From our friends at UMaine Cooperative Extension

Falmouth, Maine — The 21st annual University of Maine Cooperative Extension Cumberland County Master Gardener Volunteer plant sale will be held rain or shine Saturday, May 17, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Barron Center, 1145 Brighton Ave., Portland. UMaine Extension Master Gardeners Volunteers will answer questions and

help attendees pick plants that best suit their needs. Selections include vegetable seedlings, herbs, perennials, shrubs, houseplants and annuals.

Bags of compost will be for sale; people may also bring their own containers. The event will also include sales of baked goods and gently used garden items and a raffle. Volunteers will demonstrate how to grow potatoes in a five-gallon bucket and attendees who purchase seed potatoes will get a free container.

Proceeds support the Seed Grant program for community projects. The projects, which rely on master gardeners’ expertise and volunteer time, include school and community gardens as well as small group and one-on-one sessions to teach people about backyard vegetable gardens. UMaine Extension Master Gardener Volunteers receive in-depth horticultural training from university educators and industry experts. In return, Master Gardener Volunteers provide the public with up-to-date, research-based information about best practices in consumer horticulture.

About University of Maine Cooperative Extension:As a trusted resource for almost 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension helps support, sustain and grow the food-based economy. It is the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System, where policy, research, production, processing, commerce, nutrition, and food security and safety are integral and interrelated. UMaine Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H.