The Hawthorn

The Hawthorn

Spring 2013

An annual “rite of spring,” the Merryspring Plant Sale offers midcoast garden-ers an opportunity to browse leisurely and select from a wonderful assortment of unusual plants. Spread around the Merryspring gardens, this year’s display tables will exhibit a wide range of perennials, annuals, herbs, tomato seedlings, and shrub roses.

Among the featured native perennials this year, Dicentra eximia is a smaller, daintier version of the bleeding heart. Two other featured perennials — Lobelia cardinalis, the beloved cardinal flower, and the somewhat obscure Lobelia siphilitica, a blue cardinal flower — are both excellent hummingbird attractors.

Other exquisite perennials available this year are Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ (barrenwort), a graceful, lavender-flowered, woodland, dry shade lover; and Heuchera ‘Venus’ (coral bells), with its large silver leaves hosting deep green venation. Other sun-loving perennials that attract hummingbirds,

butterflies, bees and birds include Echinacea ‘White Swan’, a white coneflower; Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’ (beardtongue), with maroon red foliage and stems; Nepeta ‘Little Trudy’, a dwarf catmint; and the late-blooming hummingbird magnet, Salvia elegans (pineapple sage). A variety of dahlias and peonies, as well as the hardy chrysanthemum ‘Harmony’, with its daisy-like yellow flowers, will also be for sale.

New fun annuals being offered this year include the Profusion series zinnia, which are powdery mildew resistant; statice; and two types of amaranth, the stately burnt orange ‘Autumn’s Touch’ and the heirloom ‘Love-Lies-Bleeding’. Other heirlooms include the speckled orange-flowered Belamcanda chinensis (blackberry lily); Gladiolus callianthus ‘Murielae’, a highly fragrant species gladiola with white flowers and a deep burgundy throat; and ‘McMahon’s Texas Bird’ pepper, an incredibly hot variety that was grown at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The seed of this pepper was given to Jefferson in 1812 and forwarded to Philadelphia plantsman Bernard McMahon in 1813.

Traditional herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley, and basil will be offered in some unique varieties. In addition, more exclusive herbs such as stevia, scented geraniums, and ‘Mojito’ mint will be on hand.

Flowering vine offerings such as the elusive fragrant snailflower, or Caracalla bean; passionflower; purple clematis ‘Venosa (continued on page 2)

Annual Plant Sale A “Merry Rite of Spring”

Do you have time to volunteer at the Plant Sale on May 10 or 11? Can you help set up or take down garden displays that week? Do you have perennials that need division? How about extra seedlings? Any unused gar-den books or duplicate tools?

If you would like to donate your time, plants or garden-related items to our Annual Plant Sale, please call 236-2239 or stop by the Ross Center for more information. Pots, tools and plants may be left by the garage attached to the greenhouse. Seedlings should be left on the potting bench in the main greenhouse. Books should be dropped off at the Ross Center. Please leave a note stating the kind of plant and color.

Looking for Volunteers, Plants, Garden-Related Items

The Merryspring Plant Sale will be held on Friday, May 10, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday’s sale is for Members Only, but you can become a Merryspring member at the sale or by calling 236-2239. Saturday’s sale is open to everyone.

Chrysanthemum ‘Harmony’ by Syngenta Flowers

Rosemary

The Hawthorn Spring 2013 Page 2

Inside this issue:

Merryspring Plant Sale

(Continued from page 1)

Violacea’; and Thunbergia (black-eyed susan vine) will also be on sale. Other fun tropicals that will be available include Cestrum nocturnum; night-blooming Jessamine; and patchouli.

Among this year’s 30 tomato varieties are a host of heir-looms and hybrids, as well as cherry, grape, paste, cam-pari, and beefsteaks — some striped, some heart-shaped, some lobed —all in an array of rainbow colors! ‘Black Sea Man’ (a hardy Russian heirloom); ‘Moonglow’; ‘Sunsugar’; ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’; ‘Costoluto Genovese’ (a tasty Italian heirloom); ‘Pineapple’; ‘Cupid’; ‘Marianna’s Peace’ (a pink-ish-red heirloom beefsteak); and ‘Golden San Marzano’ are some of the varieties.

This year’s roses will include an extensive assortment of tough, hardy shrub varieties such as the vigorous, double-ruffled, pink-flowered ‘Bonica’ and, from the Canadian Explorer series, the stunning deep red ‘Champlain’. Also available will be the coral-hued hybrid tea ‘Tropicana’ and the grandifloras ‘Strike It Rich’ and ‘Tournament of Roses’.

