Dig It! Garden Blog

Meet Nature

    Mourning Cloak Butterfly in the foreground, dark wings with light margin, sitting on green leaves.

    December 3, 2025

    How Butterflies Survive the Cold Maine Winters

    If you’ve visited the Gardens on a sunny day, you’ve undoubtedly noticed many butterflies flittering around. By using ecological horticulture practices and growing a…

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    Fern Leaf Roller Fern Weaving 08124

    June 26, 2025

    Native Plant and Animal Relationships

    Just like humans depend on plants and other animals for survival, plants and animals are often dependent on each other….

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    a large grouping of small white flowers with yellow centers

    May 21, 2025

    Natives, Cultivars, and Nativars: Understanding Different Plant Categories

    Garden season is upon us! When shopping for or researching plants, there are many choices to consider. Have you ever…

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    March 10, 2025

    A Garden for All: Designing a Garden Through the Eyes of Creatures and Plants

    When we think about garden design, we often focus on what looks best to us—vibrant flowers in desired color combinations,…

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    A cluster of fuzzy caterpillars on a webbed, silken nest attached to a tree branch in a green garden setting.

    October 17, 2024

    Tent-Making Caterpillars: Friends or Foes?

    Tent-Making Caterpillars: Friends or Foes? Browntail Moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea)  Maine is home to many different tent-building caterpillars—some native, like the…

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    A cluster of yellow goldenrod at the edge of a dirt pathway at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
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    August 6, 2024

    Chaos Gardening and Entomology 101

    Entomologist Zac Smith-Hess discusses easy ways to increase biodiversity in residential yards. Originally published by the Free Press. This article…

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    A small owl with brown and white feathers, large yellow eyes, perched on a hand.

    June 21, 2023

    Owls in your (Maine) Backyard

    We may be known here at the Gardens for our focus on the botanical world, but nature is complex and…

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    A close-up of clustered pink and white flowers surrounded by green leaves, capturing a vibrant spring scene.

    April 6, 2023

    The Pesky Viburnum Leaf Beetle

    A very pesky pest! Viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni) is an invasive beetle that defoliates viburnums spring through summer. Sound…

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