The Hawthorn

The Hawthorn

Summer 2012

Save August 1 for Annual Kitchen Tour

Goodbye, Aileen. We Will Miss You! Merryspring lost one of its dearest and most faithful friends on June 18 when Aileen Lubin passed away at the age of 86.

“Aileen was a remarkable and beautiful woman whom we all loved and treasured,” said Linsey Low, among the legion of Merryspring members whose lives were for-ever enriched by her. “She remains in my heart forever.“

Aileen Lubin joined Merryspring’s Board of Trustees in 1989 and served as President from 1994 to 1998. She remained active at Merryspring for over 30 years. In her “Trustee Biography,” she listed plant propagation, marketing, and fundraising as areas of special interest, adding “I am interested in seeing the Park grow to be a small, but complete center for horticultural and ecological information.”

And grow it did. Under Aileen’s leadership, the Ross Center, which houses Merryspring’s offices, library and meeting space, was constructed, and Merryspring’s first Executive Director was hired. Trained as a horticulturist at the Ambler School of Horticulture for Women (now part of Temple University), Aileen brought both expertise and experience to her activities as Merryspring’s chief plant propagator. She was also a hands-on fundraiser, comfortable in approaching potential donors and a driving force behind the Kitchen Tour (see above) and other fund-raising events.

Before making her mark on Merryspring, Aileen was a “TV personality” in Washington, D.C., and a corporate executive. In the early 1970s, she produced a segment of a midday two-hour talk show called Aileen Lubin's Green World, one of the first garden-ing shows on TV. She later joined the American Can Company as manager of consumer information and, in 1974, was named as-sistant to the chairman of American Can, becoming the first woman to occupy a key post in the company’s executive office.

There will be a memorial service in her honor at Merryspring on September 23. Please email nancy@intention.com for more information.

(See page 6 for more memories of Aileen.)

It’s time to mark your calendars, call your friends, and order your tickets for the 2012 Merryspring Kitchen Tour to be held on Wednesday, August 1.

The Tour goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information about where to buy tickets, which houses and chefs will be on the Tour, and a complete list of supporters and suppliers can be found on page 7.

This year’s Tour offers a variety of special treats, featuring some of the newest kitchens in the area — and perhaps the oldest one too. A total of 15 local chefs will be preparing tasty delicacies for you to sample at eight different stops. There will be special drawings for a gift basket and gift certificates. And as an added treat, there will again be a special tasting of artisan oils and vinegars at the EBS Showroom in Camden.

We are delighted to once again have EBS Style Solutions as the lead sponsor of our Kitchen Tour, and we are pleased to welcome Bangor Savings Bank as a co-sponsor of this year’s event.

All proceeds from the Tour go to support Merryspring Nature Center.

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Inside this issue:

I feel cheated! My wife Wendy and I moved to Camden in 2006, so I got to know Aileen Lubin for only the last six years of her life. But even in that short period of time, I discovered a gifted, gracious, generous woman who was always interested in what was happening at Merryspring.

And, in many ways, Merryspring could be called “her park.” She was a driving force in the construction of the Ross Center, which welcomes visitors to Merryspring and houses our administrative office, library, work area, meeting room, and gift shop. As a Merryspring Trustee, she was instrumental in the creation of our Hosta Gar-den, our Birds and Bees Garden, our Winter Color Gar-den, and our annual Kitchen Tour. And last but not least, she helped secure the donation of our greenhouse, which is aptly named in her honor.

So, as a current Merryspring Trustee, I feel like I am a guardian of “her park.” Along with my fellow Trustees, our Merryspring staff, and our dedicated volunteers, we serve as stewards of a precious heritage — 66 acres of woodlands and gardens, trails and meadows, programs and memories.

Now, if it were only possible, what we need are more Aileen Lubins.

Call for Nominations

Merryspring is currently looking for some additional can-didates for its Board of Trustees. We currently have nine active Trustees, but our by-laws allow for up to 17 on the Board — so we may have room for YOU.

If you would like to nominate yourself, or you know someone who might be interested in becoming a Merry-spring Trustee, please contact the Merryspring office at 236-2239 or send an email to info@merryspring.com.

Merryspring Nature Center

P.O. Box 893, Camden, ME 04843 Tel: (207) 236-2239 Fax: (207) 230-0663 Email: info@merryspring.org www.merryspring.org

Mission Statement

Merryspring’s mission is to practice, teach, and advocate sound principles of ecology, conservation, and horti-culture in order to protect our natu-ral environment and to provide natu-ral landscapes and cultivated areas for public enjoyment.

