PLEASE NOTE: Garden.org will be offline for maintenance on Wednesday, May 29th. Users may experience intermittent lapses in service on this date.

Archived Gardening Message Boards

Topic: Edible Plants

<< Back to message boards home
<< Back to Edible Plants

View Thread:
gardening in Maine

gardening in Maine
Posted by steve from NY on 2002-04-26 09:09:05

My wife's parents are visiting from Winterport, Maine (Winterport is near Bangor, for those not familiar with that part of Maine). Her father grows a garden every year in the backyard. I mentioned that I had started tomato seeds indoors here in New York. He commented that he already had several vegetables coming up. I asked if he used small plant pots indoors. He replied that he planted directly outside and that the plants were already growing. I find it hard to believe that someone could grow vegetables outside in Maine in April near Bangor. Does anyone know if this is possible? This is full outdoors, no greenhouse or cold frames. I wouldn't have questioned this except that when my wife showed him a wood fence I had built in our yard, about 7 feet high, he commented that his brother once built one twice that high. I am afraid my father-in-law may be developing some strange compulsive lying disorder, if there is such a thing. (he is about 80) Any thoughts will be appreciated.
  • Reply to this message >>

    Maine gardening
    Posted by Kimm from 4a/5b-MI on 2002-04-27 07:45:20

    Elliot Coleman grows "stuff" year around in Maine, but in closures and he has written a book about that though the title escapes me at the moment.
    Sounds as if your father in law is practicing a bit of one-upmanship though, "anything you can do I can do better."
    • Reply to this message >>

      Maine gardening
      Posted by Steve from NY on 2002-04-27 09:56:50

      Quoting Kimm: ------------
      -Elliot Coleman grows "stuff" year around in Maine, but in closures and he has written a book about that though the title escapes me at the moment.
      -Sounds as if your father in law is practicing a bit of one-upmanship though, "anything you can do I can do better."

      Definitely! I was asking about the size of their house yesterday, and he commented that each of the two stories was ~3500 square feet. I think that is at least double what is there. (this was in response to me saying that our townhouse is ~1500 sq ft total) We had temperatures in the 20s last night, here in NY, so I doubt that any vegetables could be growing in a Maine garden this time of year without protection. Thanks for the input. (Is this the first gardening/mental illness related question on this site?)
School Garden Grants, Fun Activities, Lessons and more at - www.kidsgardening.org

NGA offers the largest and most respected array of gardening content for consumers and educators. Learn more about NGA »

— ADVERTISEMENTS —