue

to support and enjoy.

The Ross Center has a new green metal roof.

http://www.merryspring.org/http://tinyurl.com/merryspring-facebook/http://tinyurl.com/merryspring-facebook/

Rheault, Jackson Join Merryspring Board Sarah Rheault and Tom Jackson have been elected to the Merryspring Board of Trustees.

Sarah currently serves on the Maine Advisory Board of Trust for Public Lands, the Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations, the Mid-Maine Sports Car Club, and the Restorative Justice Project (RJP) of Mid-Coast Maine. She previously served on the boards for Coastal Mountains Land Trust, including three years as its chair, the Bay Chamber Concerts, Youth Arts, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the Maine Arts Sponsors Association, and other groups.

A native of England who spent her early life in Africa, Sarah came to the mid-coast area in 1974 with her late husband Andre Rheault. She enjoys gardening, skiing, sailing, animals, and vintage car racing.

Tom was born and raised in Camden. The owner of Jackson Landscape Services, he first became interested in landscaping during his high school summers under the tutelage of Earlyn Wheeler. After graduation, he went to the University of Maine at Orono, where he earned an Associates Degree in Landscaping Technology. Upon graduation in 1976, he founded Jackson Landscape Ser-vices, which provides landscape design, planting, maintenance, and construction services throughout the mid-coast community.

Tom and his wife Hillary live in Camden, as does their daughter Heidi.

In addition to Tom and Sarah, the Merryspring Board includes Ray Andresen (president), Glenn Jenks (vice president), Frank Cal-lanan (secretary), Richard Ailes (treasurer), Kathie Kull, Karin Rector, Susan Shaw, and Matt Speno.

The Hawthorn Spring 2014 Page 3

Pop For Change Volunteers Prepare

By Brett Willard Many new faces have been coming to Merryspring this year to volunteer.

Initiative, more than 40 people have signed up to lend their time and tal-ents to Merryspring many of them visiting and volunteering at the park for the first time.

Pop For Change is a community volunteering initiative organized by Cellardoor Winery of Lincolnville. Through partnerships with a number of Midcoast area non-profits, community members can volunteer to do four-hour shifts to gain entry to a volunteers-only Pop for Change party on June 28 in Rockport Harbor.

However, there is a lot more to Pop For Change than just parties and wine. Pop For Change has enlisted the help of more than 500 people to give back to their community, and the effects are already being seen around town.

As one of four main recipients of volunteers chosen by Pop For Change, United Mid-Coast Chari-ties selected Merryspringto be one of its host sites for volunteer work. Since late March, Pop For Change volunteers have been coming to the park on Wednesday mornings to work in our greenhouse by potting up plants, making cuttings, and starting seeds for the gardens and annual plant sale. With the weather becoming warmer, volunteers have moved outside to weed garden beds and prepare the soil for another busy and beautiful season at Mer-ryspring. Volunteers will also be present during our plant sale, tallying up orders and as-sisting shoppers with their purchases. By late April, Pop For Change volunteers had con-tributed more than 50 hours of work, with many more to come throughout the year.

Merryspring is very grateful to have been included in the Pop for Change initiative and for the wonderful work contributed by these r-

tunities throughout the year to help the park stay the beautiful, active, vibrant place it is. To volunteer, please contact Merryspring at 236-2239 or info@merryspring.org

mailto:info@merryspring.org

SPRING Tuesday Talks Sponsored by The First

The Hawthorn Spring 2014 Page 4

2014 Events Calendar

Dragonfly Larvae as Indicators of Water Quality Sarah Nelson

Gardening for Birds with Native Plants Sharon Turner

A Birding Tour of Maine Ron Joseph

18th Century Herbs Betsy Ann Golon

Tending the Perennial Garden, Early June Wendy Andresen

Weed Identification and Organic Control Eric Sideman

Seaweed Botanicals Carly Weinberg

Tending the Perennial Garden, Late June Wendy Andresen

Rose Day Glenn Jenks

Introduction to Permaculture Jesse Watson

Tending the Perennial Garden in Mid July Wendy Andresen

NO TALK (Summer Ecology Camp week)

Wolves in Maine Meredith Kellogg

Tending the Perennial Garden, Early August Wendy Andresen

Invasive Plants Hildy Ellis

NO TALK (Summer Ecology Camp week)

Tending the Perennial Garden, Late August Wendy Andresen

Belfast Cohousing and Ecovillage Sanna McKim

Climate Change & Maine Species Andy Whitman

Tending the Perennial Garden, Mid-Sept. Wendy Andresen

Earth, Life, and Symbiosis Alder Stone Fuller

Wild Turkeys of Maine Christopher Lage

Tending the Perennial Garden in October Wendy Andresen

Free Family Workshops Five free workshops for the family will be held on Thursdays in July and

August from 11 a.m. to 12 noon except where otherwise noted:

Guided Nature Walk, July 17

Terrariums and Herbariums, July 31

Bug Safari, August 14

Build a Nature Journal, August 28

Fort Building & Fairy Houses, Sept. 6*

* This workshop is on Saturday from 13 p.m.