Hours of Operation The park is open free of charge from dawn to dusk every day of the year. Our offices and library are open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment.

Membership Fees

Keeping in Touch You can sign up for our eUpdates at www.merryspring.org to receive the latest news on programs and events. Or you can visit Merryspring’s Face-book page, where you can check on upcoming events. Go to www.tinyurl.com/merryspring-facebook/.

Board of Trustees Ray Andresen, President Glenn Jenks, Vice President Richard Ailes, Treasurer Frank Callanan, Secretary Cynthia Dunham Kathleen Kull Karin Rector Susan Shaw Matthew Speno

Staff Toni Goodridge, Administrative Mgr. Gail Sutton, Buildings/Grounds Mgr. Bill Sutton, Maintenance Asst.

Environmental Educator Brett Willard

©2012—All Rights Reserved

Wish List Merryspring could use the follow-ing items:

Traffic cones (for parking)

Folding tables and chairs

Small power washer

Extension ladder (16’)

Sawzall (for cutting metal)

If you would like to purchase, do-nate or contribute funds for any of the above, please contact the Merryspring office.

Kitchen Tour 1

Aileen Lubin Tribute 1

President’s Message 2

Merryspring Legacy 2

Envirothon 3

Children’s Garden Club 3

Foraging 4

Education Calendar 5

Plants Still Available 5

Memories of Aileen 6

Daylily Display Garden

Kitchen Tour Information

Reciprocal Gardens Program

6

7

8

How to Leave a Lasting Legacy at Merryspring Nature Center

Merryspring has a permanent Endowment Fund to ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy the wonders of nature being exhibited and taught at your Nature Center.

If you would like to consider making a bequest that will increase this fund, please consult your financial and legal advisors on what method will be in your best interest and will fulfill your wishes.

For more information about Merry-spring’s endowment fund, please call us at (207) 236-2239. or email info@merryspring.org.

Guardians of ‘Her Park’ By Ray Andresen

Individual $35

Family $50

Business $50-100

Dedicated volunteers and trustees from an earlier time: (back row, left to right) Dorothy Magnuson, Sue Crane, Edie Kyle, Linsey Low, Aileen Lubin, Carol Robinson, Joanne Fagerburg, Pris Wood; (front row) Barbara Noyes, Mimi Chamberlain, Doris Salzman and Marge Whittet.

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Brett Willard (left) is pictured with Watershed School students Reid Evans (Senior, Camden) Hannah Haendschke (Junior, exchange student – Germany), and Hunter Schade (Sophomore, Rockport)

Ashwood Fifth-Graders Plant Seedlings with Care

Pictured above, fifth-graders from the Ashwood-Waldorf School lent many hands to plant this year’s Children's Garden under the direc-tion of Environmental Educator Brett Willard. The seedlings, includ-ing broccoli, tomatoes, leeks, basil, peas, and beans, were started from seed in the Merryspring greenhouse and by late May were ready to plant.

At right, young members of the Childrens’ Garden Club at Merry-spring see how the plants have grown and learn the difference be-tween Swiss chard and kale.

The Children's Garden Club meets on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participating children and families learn how to prop-erly care for the Children's Garden. In addition to garden work, kids learn the science behind gardening through interactive activities, games, and crafts. The Children's Garden Club is free to children of all ages, but is most appropriate for children aged 7 to 13. To partici-pate, call 236-2239 or email education@merryspring.org.

Merryspring Educator Guides Watershed Students to Maine Envirothon On Thursday, May 24th, three high school students from the Watershed School in Rockland took part in the annual Maine Envirothon competition in Bangor. Envirothon is a statewide competition that tests high school stu-dents’ proficiency in many different areas of environmental science.

Merryspring’s AmeriCorps Environmental Educator Brett Willard was asked by the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District to act as an advisor to Watershed’s Envirothon group in April. Brett guided the three students after school through subjects as diverse as soils, forestry, wildlife identifica-tion, watershed ecology, and issues with non-point source pollution and low impact development. At the end of the term, the students constructed a

poster addressing the issue of non-point source pollution in Lindsey Brook in Rockland and offered a series of low-impact develop-ment solutions to counteract the problem.

The Watershed School was the only school in all of Knox County to participate in the Envirothon this year. The school placed 14th out of 26 schools in its district, and the students had a great time and learned a lot while doing so.

Merryspring has been busy this past spring expanding its outreach to children and schools. In addition to the Watershed School, Merryspring has worked with the Community Schools at Opportunity Farm and Camden, the Riley School, the Ashwood-Waldorf School, and Camden-Rockport Elementary School.

