This gorgeous weather has made us forget that we still have a month to go, but the 2022 Plants Sales season is officially underway. We are THRILLED to be hosting our first in-person Native Plants Festival & Sale at Gilsland Farm on Saturday, June 11. We’ll feature thousands of great Maine native plants for sale, and also have presentations, experts, other vendors, food trucks, children’s activities, and more, all focused on helping you and your community restore native plants and wildlife habitat around you.
Can’t make the Native Plants Festival & Sale this year? Fear not! We will be selling and restocking plants all summer through September. We will launch online sales at shop.mainenativeplants.org for contactless curbside pick-ups starting on June 16, and will continue to have pick-ups on Thursdays and Fridays through the summer. Maine Audubon’s horticulture team will be transplanting and growing new plants all summer, and we’ll be sourcing new trees and shrubs weekly while supplies remain. Check the website for updates throughout summer.
Plant sales are one of the hallmarks of Maine Audubon’s “Bringing Nature Home” program. Our hoop house and farmhouse lawns are loaded up with thousands of beautiful, healthy, and organic potted Maine native plants. The team has been hard at work over the winter sowing seeds, sourcing seedling “plugs” from our partner vendors, and updating our Native Plant Finder, at mainenativeplants.org, as a reference for you.
Other big news: “Bringing Nature Home” has a dedicated program manager! Andrew Tufts grew grew up in Topsham, and has worked as a landscaper, land trust steward, city planner, and, most recently, as a landscape designer at Sebago Technics. We are thrilled to have Andrew, and you’ll hear more about and from him in our next blog post.
Other updates to look for in the next few weeks:
- Announcement of our speaker/presentation lineup for the Native Plants Festival. This year’s event will feature presentations and demonstrations from experts and our partners in native plants and wildlife habitat. We have some big ideas in the works, so please stay tuned. (If you don’t already get our newsletter, sign up here.)
- Preview of the species availability list for June. We expect to have roughly 100 species of potted Maine native plants ready for purchase on June 11, and will be rolling that list out as we’re certain things will be ready and available. In the meantime, visit mainenativeplants.org to start making your list.
- Photos and facts about our plants, including how to grow them yourselves, and what connections we hope these plants will restore for you, your neighbors, and wildlife around you. Check our website and our social media channels to see how the plants are looking and get the scoop on how to plan your visit on June 11.
Please also stay tuned for news about our exciting partnership demonstration plantings. We have large projects in Portland, Lewiston, and South Portland, as well as in various Maine State Parks, that promise thousands of new Maine native plants and acres of improved wildlife habitat in some of our state’s most developed landscapes. We’ve also been advising on plantings for large solar arrays, and expanding our summer stewardship programs for teens.
As things reopen and stay safe, Maine Audubon will look to add in-person “Bringing Nature Home” programs and events. Check the events page of our website and sign up for our e-newsletters to get regular updates. We hope to add native plants walks, outdoor workshops, and in-person plants shopping as safety and resources allow.
Happy planting, and thank you for “Bringing Nature Home” this summer and beyond!
