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Maine is famous for its seacoast, for lobsters, lighthouses and beaches. Many people drive up US RT 95 to RT 1 and through Portland, Freeport and Old Orchard Beach. While this is a great way to see the coast and visit the factory outlets in Freeport and Kittery, there's much more to Maine than you can see from the highway or busy RT 1. Off many of the exits, just a few miles from the bustling outlets and busy highways, there are many lesser known roads that will thrill sightseekers.
One of the most spectacular scenic drives in Maine is the Schoodic Scenic Byway, which starts in the town of Sullivan. If you look out over Sullivan Harbor, you'll be able to see the famous "Reversing Falls" and Mount Desert Island with its mountains in the distance. There are many scenic "turnouts" on this route and at Long Cove there's even a picnic area with restrooms. While you eat, you can look out over the cove and may even see a harbor seal, lobster boats and many different sea birds.
The Porcupine Islands, Cadillac Mountain and Frenchman Bay appear as you near The Schoodic Area Chamber of Commerce Information booth at Mile 7, where you can get information on the area during the summer months. And shortly after that, you'll turn right on RT 186, and head toward the Schoodic Point Loop Rd of Acadia National Park, one of the most scenic areas of the United States.
Before you reach it though, enjoy the views of the working waterfront in Winter Harbor, where lobster boats and fishing boats still leave daily and return with their catch. Park at the public pier and watch the action as the boats are unloaded, equipment is mended and boats are maintained.
Its bold shoreline is covered with massive granite rocks, tumbling down to the crashing waves of the Atlantic. Spray sometimes actually reaches the road and care must be taken if you decide to walk on the rocks, although the view is breathtaking and the salty air has an exhilirating tang you'll find nowhere else.
Heading North again, you'll leave the Loop Road and head back toward Gouldsboro, Birch Harbor and Prospect Harbor where the 27 mile long Byway ends. From there, you can head to Ellsworth for a meal at one of the many restaurants in the area, or stay at one of the many motels and hotels. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance during the summer months, because many people make this part of Maine their destination, and if you've driven the Schoodic Scenic Byway, you know why.
Lill Hawkins lives in Maine and writes at News From Hawkhill Acres. It's a mostly humorous look at home schooling, writing and being a WAHM, whose mantra is "I'm a willow; I can bend."
Looking for safe toys? At How to Find Safe Toys Lill blogs about resources for finding safe toys for Newborns to Teens. Check in daily for the latest toy recalls and a long list of alternatives to blah big-box gifts.
Nov 4, 2007
How to Grow Strawberries in New England
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Sweet, juicy, ripe strawberries! What could be better than picking one right from your own garden and eating it out of hand. Or you might want to gather a bowlful, slice them and serve them over homemade shortcake biscuits or cake. If you grow enough, you can even make jam and preserve it or freeze it. Someone said once that strawberry preserves are like "summer in a jar."
But here in New England, whether you live in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massacusetts, Rhode Island or Connecticut, growing strawberries can be a challenge. Spring warmth often turns to snow squalls or long damp, cold days. Winter is snowy and cold and frost travels deep into the ground, heaving it up in the spring. Summers can be hot and dry or cool and rainy, depending on the year, or a combination of both for long periods.
It's essential that you choose a type of strawberry that grows well in the Northeast. Some types that do well here are Earliglow, Redchief and Allstar, but my favorite is Cavendish, which does very well in Maine where I live. It produces large sweet fruit and is tolerant of uneven growing conditions and weather. I've had very good luck with it for several years and would recommend it if your garden soil is heavy and/or clay-like.
Your local Extension Office can advise you on what types grow best in your area and also give you growing tips for your particular situation. They're also able to help with pest problems, soil analysis and diseases of strawberries. You'd be well advised to use their services which are usually free.
Except for the day neutral types, which we won't get into here, strawberries do best in hills in a bed that is wide enough so that their runners can be covered with soil, thereby producing new plants. For the first year, it's wise to pinch off the flowerbuds, so that they'll produce more and bigger berries the second year. When runners appear, bury them and they'll produce new plants.
Weeding your strawberry bed is very important, because weeds will choke the plants and reduce the yield. Mulching is a good idea also, to keep down weeds and reduce damage from moisture and dirt. Clean straw can be used and is, in fact, how strawberries got their name. Growers used straw to mulch them.
In the fall, you should always mulch the beds to protect the plants from winter damage. Remove all the leaves and cover the crowns with a thin layer of mulch. You can add fertilizer, organic is best, at this time. In the spring, remove the mulch from the top of the crowns and water regularly. Soon, you'll have another crop of sweet, juicy strawberries from your own garden.