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Foraging with Tom Seymour

All along the walk, Seymour pointed out the various greens and berries while giving advice on harvesting, preparation and cooking.

“For wild evening primrose, look for the basal rosette when leaves are flat. Dig the root with a trowel, peel, slice, boil in a small amount of water, and serve with salt, pepper and butter.”

White pine tassels, chopped and steeped, or Queen Anne’s lace flower heads make wonderful tea, according to Seymour.

Partridge berries were an irresistible trailside snack

Skullcap is a member of the mint family and is a mild tranquilizer.

On a morning in May, Tom Seymour’s foraging workshop attracted a group of all ages who came to learn about the wild edible plants growing in abundance throughout Merryspring’s 66 acres.

Among the wild edibles were sarsaparilla, milkweed, plantain, trout lily, lambs quarters, purselane, violets, shad or serviceberries, blunt-leaved and curled dock.

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August 8: Home

September 5: Disney's Earth

October 3: Nature: A Murder of Crows

November 7: The Botany of Desire

2012 Summer Calendar

FREE NATURE DOCUMENTARY FILMS Sponsored by

SUMMER TALK SERIES and Co-Sponsored by

All Tuesday Talks begin at 12 noon and generally last about one hour.

Climate — Esperanza Stancioff

Hemlock Health Threats — Alison Konati

Tending the Perennial Garden III — Wendy Andresen

Deer and Moose — Lee Kantar

Erosion Control — Bill Packard

A Brief History of Gardening — Terry Hire

Tending the Perennial Garden IV — Wendy Andresen

Compost — Mark King

Maine Apples — John Bunker

Care of Houseplants — Dennis Milliken

Nature Explorers

Enjoy free workshops for the family on Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

August 5: Orienteering August 19: Forts and Fairy Houses.

Register Today!

Mushroom Workshop

August 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn to identify and collect common mushrooms of the Maine woods with noted mycologist Greg Marley. Cost: $60 for members; $65 for non-members.

July 24

July 31

August 7

August 14

August 21

August 28

September 4

September 11

September 18

September 25

Merryspring Plants Still Available for Sale

Over the years our annual Plant Sale in May has become a much-anticipated sign of spring for local gardeners, and this year was no exception. A bouquet of delightful weather, precious plants, and unbeatable prices drew another large crowd of Merryspring members and friends, who enjoyed picking through our selection of hardy perennials, vegetable seedlings, herbs, shrubs, and other items.

A major fundraiser for Merryspring, the two-day Plant Sale would not be possible without the gen-erous support of our volunteers and local businesses. Gail Sutton, Susan Dorr and Glenn Jenks chaired the event, and dozens of volunteers contributed their time, plants, and expertise to make it a success.

And we still have some plants available. If you are looking for that late addition to your gar-den, why not stop by the Merryspring greenhouse and check out the wonderful assortment of perennials, herbs, strawberries, and other special plants grown and nurtured by our Merryspring staff and volunteers. There also is a nice selection of Maine-hardy roses waiting for you.

Some of these plants are also available at the stand outside Cappy’s Bakery in Camden.

Showtime is at 6:30 p.m. Popcorn and light refreshment will

be provided. Little Lad's Herbal Popcorn is provided by Fresh

Off the Farm.

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More Memories of Aileen Members of the Merryspring community have many fond memories of Aileen Lubin.

“The first morning that I stumbled into Merryspring — new to Camden, new to Maine, new to the volunteer world — I was lucky enough to talk to Aileen. She immediately took me under her wing, made me feel warmly welcome, and made Merryspring look like the best place in town for friendships, gardening expertise, and a tranquil natural environment.” —Dorothea Graham

“She was one classy lady. I saw her dressed up, being Aileen at a cocktail party, and the phrase that popped into my head was 'The ultimate Washington hostess’. She was unique, one in a couple of billion.” — Gail Sutton

“During my first week of work at Merryspring in 1998, Aileen was a Trustee, but away on a trip. Several people visiting the office that week asked me, ‘Have you met Aileen yet?’ and when I said that I hadn’t, the reply was always, ‘You will love her.’ Well, it turned out that she was much more than loveable — caring, friendly, knowledgeable, wise, humble, resourceful, and did I say interesting? We all learned from her.” — Toni Goodridge

“When Aileen visited our garden, she said that you can have whatever you want in your garden. Some people may call them weeds, but who cares. If you love those plants, then have them there. I think we were talking about goldenrod, violets, and daisies!” — Pris Wood

