tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506Sat, 07 Sep 2024 23:17:43 +0000Garden Programslibrary gardensgardenGrowing the CommunityGrowing the Gardennature journalnature craftsnature journalingspringchildren's nature craftsnaturebird feederscraftsnational bird-feeding monthbirdschildrenMaine Get Outdoors WeekendMaine treesinsectsplacemakingsnowmansnowman bird feedertree identificationhttp://tplgardens.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Emma)Blogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-6916341481334667063Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:32:00 +00002014-04-14T06:32:12.485-07:00Find us at tplgardens.wordpress.com http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2014/04/weve-moved.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-3775252888469649835Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:20:00 +00002014-03-13T09:20:16.260-07:00 WINTER IN THE GARDEN Bird Feeder Activity Day February 15, 2014 DIY bird feeder made out of toilet paper rolls and garden twine. Hanging edible bird feeders.  Each was made with a birdseed/flour mixture and left to harden.                Volunteers making popcorn garland to hang in the trees and bushes.http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2014/03/bird-feeder-activity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-259477157883110384Sun, 09 Feb 2014 02:53:00 +00002014-02-08T18:54:21.865-08:00bird feedersGarden ProgramsGrowing the Communitylibrary gardensMaine Get Outdoors WeekendMaine treesnational bird-feeding monthnaturetree identificationBring your family to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature this winter right here at the Topsham Public Library... Saturday, February 14th-16th is the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend and we are hosting two events on Saturday the 15th: From 9:15 on will be a hands-on exploration and identification of the trees along the library's paths using a camera and the Trees of Maine guide. Starting http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2014/02/celebrate-great-maine-outdoor-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-1718614922415845330Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:38:00 +00002014-01-29T11:38:37.282-08:00 Did you know that there is a National Seed Swap day?  There is!  It's the last Saturday of January every year.  Check out this link to learn more: National Seed Swap Day   Although the date has come and gone, it's never too late to do a little seed swapping.  If you're ready for some spring-time fun and would like to organize your own seed swapping party, you http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2014/01/national-seed-swap-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-3071131918684248074Mon, 06 Jan 2014 23:18:00 +00002014-01-06T15:18:43.165-08:00Are you finding yourself longing for green garden views during these cold and snowy Maine days?  There's no reason why your garden can't be a fun and inviting space during the winter months.   We've put together a collection of fun ideas to help overcome the winter doldrums. Build Snow Animals:  The National Wildlife Federation Kids has some ideas with easy instructionshttp://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2014/01/winter-garden-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-2284273412182097411Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:40:00 +00002013-09-19T08:40:34.602-07:00 INVASIVES AT TPL This past Saturday, Bernardo and I spent more time trying to distinguish between American and Oriental Bittersweet than actually ridding the garden of it.  Needless to say, we left most of it in place but pulled some down off of of a small tree to prevent any future harm, and to provide an up-close photo for you viewers to help us identify. http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/09/invasives-at-tpl-this-past-saturday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-8358925288021509871Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:12:00 +00002013-08-28T09:12:46.019-07:00 HORSEWEED I spent a little over an hour on Saturday pulling just one type of weed from the birdsong garden.  The weather was beautiful and there was a pleasant wind which made weeding less a chore.  This is a common weed known as Horseweed and can grow in almost any area of your garden. The weed can grow as tall as 2 meters, well taller than myself, and reproduces by seed.  Thehttp://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/08/horseweed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-6406985099309636030Tue, 06 Aug 2013 00:43:00 +00002013-08-07T07:20:56.979-07:00gardeninsectsnature journal See what's buzzing at the Topsham Public Library Click the images to see closeups.  Butterfly on purple liatris  Bumblebee on white liatris  Moth hiding in a yellow lily Great Golden Digger Wasps and a Japanese Beetle share a Purple Globe Thistle   Japanese Beetle on purple coneflower (Echinacea) The white dot that appears on the back of the beetle http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/08/secret-life-of-insects.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-1788444648372308283Sun, 14 Jul 2013 20:31:00 +00002013-07-14T13:31:24.914-07:00The patterns that can be found in nature are just amazing.  