Strawberry beds will usually produce a decent crop for up to 5 years. After that, replanting is necessary. You might want to grow two varieties and experiment with a third, to see which does best where you live. That way, you could also plant one variety that produces a spring crop, one that produces in June and one that bears sporadically all season.
Once you've grown your own strawberries, you'll never want to be without some in the freezer or fridge or in jam on a shelf in your pantry. Full of antioxidants, vitamins and flavor, strawberries are one of the best things to grow in your New England garden.
Lill Hawkins lives in Maine and writes at News From Hawkhill Acres. It's a mostly humorous look at home schooling, writing and being a WAHM, whose mantra is "I'm a willow; I can bend."
Looking for safe toys? At How to Find Safe Toys Lill blogs about resources for finding safe toys for Newborns to Teens. Check in daily for the latest toy recalls and a long list of alternatives to blah big-box gifts.
Sweet, juicy, ripe strawberries! What could be better than picking one right from your own garden and eating it out of hand. Or you might want to gather a bowlful, slice them and serve them over homemade shortcake biscuits or cake. If you grow enough, you can even make jam and preserve it or freeze it. Someone said once that strawberry preserves are like "summer in a jar."
But here in New England, whether you live in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massacusetts, Rhode Island or Connecticut, growing strawberries can be a challenge. Spring warmth often turns to snow squalls or long damp, cold days. Winter is snowy and cold and frost travels deep into the ground, heaving it up in the spring. Summers can be hot and dry or cool and rainy, depending on the year, or a combination of both for long periods.
It's essential that you choose a type of strawberry that grows well in the Northeast. Some types that do well here are Earliglow, Redchief and Allstar, but my favorite is Cavendish, which does very well in Maine where I live. It produces large sweet fruit and is tolerant of uneven growing conditions and weather. I've had very good luck with it for several years and would recommend it if your garden soil is heavy and/or clay-like.
Your local Extension Office can advise you on what types grow best in your area and also give you growing tips for your particular situation. They're also able to help with pest problems, soil analysis and diseases of strawberries. You'd be well advised to use their services which are usually free.
Except for the day neutral types, which we won't get into here, strawberries do best in hills in a bed that is wide enough so that their runners can be covered with soil, thereby producing new plants. For the first year, it's wise to pinch off the flowerbuds, so that they'll produce more and bigger berries the second year. When runners appear, bury them and they'll produce new plants.
Weeding your strawberry bed is very important, because weeds will choke the plants and reduce the yield. Mulching is a good idea also, to keep down weeds and reduce damage from moisture and dirt. Clean straw can be used and is, in fact, how strawberries got their name. Growers used straw to mulch them.
In the fall, you should always mulch the beds to protect the plants from winter damage. Remove all the leaves and cover the crowns with a thin layer of mulch. You can add fertilizer, organic is best, at this time. In the spring, remove the mulch from the top of the crowns and water regularly. Soon, you'll have another crop of sweet, juicy strawberries from your own garden.
Strawberry beds will usually produce a decent crop for up to 5 years. After that, replanting is necessary. You might want to grow two varieties and experiment with a third, to see which does best where you live. That way, you could also plant one variety that produces a spring crop, one that produces in June and one that bears sporadically all season.
Once you've grown your own strawberries, you'll never want to be without some in the freezer or fridge or in jam on a shelf in your pantry. Full of antioxidants, vitamins and flavor, strawberries are one of the best things to grow in your New England garden.
Lill Hawkins lives in Maine and writes at News From Hawkhill Acres. It's a mostly humorous look at home schooling, writing and being a WAHM, whose mantra is "I'm a willow; I can bend."
Looking for safe toys? At How to Find Safe Toys Lill blogs about resources for finding safe toys for Newborns to Teens. Check in daily for the latest toy recalls and a long list of alternatives to blah big-box gifts.
Maine Ferries: The Casco Bay Line
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Casco Bay's rocky shorelines and forested islands are a beautiful sight in summer. However, you can't see them by car. You have to take a ferry on the oldest ferry service in the country. Just a few miles from downtown Portland, you can see secluded coves, lobster boats, lighthouses and wildflowers in front of summer cottages and fishing piers.
To the islanders, the ferries are a lifeline, carrying kids to school on the mainland and residents to doctor's appointments, cars, groceries, building supplies and mail. Almost without fail, the ferries of the Casco Bay Line make their regular daily runs through all kinds of weather.