May 6

May 13

May 20

May 27

June 3

June 10

June 17

June 24

July 1

July 8

July 15

July 22

July 29

August 5

August 12

August 19

August 26

September 2

September 9

September 16

September 23

September 30

October 7

SUMMER Tuesday Talks Co-Sponsored by Camden National Bank and Jaret & Cohn

Foraging May 3, 10 a.m.-noon

Walk with Tom Seymour to learn about the edible plants

growing in your own back yard . M $5/NM $10

Fairy Festival

Families are invited to

Festival on Saturday June 14 from 10 a.m.noon. Children can make a variety of fairy -inspired crafts to take home to their own fairy houses and gardens. Author Liza Gardner Walsh will be on hand to sign copies of her books Fairy House Handbook and Fairy Garden Handbook. Enter a raffle for a signed copy of either book. Free to all.

Pasture & Meadow Management

June 7, 10 a.m.-noon Learn to manage old meadows and pasture for grazing or habi-

tat with Richard Kersbergen M $5/NM $10

The Hawthorn Spring 2014 Page 5

Summer Ecology Camp Returns To Merryspring in July, August Merryspring will be offering even more for children to do this summer. For the first time in many years, Merryspring is bringing back its Sum-mer Ecology Camp and not for one week, but two.

The first session, Eco Explorers, is designed for young children ages 6 to 8 and will take place July 21-25. The second session, Alien Invaders, will be for older children ages 11 to 13 and will be held August 18-22.

To present these programs, Merryspring is partnering with the Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (KLSWCD). Merryspring and KLSWCD are frequent collaborators, having worked together on a num-ber of programs in recent years. This partnership will allow both or-ganizations to promote two weeks of ecology and conservation-based youth programming.

Eco Explorers focuses on getting young children outdoors. The camp will be an introduction to nature through exploratory learning, play, and gardening. Kids in Eco Explorers will see the Merryspring grounds, get to plant seeds, learn to identify trees and animals, and

discover more about the world around us and our place in it. Through nature

Eco Explorers is a half-day program, running from 9:00 a.m. to noon begin-ning Monday, July 21. The cost is $90 for a week of camp, with a dis-counted rate of $75 for children of Merryspring members.

The second session, Alien Invaders, will be an intensive, full-day camp for older children. Alien Invaders will introduce campers to the topics of biodi-versity and invasive species. This is a service learning-based program that will have campers identifying and mapping invasive plants, playing games, col-lecting and recording invasive insect species, and documenting their discov-eries using photography, video, and mapping techniques. A short slideshow of student discoveries will be presented to friends and family at the end of the week. Alien Invaders is a full-day program, running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. beginning Monday, August 18. The cost is $180 for a week of camp, with a discounted rate of $150 for children of Merryspring members.

To register your child for either session of Summer Ecology Camp, please stop by the Merryspring office or contact us at 236-2239 or info@merryspring.org to request a registration form. Payment may be made by cash, personal check, or Visa/Mastercard. Please make payment to Merryspring Nature Center. Information on financial aid is available upon request.

Space in either camp is limited to 15 participants. Children will be provided with daily snacks. Campers in the Alien Invaders pro-gram are asked to bring a peanut-free bagged lunch.

Merryspring Plant Sale (Continued from page 1)

As always, the Merryspring Plant Sale will include lots of plants donated by local garden-ers and nurseries as well as those grown in our own greenhouse. In addition to all the wonderful plants, an assortment of used tools, flower pots, gardening books, and hand-crafted items will also be on sale. All proceeds from the Plant Sale benefit Merryspring, a member-supported, non-profit nature park and education center located at the end of Conway Road just off Route 1 by the Hannaford Shopping Plaza in Camden.

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--R. L. Stevenson

You can profit by volunteering to oversee

We need some extra hands to till the soil, edge the garden, build more raised beds, and make the area more appealing and use-ful. If this sounds interesting to you, please contact Brett Willard at 236-2239 or email education@merrysprting.org.

Program Manager Brett Willard leads a group of youngsters on a trail hike.

mailto:info@merryspring.org