As in years past, divisions and other plants donated by members and friends of Merryspring will turn the sale into an extraordinary treasure hunt for plant lovers. In addition to all the wonderful plants, there will be an assortment of used tools, flower pots, gardening books, and hand-crafted items for sale.

All proceeds from the Plant Sale benefit Merryspring, a member-supported, non-profit nature park and education center that is located at the end of Conway Road just off Route 1 by the Hannaford Shopping Plaza in Camden.

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 natural environment and to provide natural 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 Kathleen Kull Karin Rector Susan Shaw Matthew Speno

Staff Toni Goodridge, Administrative Mgr. Brett Willard, Program Mgr. Brijin Thomas, Garden Mgr. David Cadbury, Property Mgr.

©2013—All Rights Reserved

Wish List Merryspring could use these items:

• Picnic tables

• Saw horses

• Chain saw

• Roto-tiller

• Wooden planks (2x10x16)

• Battery charger

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

***********************

We also need to repair or replace the arbor for the Merryspring Chil-dren's Garden. If you would like to help build a new arbor or fix the old one -- or if you have an arbor you would like to donate -- please contact Brett Willard at education@merryspring.org.

Plant Sale 1-2

Bluebird Nesting Boxes 3

Bat Houses for Sale 3

2013 Education Calendar 4

Volunteer Opportunities 5

Tierra Club 5

List of 2012 Contributors 6-7

Merryspring Reservations 8

Individual $35

Family $50

Business $50-100

How to Leave a Lasting Legacy at Merryspring

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 Na-ture Center. If you would like to make a bequest that will increase this fund, please consult your fi-nancial and legal advisors on what method will be in your best inter-est and will fulfill your wishes. For more information, please call us at (207) 236-2239 or send an email to info@merryspring.org.

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lilafee'

Special Bat Houses Available at Annual Plant Sale A number of home-made bat houses will be available for sale at this year’s Merryspring Plant Sale.

These bat houses, constructed by Merryspring volunteers out of materials provided by Rankin’s, will pro-vide safe habitat for native bat species. The bat houses for sale are made out of rough-cut pine, with a hinged door for easy access and cleaning at the end of the season. Inside each bat house are two compart-ments, one to give an area for bats to rest, and another to serve as a breeding chamber.

Bats in Maine are under severe threat by White Nose Syndrome, an invasive fungal pathogen that has spread across the United States. White Nose Syndrome affects bats by infecting their respiratory systems with spores, where the fungus grows and ultimately kills the bat. It is believed that the disease has spread

from cave to cave through human interaction, where spores that have lain dormant in bat guano are disturbed by humans, causing them to go airborne and ultimately start growing inside bats’ lungs.

Putting up new bat houses provides a safe, disease-free place for bats to nest or rest. Inviting bats to your yard can be beneficial, as bats voraciously eat mosquitos.

Placement of bat houses is up to the owner, however, they should be at least 15 feet off the ground, and ideally about 25 yards from a source of water. Bat houses should be placed facing south to be warmed by the sun during the day. An ideal place for bat homes is under the eaves of a home or building.

Bat houses identical to these for sale were created during a bat house-building workshop in early April led by Mark King, who also designed them. Merryspring has two of its own bat houses constructed at the workshop that will go up on the side of the Ross Center later this spring, providing habitat for local bats.

The Hawthorn Spring 2013 Page 3

Girl Scouts Construct New Bluebird Nesting Boxes Two new bluebird nesting boxes that were constructed and donated by girl scouts from Troop 1341 are now installed at Merryspring Nature Center.

In February, the girl scouts built the nesting boxes as part of an Animal Journey project. For the project, scouts are required to learn about an animal, the issues facing that animal, and ways humans can help. Merryspring Program Manager Brett Willard led a short presenta-tion on bluebirds and introduced the scouts to bluebirds’ behavior, habitat, and calls, and the threats to their populations from habitat loss and invasive species. After the talk, the girls got to work constructing bluebird houses to take home and provide a refuge for bluebirds in their back-

yards. Two of the nesting boxes the girls constructed were set aside for use at Merryspring.