Here's a quick video to give you a sense... Would you like to find out what patterns you can discover?  Join us on the 20th at 1pm for the last in our nature journaling series: Patterns in Nature. Hope to see you then!http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/07/patterns-in-nature.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-4639455768208403253Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:20:00 +00002013-06-18T05:20:48.342-07:00 If you missed the Phenology Nature Journaling workshop and are interested in learning more, please check out our nature journaling resources page as well as our activity download page.   If you have tried any of our activities, we'd love to hear from you!  Share with us how you used them, any suggestions you may have, or ideas for other activities. Have a wonderful week! http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/06/phenology-resources.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-8965919594281737405Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:52:00 +00002013-06-12T08:52:38.551-07:00 We are so excited about the upcoming nature journaling workshop!  This is the second in our summer series and will focus on phenology.  New to phenology?  Don’t let the scientific-sounding word scare you.  It’s really quite simple.  If you’d like to read more about it before joining us, check out this post. See you this Saturday, after the fishing rally, at 1:00! http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/06/nature-journaling-workshop-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-9212403571948395423Mon, 20 May 2013 13:18:00 +00002013-07-15T15:33:52.116-07:00gardenGarden ProgramsGrowing the CommunityGrowing the Gardenlibrary gardensnature journalnature journalingspringHere's a glimpse of our Intro to Nature Journaling workshop held this past Saturday: Micro-worlds were unveiled, often overlooked details noticed with new eyes and excitement, and maybe even a new species of spider discovered! Thank you to all who joined us.  What a perfect it day it was to be out exploring the gardens! P.S.  We've created a new page on our blog dedicated to http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/05/photos-and-resources.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-1263727562872367805Mon, 13 May 2013 18:54:00 +00002013-05-13T11:54:31.255-07:00craftsGrowing the CommunityGrowing the Gardenlibrary gardensnature craftsnature journalnature journalingspringHello again.  Happy Monday.  Are you looking forward to your week?  We are definitely looking forward to our nature journaling workshop this Saturday.  We sure hope to see you there... Until then, we're here to provide a little inspiration for working some nature exploration into your week.  We promise it'll be fun! The following activities have been inspired by all thehttp://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/05/monday-inspirations-green.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-6601692610878997729Fri, 10 May 2013 18:54:00 +00002013-05-10T13:57:03.792-07:00gardenGarden ProgramsGrowing the CommunityGrowing the Gardenlibrary gardensnature journalnature journaling Last month the Topsham Public Library Garden Committee hosted a Garden open-house and what a lovely day it was!  The weather was perfect, volunteers were hard at work, children played, laughed and made some nature crafts and we even made a few new friends.  We call that a success!  Thank you to all who joined us. This month, we have another fun event happening in the http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-great-day-and-another-coming-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-8259878765840864938Wed, 08 May 2013 17:37:00 +00002013-05-10T13:58:06.403-07:00gardenGarden ProgramsGrowing the Gardenlibrary gardensnaturespring Have you noticed?  It’s greening up outside and it’s beautiful!   Go ahead... While you’re at the library, take a stroll around our gardens.  There are some lovely flowers blooming and all sorts of new growth.  And speaking of new growth, have you ever noticed how many different shades of green there are?  The variations seem endless. If you’re with your http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/05/its-getting-greener.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-7798399126452777161Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:22:00 +00002013-04-27T04:24:34.931-07:00We're on the look out for simple, sturdy designs for garden structures that would fit in the TPL gardens. I ran across this site on a Google search: http://www.grandiflora.pro/cool-pics/structures-bridges-and-follies. Here's one that I think could be scaled down to for different purposes.  But I really like the idea of follies, something for garden decoration but suggesting another http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/04/garden-structures.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-3000448176283300173Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:15:00 +00002013-04-23T05:54:45.483-07:00Garden ProgramsGrowing the CommunityGrowing the Gardenlibrary gardensspringLately we have been reading lots of garden-related stories: Seedfolks, Rose's Garden, Plant a Kiss, and more. But these stories are not just about planting gardens.  