Peaks Island, Little Diamond, Great Diamond and Cliff Island are all part of the City of Portland. Although there are only 1,000 year round residents on Peaks Island, there are several times that many in the summer months. Peaks Island is only 20 minutes from Portland by ferry and there are several ferry runs a day depending on the season. You can explore the whole island on foot or bike in less than an hour, because it's only a mile wide and about two miles long!
Great Diamond Island has seen many famous visitors, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Longfellow and early 19th century landscape painters attracted by the beautiful scenery and stately mansions. However, Diamond Cove was also the site of Fort McKinley, which was built during the Spanish American War to protect Portland Harbor. The Fort was in active service until 1945, but is now on the Register of Historic Places in the United States. There is currently a museum and gift shop there, operating on a volunteer basis.
Special cruises feature lobster bakes in a rustic "summerhouse" on Peaks Island for groups of up to 400. Or you can take a music cruise and listen to everything from jazz to blues to rock to country. There's something for everyone on the Casco Bay Ferry Line, even if you just go along on the Mail Run and never set foot on land. The beautiful islands and rocky coastline are at their best when viewed from the ocean. You might even see a porpoise or harbor seal! At any rate, you'll return from your ferry trip refreshed and relaxed from the salt air and good company aboard the Casco Bay Line ferry.
Lill Hawkins lives in Maine and writes at News From Hawkhill Acres. It's a mostly humorous look at home schooling, writing and being a WAHM, whose mantra is "I'm a willow; I can bend."
Looking for safe toys? At How to Find Safe Toys Lill blogs about resources for finding safe toys for Newborns to Teens. Check in daily for the latest toy recalls and a long list of alternatives to blah big-box gifts.
Casco Bay's rocky shorelines and forested islands are a beautiful sight in summer. However, you can't see them by car. You have to take a ferry on the oldest ferry service in the country. Just a few miles from downtown Portland, you can see secluded coves, lobster boats, lighthouses and wildflowers in front of summer cottages and fishing piers.
To the islanders, the ferries are a lifeline, carrying kids to school on the mainland and residents to doctor's appointments, cars, groceries, building supplies and mail. Almost without fail, the ferries of the Casco Bay Line make their regular daily runs through all kinds of weather.
Peaks Island, Little Diamond, Great Diamond and Cliff Island are all part of the City of Portland. Although there are only 1,000 year round residents on Peaks Island, there are several times that many in the summer months. Peaks Island is only 20 minutes from Portland by ferry and there are several ferry runs a day depending on the season. You can explore the whole island on foot or bike in less than an hour, because it's only a mile wide and about two miles long!
Great Diamond Island has seen many famous visitors, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Longfellow and early 19th century landscape painters attracted by the beautiful scenery and stately mansions. However, Diamond Cove was also the site of Fort McKinley, which was built during the Spanish American War to protect Portland Harbor. The Fort was in active service until 1945, but is now on the Register of Historic Places in the United States. There is currently a museum and gift shop there, operating on a volunteer basis.
Special cruises feature lobster bakes in a rustic "summerhouse" on Peaks Island for groups of up to 400. Or you can take a music cruise and listen to everything from jazz to blues to rock to country. There's something for everyone on the Casco Bay Ferry Line, even if you just go along on the Mail Run and never set foot on land. The beautiful islands and rocky coastline are at their best when viewed from the ocean. You might even see a porpoise or harbor seal! At any rate, you'll return from your ferry trip refreshed and relaxed from the salt air and good company aboard the Casco Bay Line ferry.
Lill Hawkins lives in Maine and writes at News From Hawkhill Acres. It's a mostly humorous look at home schooling, writing and being a WAHM, whose mantra is "I'm a willow; I can bend."
Looking for safe toys? At How to Find Safe Toys Lill blogs about resources for finding safe toys for Newborns to Teens. Check in daily for the latest toy recalls and a long list of alternatives to blah big-box gifts.
Nor'easters. What Are They?
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Nor'easters aren't as powerful as hurricanes, but they can be very destructive. The March Nor'easter known as the Blizzard of 1993 did over a billion dollars in damage up and down the East Coast from Maine to Alabama. Not only was there snow with this storm, but it also spawned several tornadoes and caused heavy flooding. As with almost all Nor'easters, one of the worst effects of this storm was the beach erosion. Miles of coastline were swept away and cottages and vacation homes succumbed to the heavy wind and waves.
So what is a Nor'easter? Is it just a big windstorm with heavy rain? Do the winds always have to come from the northeast? Do they occur more often at one time of the year or the other? And what can the average person do to protect themselves and their property from the effects of one of these powerful storms?