“One time I asked her ‘How do I have flowers blooming all summer in my garden?’ She wisely said, ‘Go to the nurseries every couple of weeks and see what you like, than plant it.’” — Carol Witham

“I met Aileen in the herb garden at Merryspring. I had recently moved to Maine and was wandering about when she left her party and came over, introduced herself and welcomed me to the Park. When I told her that I had become a member and had indicated that I would like to vol-unteer but had never been contacted, I was immediately invited to join the Wednesday morning gardening group. That was the beginning of many happy hours and valued friendships.” — Joanne Fagerburg

“My memories of Aileen are legion. One day I told her my son and grandson were playing hockey on the pond with a tuna can (as I did not have a puck). The next day, she was there with a puck. I have it still.”— Linsey Low

“Aileen was someone you couldn’t say ‘No’ to. While on the hunt for kitchens for the Kitchen Tour, I saw this first-hand. Aileen, with her gra-cious lady-like manner, rang doorbells, chatted up homeowners, questioned workers, and soon we were welcomed in for a look at the kitchen.“— Edie Kyle

“Friend. Gardener. Teacher. Leader. Sage. Passionate. Kind. Positive. Patient. That and much more was Aileen. How I miss her.”— Doris Salzman

The Maine Daylily Society Display Garden has been a delight-ful addition to the beauties of Merryspring. Members of the

Society have created a lovely garden of diverse daylilies. With daffodils between the daylilies in spring and lavender-pink colchicum in fall, there is a long season of color to enjoy.

The Display Garden contains a growing collection of day-lilies, both historic and up-to-date. Cultivars blooming in the garden range from very early to very late. There are sweet miniature flowers on dainty little plants. Then you can look up at Hemerocallis 'Autumn Minaret', over six feet tall. Unusual forms and spiders dance among the more formal round and ruffled daylilies. Colors run the gamut from near-white through dark black purple. Some are selfs, with predominant colors: yellows, pinks, rose, scarlet, orange. Gilt edges might frame the color with me-tallic gold. There could be a picotee edge and eye of a dif-ferent color, purple on a cream self for instance. The tex-ture of the petals run from satiny smooth to corduroy, crepe, or velvet. Diamond-dusted surfaces sparkle bril-liantly in the sunlight. Polychromes especially carry this on petals blended with colors, peach and pale yellow blushed rose .

Daylily Display Garden by Susan Shaw

One of the works in pro-gress at the Daylily Garden is a collection of cultivars by Maine hybridizers. We hope to showcase these folks who have contributed to our garden delight. One thing you can tell about a plant that was selected out of a seedling field in Maine is hardiness. Hybridizers have to grow their seed-lings for several years be-fore they can see just how happy, hardy and healthy

that pretty flower will become. The first seedling bloom might be stunning, but without a great plant underneath, it is not worthy enough to register with the American Hemerocallis Society.

Maine Daylily Society volunteers take care of the garden. A regular crew arrives on Friday mornings about 10 a.m. to have fun together weeding, deadheading, and maintaining the three long beds. The garden is home to a seedling display bed where you can see the development from seed to blooming seedlings. There are daylily culture and hybridizing workshops during the growing season. All are welcome to play in the garden with us. For more information, call Laura Evans 236-9635 or Susan Shaw 236-4085.

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Give yourself plenty of time to visit all the kitchens, but go in any order and at your own pace. If you buy your tickets before the day of the Tour, ticket prices are $25 for the whole day. On the day of the Tour, you can purchase a ticket for $30 at any of the kitchens or at Merryspring Nature Center. You can also purchase a ticket for an individual kitchen for $10.

To purchase a $25 ticket in advance, stop in at Merryspring or any of these locations from now through Tuesday, July 31: CAMDEN: Once a Tree, Party Fundamentals, Stonewall Kitchen, The Well Tempered Kitchen; ROCKPORT: The Market Bas-ket; ROCKLAND: Atlantic Baking Company; LINCOLNVILLE: Dot’s Market; BELFAST: The Good Table; WISCASSET: Treats. Advance tickets are also available by e-mailing info@merryspring.org or calling 207-236-2239. Tickets will be held at Merryspring for pick-up the day of the Tour.

This year’s gracious hosts and talented chefs are:

Barbara & Leon Bausch, Rockport, with Starlight Custom Cakes, Rockport (a.m.) and Hartstone Inn, Camden (p.m.)

Lorraine & Philip Streat, Rockport, with Conscious Kitchen, Camden (a.m.) and Fromviandoux, Camden (p.m.)