Later this spring, some girl scouts returned to Merryspring to paint the houses to better pre-serve them. The birdhouses were placed in the ground at Merryspring in early April, just in time to provide a welcome for bluebirds returning to Maine during their spring migration.

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) spends its spring, summer, and early fall breeding in Maine before migrating to the American Southeast for winter. The bluebirds are members of the thrush family, and they eat insects, grubs, and worms from the ground. In the early spring and fall, they may eat berries to supplement their diet after insects and worms are less available. Being secondary-cavity nesters, bluebirds nest in holes left behind by woodpeckers or inside hollow trees. The female builds the nest to lay her eggs while the male brings her materials and stands guard. Bluebirds are territorial, and will stay in one area all year until they migrate south for the winter.

Putting up nesting boxes helps bluebirds find a place to nest safely from larger, more aggressive, invasive birds. European starlings and house sparrows are both species introduced from Europe that have spread across North America. These birds outcompete bluebirds for space, and may even “evict” bluebirds from their homes. Nesting boxes keep predators and invasive birds out, provid-ing bluebirds with a safe place to raise offspring all season.

Merryspring welcomes both bluebirds and humans to check out these new nesting boxes. One is located near the southern bound-ary of the herb garden; the other in the grassy parking area close to the “scrubland” entrance to Trail #4. Merryspring is pleased to have worked with Troop 1341 on this project and is willing to work on field trips and conservation projects with other school, scouting, and non-profit educational groups.

The Hawthorn Spring 2013 Page 4

2013 Events Calendar

Maine Farmland Trust — John Piotti

NO TALK

Growing, Drying & Cooking with Lavender — Betsey-Ann Golon

Backyard Raspberries — Lynette Walther

Tending the Perennial Garden, Early June — Wendy Andresen

Maine Puffins — Susan Meadows

Spiritual Environmental Activism — Lucy Bauer

Rose Day — Glenn Jenks

Tending the Perennial Garden in July — Wendy Andresen

Integrated Pest Management — Kathy Murray

Harbor Seals — Martha Bell

Uses for Medicinal Herbs — Deb Soule

TBA — TBA

Tending the Perennial Garden in August — Wendy Andresen

Woodchuck Social Behavior — Chris Maher

Food Preservation with Lacto-Fermentation — Ana Antaki

The Herb Garden at Merryspring — Nancy Jackson

Tending the Perennial Garden in Sept — Wendy Andresen

Geological History of Maine — Woody Thompson

Endangered Species of Maine — Charlie Todd

Local Tofu and Sustainable Food — Jeff Wolovitz

Tending the Perennial Garden in October — Wendy Andresen

Free Family Workshops Four free workshops for the family will be held on Sundays from 1-3 p.m. in July and August:

Nature Identification, July 14

Children’s Nature Art, July 28

Terrariums & Herbariums, August 11

Fort Building & Fairy Houses, August 25

SPRING TUESDAY TALKS Sponsored by The First

Low-Impact Forestry & Small Woodlots

June 15, 10 a.m.-noon Learn about the methods

used by MOFGA with Andy McEvoy.

Seed-Saving

August 24, 10 a.m.-noon Brijin Thomas and Diana

Chapin will help you learn how to save and store

seeds for planting. Then on September 28, exchange your seeds and ideas for

next year’s planting at the Seed Swap. 10 a.m.-noon.

Canning Workshop

Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-noon Learn about sterilization

techniques, food prepara-tion, and keeping food fresh

with Nadine Reimer.

May 7

May 14

May 21

May 28

June 4

June 11

June 18

June 25

July 2

July 9

July 16

July 23

July 30

August 6

August 13

August 20

August 27

September 3

September 10

September 17

September 24

October 1

SUMMER TUESDAY TALKS Co-Sponsored by Camden National Bank and Jaret & Cohn

Foraging May 25, 10 a.m.-noon

Walk with Tom Seymour to learn about the edible

plants growing in your own back yard . M $5/NM $10

Fairy Festival Families are invited to Mer-ryspring’s first Annual Fairy Festival on Saturday June 22 from 10 a.m.–noon. Create magic wands and accessories for your own fairy garden, design wildflower seed pack-ets, and enter a raffle for a signed copy of Liza Gardner Walsh’s “Fairy Garden Hand-book.” Free and open to all.

The Hawthorn Spring 2013 Page 5

Volunteer Opportunities at Merryspring Volunteers make Merryspring the special place it is. From helping with the grounds and gar-dens to working in the greenhouse, from serving on committeesto assisting with educational events, volunteers are the ones who enable this organization to accomplish its mission.

