The snow is still melting here in central Maine, but we can't help but think about the brighter days of summer ahead. Piscataquis Regional Food Center (PRFC) has partnered with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County Office for the second year to bring the Garden in a Box learning program to the region. Garden in a Box aims to bring gardening know-how and enthusiasm to people with limited mobility, small space, or lack of resources.
PRFC and the Extension piloted “GBox” in 2021 with 16 community members and four UMaine Master Gardener Volunteers who served as “Garden Coaches” to the participants. From March to October, the Coaches supported their Gardeners with phone calls, texts, and home visits. In addition, participants received a Garden in a Box Resource Binder filled with Cooperative Extension gardening publications, tips, a monthly calendar, and a journal to keep track of their container garden. We also supplied each Gardener with their choice of locally-sourced seedlings, a 15-gallon cloth growing container, potting soil, and gardening tools.
Because enrollment is limited and our 2022 program is officially full, we have started to offer a series of FREE public workshops at Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. In our first session, Laurie Bowen of the University of Maine Piscataquis Extension Office offered up "Tips and Tricks" to save time and energy in the garden. She provided helpful suggestions for how to plan your day in the garden, modify your tools, and maximize gardening efforts!
Mark your calendar for our next Garden in a Box program:
Small Space Gardening April 28, 2022, 6 pm at Thompson Free Library, Dover-Foxcroft Are you short on space? Many kinds of vegetables can be easily grown in containers by following a few basic guidelines. What to grow and what can you grow it in will be the topic of conversation.
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