Saturday events will celebrate gardening
BY MECHELE COOPER Staff Writer
BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer
It’s the first year Alden Longfellow Greenhouses in Farmingdale will participate in the third annual Greenhouse and Nursery Day on Saturday.
About 45 family-owned greenhouses and nurseries will hold special events on Saturday to highlight the joy of gardening.
The event, sponsored by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, includes giveaways, door prizes, raffles, plants and balloons for children, container-planting demonstrations, personal tours, expert speakers and mini-workshops.
Amy Allen, agricultural program specialist with the department, said participating greenhouses and nurseries also will preview spring introductions and share their expertise by offering gardening tips, information on plant varieties and ideas for window box and landscape design.
The family-owned Alden Longfellow Greenhouse is at 249 Litchfield Rd.
“We’re going to have some refreshments and hope to set up a couple workshops to learn about gardening, maybe gardening basics, and have music from local artists,” said Bill Alden of Alden Longfellow Greenhouse. “It’s a little celebration that planting season has begun and that’s exciting.”
Walter Whitcomb, the state’s agriculture commissioner, said the special day allows Maine to showcase the importance of horticulture to the state’s agricultural economy.
In addition to providing thousands of jobs, the horticulture industry pumps more than $280 million into our state’s economy, he said.
“More than half of the plants sold in Maine are grown right here, and our greenhouses and nurseries work hard to promote the sale of their product locally,” Whitcomb said. “I hope Mainers will take advantage of the opportunity to visit their local garden centers on May 5 and enjoy the wonderful fun and educational events being offered.”
Allen said the department licenses and inspects more than 1,260 businesses selling plants in Maine.
It also certifies plant exports, regulates imported plants and assists growers with plant pest problems.
Maine Greenhouse and Nursery Day is supported by the Ornamental Horticulture Council and the Mid-Maine Greenhouse Growers Association.
For more information about Maine Greenhouse and Nursery Day, go to http://www.plants4maine.com/GreenhouseAndNurseryDay.shtml.
Mechele Cooper — 621-5663
mcooper@centralmaine.com
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