Merryspring is very fortunate to have a very active member base. Volunteers are often found in the garden, preparing the herb garden and planting the annual borders. The perennial garden is regularly pruned and managed by volunteers, ensuring beautiful blooms all summer. Volunteers can be seen mowing the grounds and clearing trails for walkers. Volunteers help run our fund-raisers, putting in many hours potting flowers and herbs for the Plant Sale, contacting home-owners and chefs for the Kitchen Tour, or creating beautiful ornaments, arrangements, and wreaths to sell at our annual Holiday Bazaar.

Merryspring hopes to increase volunteer opportunities and recognize the hard work so many of you put into the park. A new volunteer sign-in system has been devised to keep track of each and every hour you contribute to Merryspring. With so many different tasks at hand and so many people graciously giving their time to complete them, it’s not always easy to keep track of it all and recognize your efforts.

With this new system, when volunteers sign the standard volunteer registration and release forms, they will be given orange feedback survey cards. These orange cards can be filled out after each one-day project (such as a garden cleanup day), or turned in quarterly for ongoing projects like working on the greenhouse or helping with long-term endeavors like fundraising projects.

These cards not only track volunteers’ hours, they also provide space for volunteers to voice their opinions about their Merryspring experience. The hope is that by using these cards, we will not only know how many hours and what tasks volunteers have completed, but also how volun-teers feel about their work and their suggestions to improve the volunteer experience here. Most importantly, by knowing the amount of hours volunteered, as well as where volunteers are working, Merryspring can better address what is being done and what needs to be done. It will also give us the exact number of volunteer service hours to be used when applying for grants, awards, and programs to benefit the park.

In the first quarter of this year, for example, volunteers spent more than 400 hours of their time in a variety of roles at Merryspring, including helping in the greenhouse, supervising educational events, preparing materials for workshops, and organizing the Plant Sale and Kitchen Tour. We suspect volunteer hours will greatly increase in the second and third quarters when the gardens start blooming and the Plant Sale and Kitchen Tour take place. Over the rest of the year, more opportunities will open for volunteers to help with weekend educational events, with work on the grounds and arboretum, and with monthly trail workdays with Merryspring’s Tierra Club. (See article below for more information about the Tierra Club.)

If you’re interested in helping out at Merryspring, please contact Brett Willard at education@merryspring.org or 236-2239 to see what sorts of volunteer opportunites are available. Merryspring is also open to working with volunteer groups such as school teams, scouting groups, and community organizations such as Rotary. We can also sign off for hours for students entering honor societies and other programs. If you’re a returning volunteer and have been active this year, please stop by the main office and make sure all of your paperwork is up to date and fill out an orange card to log your hours.

Merryspring would not be possible without the generous support of our members and volunteers, and it’s important that everybody is recog-nized and their voices heard.

Join Tierra Club To Help Improve Trails Last fall, a handful of volunteers assembled at Merryspring to tackle some of the much-needed work on our trail system. Calling themselves the Tierra Club, these volunteers worked all winter to bring many improvements to the Merryspring grounds by widening trails, removing downfall, and burning cleared brush.

Now the Tierra Club is looking for new members and extra help for a series of monthly volunteer work days this summer. Starting in June, the Tierra Club Work Days will take place on the third Sunday of each month (June 16, July 21, August 18, September 22) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be an introductory Tierra Club meeting on Saturday, May 4 at 9 a.m. in the Ross Center.

A number of projects are proposed for the Tierra Club. In addition to regular trail maintenance, some of the goals for the monthly volunteer days are: building a stepping-stone path on the lower, swampy section of the northeastern part of perimeter trail #1; restoring and rebuilding footbridges around the park; and improving the mapping and marking of the trail system. It’s an

ambitious list, but with your help, the Tierra Club will be able accomplish all this and more, ensuring a reinvigorated trail system and lasting en-joyment of the outdoors at Merryspring.

Anybody may join in the fun. Participants do not have to be Merryspring members. If you can’t attend the introductory meeting, you can still lend a helping hand by showing up on one of the work days. This is a great opportunity for volunteers — young and old — and for civic groups, scout-ing troops, clubs, and individuals who’d like to help Merryspring. For more information on the Tierra Club or other volunteer opportunities, please contact Program Manager Brett Willard at education@merryspring.org.