Kathrin & Richard Anderson, Rockport, with Atlantica, Camden (a.m.) and French & Brawn, Camden (p.m.)

Hannah Demmons, Rockport, with Café Mediterranean, Camden (a.m.) and The Slipway, Thomaston (p.m.)

Madeleine Houston & Daniel Hauptman, Donald & Deborah Dodge, and Ruth & David Dodge, Rockport, with Amalfi on the Water, Rockland (a.m.) and Laura Cabot Catering, Waldoboro (p.m.)

SPECIAL TASTING at EBS Style Solutions, Camden, with FIORE Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Raffle at this stop—win a dinner at Francine Bistro, Camden, or Shepherd’s Pie, Rockport. Bottled water and restrooms are also available.

Jane & Joel Lafleur, Camden, with 40 Paper, Camden (a.m.) and Café Miranda, Rockland (p.m.)

Carol & Burt Keenan, Camden, with Primo, Rockland (a.m.) and The Market Basket, Rockport (p.m.)

Conway House, Camden, with Sandy Oliver, Food Writer and Historian, Islesboro (all day). Door prize at this stop—win a basket of gourmet foods from Stonewall Kitchen. Book signing by Sandy Oliver. Museum open free of charge for Tour-goers.

2012 Kitchen Tour Information

Kitchen Tour Supporters

Generous contributions from Supporters of the Kitchen Tour, many of whom have their excellent services and products on display in the kitchens, are an invaluable source of support for Merryspring. Please help us thank these supporters with your patronage.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

English Garden Design

Granite Gardens Landscaping

*Jackson Landscape Services

Landscape Services

*Lee Schneller Fine Gardens

Treekeepers LLC/Johnson’s Arborculture

SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS

17-90 Lighting Showroom

Coastal Vintage Wares

Fixtures…Designer Plumbing Showroom

Mary Bourke, Greenhut Galleries

Once a Tree

Pen-Bay Glass, Inc.

Prince’s Furniture

Rockport Steel

Surroundings

The Good Table

The Well Tempered Kitchen

TRS Lighting

*Windsor Chairmakers

DESIGN & DECORATING

Ariana Fischer Interior Design

Chatfield Design Fine Interiors

Interiors by Janis Stone

New View Interiors

Shirley Remsen at Home Depot

ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL

A.M. Plumbing & Heating, Inc.

Liberty East Electrical

Rockport Mechanical Inc.

FINISHES & MASONRY

A.E. Sampson & Son, Ltd.

Atlantic Hardwoods

Freshwater Stone

M Cayouette Flooring, Inc.

Smith & May, Inc.—Hearth & Patio Showroom

The Maine Soapstone Co.

Viking Lumber, Inc.

Peter T. Gross, Architects, P.A.

Scholz & Barclay Architecture

Silverio Architecture & Design

Wanamaker Raphael

BUILDERS

*Cold Mountain Builders

Design Concepts Co.

Harbor Builders Associates

Maine Coast Construction

Phi Home Designs

Rick Wright Home Repairs & Renovations, Inc.

Taylor-Made Builders, Inc.

Vision Builders

CABINETS

Canton Studios

Cornerstone Kitchens

Crestwood Kitchens & Bath

Dream Kitchen Studio

The Rockport Company

FRIENDS OF THE TOUR

*David E. Olivas, DDS

*Francine Bistro

*Optimum Performance

Party Fundamentals

*Shepherd’s Pie

Stonewall Kitchen

APPLIANCES

Agren Appliance & Television

Brown Appliance & Mattress

Kelsey’s Appliance Village

ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS

Bernhard & Priestley Architecture

Briggs Architects

Christopher Glass, Architect

*Dominic Paul Mercadante Architecture Gartley & Dorsky Engineering & Surveying

Holland & Foley Architecture, LLC

John Gillespie Architect

Larson Shores Architects *Thank you very much for your extra support.

P.O. Box 893 Camden, ME 04843

You might say barred owls are often spotted at Merryspring

A Reminder to Merryspring Members

Every member of Merryspring can benefit from the American Horticulture Society's Reciprocal Admis-sions Program (RAP). If you travel and enjoy visiting botanical gardens, arboreta or conservatories, the RAP includes more than 270 organizations in 45 states, plus Canada, the Cayman Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The most up-to-date list of participating gardens can be found on the American Horticulture Society's website in its online directory. To download a quick reference list of all participating gardens, click here.

If you plan to visit any of the participating gardens, including the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, remember to take along your Merryspring membership card for free admittance. If you would like to become a Merryspring member, or have mis-placed your membership card, please contact the office at 236-2239 for assistance.