They are about so much more, like planting seeds of hope for a future filled with beauty.  About the power of nature.  About how simple gestures bloom into something so much bigger with faith and perseverance. &http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/04/seedfolks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-5419095482498720016Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:21:00 +00002013-04-13T14:30:29.705-07:00 The library is looking for Master Gardener Volunteers to take on discrete projects and assist in the maintenance of others. Several Master Gardener volunteers have already contributed to the project and two MGVs maintain a continuing relationship with the project. Volunteers are needed to Design and/or build of raised or vertical beds appropriate for Universal Access Garden, for gardenershttp://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/04/wanted-master-gardener-volunteers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-360000017275537451Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:52:00 +00002013-04-08T17:54:55.216-07:00 “If you have a garden and a library,  you have everything you need.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/04/libraries-and-gardens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-7024381460066625415Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:21:00 +00002013-03-21T07:26:55.314-07:00Looking out the window you might not know that spring is officially here.  Yes, Mother Nature seems to be at her spring cleaning and is sweeping out all the remaining snow from every nook and cranny but we are Mainers and have come to expect a good spring snow storm.  We are not about to let it stop us from celebrating! There is much to look forward to at the library and some great http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/03/happy-spring.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-288000442322917511Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:21:00 +00002013-03-06T17:55:36.406-08:00children's nature craftscraftsgardennature craftsspring With spring just around the corner, many of us may be having visions of bright colors, budding trees, and lovely flowers fluttering through our minds.  Here at the library, we are anxiously awaiting seeing the beauty of our gardens in bloom! This month provides many opportunities to brighten our lives and homes and celebrate the renewal of life.  Some of us may also http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/03/dyes-from-nature.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-4665586900960655776Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:36:00 +00002013-02-08T11:41:37.926-08:00bird feedersbirdschildrenchildren's nature craftsgardennational bird-feeding monthnature craftssnowmansnowman bird feeder Our next bird feeder has been inspired by one of our favorite books:  Stranger in the Woods. With our current weather, I'd say it's perfect timing.  Here's how to do it: Build a snow man, woman, dog, elephant... whatever you like.  Add a carrot or orange nose; some nut eyes, mouth and buttons; and sprinkle with bird seed.  Get creative and have fun.   So http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-snowy-bird-feeder.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-2562230842673202216Thu, 31 Jan 2013 02:44:00 +00002013-01-31T05:15:41.934-08:00bird feedersbirdschildren's nature craftsgardenGarden Programslibrary gardensnational bird-feeding monthnaturenature crafts Did you know that February is National Bird-Feeding Month? It was established in 1994 as way to publicize the importance and benefits of helping out our feathered friends. Why February?  This is traditionally the hardest month for wild birds to find food sources as well as water and shelter.  I can't think of a better month to show our love for the birds that are so http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2013/01/for-birds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-8442013574570412543Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:07:00 +00002012-11-15T10:05:23.064-08:00childrenchildren's nature craftscraftsgardenGarden ProgramsGrowing the Gardenlibrary gardensnaturenature craftsAs I look at the calendar and think about the upcoming holidays, I'm also starting to think of snow.  It'll be here soon.  But I still want to hold on to the beauty that the fall season has to offer.  I'm not quite ready to slip into winter. If you are feeling the same, here are some wonderful nature crafts that would put all those pressed leaves, collected acorns and pinecones, http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2012/11/nature-crafts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4582718202045506.post-7021572253986977300Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:24:00 +00002012-10-25T07:38:54.383-07:00 Autumn is such a beautiful season here in New England and a great time to enjoy nature's wonders.   Upon first glance, our gardens may already seem to be starting their winter slumber.  There just doesn't seem to be much going on.  But, take a closer look... Plants are hoping to send off their seeds before their long rest.  Explore the library garden and you'll find http://tplgardens.blogspot.com/2012/10/autumn-nature-activities.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Monique)1