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Merryspring Gratefully Acknowledges Your 2012 Contributions PATRON ($5,000 or more): Doris Salzman.

PARTNER ($2,500 - $4,999): Hilliard Lubin.

CONSERVATOR ($1,000 - $2,499): Ray & Wendy Andresen, Mrs. Robert Black Jr., Dorothea & Charlie Graham, Gregory Kernan, Edie Kyle, Joseph D. Messler, Jr., Meg Barclay & John Scholz.

STEWARD ($500 - $999): Jeff Brodsky, Susan & Kennedy Crane III, Carol Arone & Mark Lutz, Marion & James G. McCully, Sarah Rheault, Barton & Priscilla Wood.

DONOR ($250 - $499): JoAnne & Michael Ban-der, Alleson Bixler, Amy & Robert Campbell, Churchill & Mary Ann Carey, Mary J. & Peter A. Chamberlain, Brinkley Thorne & Mazie Cox, Donna & Tillman Crane, Carol & Dan Daigneault, Mr. & Mrs. Charles W.H. Dodge, Rev. & Mrs. Dewey Fagerburg, Mr. & Mrs. Allen Fernald, Faith Getchell & Glenn Jenks, Stephanie A. & Alan S. Kumble, J. Griffin & Linda Lesher, Linsey Low, Lila Magie, Diana Rigg, James & Marilyn Rockefeller, Michael Voncannon.

FRIEND: ($100 - $249): Laurie Adams, Susan Junge & Richard A. Ailes, Patricia B. & James J. Algrant, Stanley & Kathleen Murray- Allain, Tom & Mary Amory, William & Cynthia Anderson, Kerry K. Andresen, Paula & Alexander Armentrout, Jane & Tom Babbitt, Ann B. Bixler, Dale K. & Douglas A. Bruce, Mary P. Chat-field, Susan K. Stasiowski & Daniel S. Cheever, Keith Collins & Mary Baldwin Collins, Charlotte Cook, Tracy Jalbuena and James Cook, Jock & Day Cowperthwaite, Stephen V. & Sylvia Crane, Greg & Susan Dorr, Michael & Pamela Dufour, John & Karin Duncan, Sally M. & Peter M. Enggass, Louisa Enright, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Furman, Diana R. Gay, Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Gerritsen, Maurice F. & Janet K. Granville, Sandy Millar & Frances Hitchcock, Mary & David Holster, Ross S. Holt, Jr., Mary Joe Hughes, Mr. and Mrs. David Jackson, Barbara & Matthew Janicki, E. Daniel Johnson, Elaine S. & Ronald C. Kennedy, Mr. & Mrs. Harold Lamb, Emily Saltonstall Lewis, Kendall Marden, Steven & Ursula McAllister, Pat Whitney Messler, Carolyn P. Miller, Audrey R. & Roger Moody, Taylor Mudge, Enid Bok Okun, Kay Ouradnik, Thomas & Gray Payne, Lys McLaughlin & Thomas Pike, Karin and Frederick P. Rector, Marjorie F. and Lloyd Rob-erts, M.D., James O. Ross, Stephen & Pamela Ross, Ann P. Rutherford, Dr. Joanne M. Sharpe, John & Judy Sherman, Selma & Melvin Shure, Irwin & Sonia Spalding, Susan St. John, Dimitri Stancioff, Sharon A. Staz, John F. Steele, Enid W. Stone, Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD, Lynette Walther, Peg & John Way, Clifford H. & Ruth B. Wells, Nina Woolston.

FAMILY ($50 - $99): Anonymous (3), Robert E. & Pauline Anderson, III, Katie Bauer, Marice Moroze & Veronica Beason, Nancy J. Bishop, Martha M. & Sid-ney Block, Gordon Bok & Carol Rohl, Mary Bok, Mar-garet M. Boyajian, Katherine Holland & Lance Bukoff, Susan Morrissey & Frank Callanan, Ragan & John Cary, Elizabeth Chamberlin Family, Barbara & John Charters, Lynn A. St. Pierre & Ed Cloutier, Phyllis Coelho, Marlene & Victor Cohn, Sally Cooper, M.D., Rick & Sara Cowan, Gayle & Jim Curtis, Bruce & Kathy Daniels, Eliza-beth Boogusch & Charles Dhyse, Janet Redfield & Scott Dickerson, Alan K. Pedersen & David W. Dixon, Ruth & Robert Dreher, Jim &