First of all, Nor'easters can occur any time of year and many of them fizzle out before they reach land or form onshore so that they don't do as much damage. It's when a Nor'easter forms in the tropics, off Florida, soaks up the warm moisture from the Gulf Stream as its northeast winds carry it up the East Coast, and then meets Cold Arctic Air from Canada that the major cities on the East Coast are threatened.
Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Baltimore and the major cities of the Southeast are all close enough to the coast to be affected and many have rivers that lead to them from the ocean, so flooding is often severe. When there is a higher than usual ocean tide, as there was in April of 2007, erosion and flooding from the sea can be severe. Several Maine communities had to be evacuated, as were communities on Long Island and in other places.
If you live in an area that is subject to Nor'easters, you should be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Even if you're not near the coast, flooding can be severe and sudden in low-lying areas. Small streams and rivers can rise suddenly and overflow their banks, so if you live near one, make sure that it's monitored and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. If your basement or lower floors are liable to flood, move belongings to higher levels and/or have a sump pump ready.
Be prepared for power outages with flashlights, canned foods, bottled water and blankets. Check with the Red Cross or the local authorities for shelters in your area. If someone in your family has special medical needs that require electricity, make sure that you let your power company know that, and have a plan to get them to a shelter if necessary. Nor'easters can last for days and wind and rain can make it impossible or dangerous to drive, so don't wait until the storm arrives to make your plans.
Common sense and some preparation will get you safely through stormy weather. The more you know about threats like Nor'easters, the more you can prepare to keep yourself and your family safe from harm.
Lill Hawkins lives in Maine and writes at News From Hawkhill Acres. It's a mostly humorous look at home schooling, writing and being a WAHM, whose mantra is "I'm a willow; I can bend."
Looking for safe toys? At How to Find Safe Toys Lill blogs about resources for finding safe toys for Newborns to Teens. Check in daily for the latest toy recalls and a long list of alternatives to blah big-box gifts.
Nor'easters aren't as powerful as hurricanes, but they can be very destructive. The March Nor'easter known as the Blizzard of 1993 did over a billion dollars in damage up and down the East Coast from Maine to Alabama. Not only was there snow with this storm, but it also spawned several tornadoes and caused heavy flooding. As with almost all Nor'easters, one of the worst effects of this storm was the beach erosion. Miles of coastline were swept away and cottages and vacation homes succumbed to the heavy wind and waves.
So what is a Nor'easter? Is it just a big windstorm with heavy rain? Do the winds always have to come from the northeast? Do they occur more often at one time of the year or the other? And what can the average person do to protect themselves and their property from the effects of one of these powerful storms?
First of all, Nor'easters can occur any time of year and many of them fizzle out before they reach land or form onshore so that they don't do as much damage. It's when a Nor'easter forms in the tropics, off Florida, soaks up the warm moisture from the Gulf Stream as its northeast winds carry it up the East Coast, and then meets Cold Arctic Air from Canada that the major cities on the East Coast are threatened.
Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Baltimore and the major cities of the Southeast are all close enough to the coast to be affected and many have rivers that lead to them from the ocean, so flooding is often severe. When there is a higher than usual ocean tide, as there was in April of 2007, erosion and flooding from the sea can be severe. Several Maine communities had to be evacuated, as were communities on Long Island and in other places.
If you live in an area that is subject to Nor'easters, you should be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Even if you're not near the coast, flooding can be severe and sudden in low-lying areas. Small streams and rivers can rise suddenly and overflow their banks, so if you live near one, make sure that it's monitored and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. If your basement or lower floors are liable to flood, move belongings to higher levels and/or have a sump pump ready.
Be prepared for power outages with flashlights, canned foods, bottled water and blankets. Check with the Red Cross or the local authorities for shelters in your area. If someone in your family has special medical needs that require electricity, make sure that you let your power company know that, and have a plan to get them to a shelter if necessary. Nor'easters can last for days and wind and rain can make it impossible or dangerous to drive, so don't wait until the storm arrives to make your plans.
Common sense and some preparation will get you safely through stormy weather. The more you know about threats like Nor'easters, the more you can prepare to keep yourself and your family safe from harm.
Lill Hawkins lives in Maine and writes at News From Hawkhill Acres. It's a mostly humorous look at home schooling, writing and being a WAHM, whose mantra is "I'm a willow; I can bend."
Looking for safe toys? At How to Find Safe Toys Lill blogs about resources for finding safe toys for Newborns to Teens. Check in daily for the latest toy recalls and a long list of alternatives to blah big-box gifts.
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