YardScaping: Demo Sites: Portland's YardScape

Maine's first public YardScape—a demonstration project at Back Cove, showcasing ecological landscaping with low-maintenance plants.

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YardScaping hopes to inspire Maine people to create and maintain healthy landscapes through ecologically based practices minimizing reliance on water, fertilizer, and pesticides. The Maine YardScaping Partnership was formed from the rising concern among statewide organizations and agencies over possible pollution caused by yard care chemicals washing into water bodies, as well as the risks of pesticide exposure to people, pets, and wildlife.

With the help you have provided, Portland is now host to Maine's first public YardScape! But please don't stop now! Phase two of the project is yet to come, and your continued support—in time and funding—is still needed. With the completion of the first phase, you can now see for yourself how a YardScape can put to shame an unimaginative, labor-intensive lawn, while keeping our waters cleaner.

Want to get involved? Here's how:
*Please fill in and submit the form below—thank you!*
	I am sending you my donation for . Please make checks payable to Friends of Casco Bay—Back Cove, and mail to: YardScaping, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0028.
	I would like to become a YardScaping Partner. Please contact me to discuss my participation.
	I would like to volunteer: labor supplies expertise
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required field Questions?* Call 207-287-2731, or e-mail yardscaping@maine.gov.

Working with the City of Portland, the YardScaping Partnership selected two and a half acres along the Back Cove's walking trail for the project. Once completed in 2009, the site will showcase appropriate plantings in urban to rural settings in a beautiful, homeowner-doable way, plus serve as a model for municipalities across the state.

While partially funded by a $35,000 Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency and a $10,000 grant from the Davis Conservation Foundation, the total cost is estimated at $160,000, leaving $115,000 yet to be raised for the preparation of the remainder of the site, the purchase of additional plants, and to do all the other necessary things to make this one of the state's premiere landscapes. This project still needs your help!

Join these YardScaping Partners!

Allen, Sterling & Lothrop • Bar Mills Ecological • Carroll Associates, Landscape Architects • Breakwater School • Casco Bay Estuary Partnership • City of Portland • Congress of Lake Associations • Friends of Casco Bay • Friends of Scarborough Marsh • Gnome Landscapes, Design & Masonry • Jacobs Edwards and Kelcey • Kennebunkport Conservation Commission • LakeSmart Program • Libby’s Landscaping and Greenhouse • Lisa Cowan, studioverde landscape architecture + design • Maine Board of Pesticides Control • Maine Department of Agriculture • Maine Department of Environmental Protection • Maine Landscape & Nursery Association • Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association • Maine Soil & Water Conservation Districts • Maine State Planning Office • Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program • Natural Resources Conservation Service • New England Organics • O'Donal's Nurseries • PJC & Company Ecological Land Care • Portland Trails • Shaw Brothers Construction • Skillin's Greenhouses • Southern Maine Community College • Think Blue Maine Program • Town of Brunswick • University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Download brochure version of this page [PDF].

Program INFORMATION