Cindy Dunham, Laura and Eric Evans, Rebecca Sawyer-Fay & Joe Fay, Alexandra Wolf Fogel, Kevin & Susan Frewert, Barbara & Bart Furey, Mary B. Glennie, Richard & Patricia Albano-Goulette, Donna & Bill Grif-fith, Terry & Ned Gruener, Faith E. & David C. Hague, Sara & Arthur Hayes, Christopher A. Hirsch, Linda Mairs Holt, Thomas D. & Ann B. Hopps, Jack Brown, & Marilyn Hotch, Suzi Barbee & Victor Hotho, Norma L. Jones, Dr. & Mrs. Charles Kava, Ralph & Earlene Kelley, Ed & Ruth Kenney, Nancy & Fred Kneedler, Dr. & Mrs. Thomas P. Kugelman, Jim & Judith Kunkel, Heather Bilodeau & Robert E. Laite Jr., Louise D. &

Richard W. Ledwith, Jr., Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Linder, Cynthia & Michael E. Lucas, Richard & Wanda Macnair, Robert & Edith K. Kelley Manns, Sally A. Marki, James H. & Jean Y. Matlack, Richard & Irene Maxcy, David & Lori Maxwell, Keith & Caro- lyn May, Ann H. & Richard A. McKittrick, Barb & Steve Melchiskey, Ronald H. & Mary H. Miller, Lolly & Jim Mitchell, Susan & Tom Moore, Jean & Don Morrison, Russell & Erica Morton, William & Vivian D. Newman, Barbara & Robert Nichols, Judith H. & Douglas O'Dell, Di- anne & Kenneth Oelberger, Whitney & Tony Oppersdorff, Colin Page, Rosemary Peacock, Diane & Donald Pendle-

ton, Connie & Etienne Perret, Madeline S. Pitney, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Pluecker, Linda & Douglas Posson, Sally Radin, Ray & Dorri Raposa, Diane & James Rose, Melody & Warren Schubert, Naomi Howe & Steve Seekins, Nancy Seibert, Liv Rockefeller & Ken Shure, Anita Siegenthaler, Jean S. Silva, Mary Douglass Ryan & Neil D. Smith, Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Kendrick Smith, Susan & Robert Snead, Pat Snow, C. Richard & Nancy T. Soderberg, Lois Sprague, Joe & Gerry Steele, Shirley Burnell & Emmett Sutton, Ansel Dekle & Dixie Swanson, Richard W. & Anne M. Sykes, Ann & Edward Sziklas, Judith & Tom Tarbox, Eva P. & Michael E. Thompson, Rebecca L. & Douglas R. Thompson, Brian & Marilyn Trask, Judith Van Lunen, Sherry Watmough, Dee Webster, Nancy & David Weill, Patricia & Sandy, Welte, Jean & Donald White, Katrinka Wilder, Joan & Cliff Willey, John G. & Lucille A. Williams.

INDIVIDUAL ($35 - $49): Joanne Alderman, Lori Alex-ander, Ted Andresen, Susan H. Barbour, Susan Beebe, Barbara Bell, Lena Bengtsson, Jane P. Bennett, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Kononen Berry, Frances Wheeler Berta, Callie Black, Marion W. Brown, Helen Burlin-game, Mary Cady, Deborah Chapman, Mrs. Lauralee Clayton, Nan Cobbey Ruth Cole, Linda A. Cox, Jean N. Crawford, Greg Currier, Leslie Curtis, Phyllis Daggett, Betsey Dauzier, Sally Demeter, Matilda C. Desorcy, Kathy Deupree, Julianne J. Edmondson, Maureen Egan, Richard C. Einsel, Sandy Ellsworth, Jean E. English, Jerry Fales, Charlotte W. Faller, Amy Faunce, Antoinette Federle, Sue Fleming, Marjorie Ford, Joan Foxwell, Elaine Frost, Kathaleen M. Giurtino, Rosalee Glass, Pamela Gleason, Bess Brodsky Goldstein, Carol Good-ridge, Mary Graner, Robert M. Gray, Greta Z. Gulezian, Jesse Hagler, Jane Hall, Jonette Hardester, Carol Ann Hendricks, Elizabeth Henry, Claudia B. Hill, Jennifer

Hodgson, Dorothy Hokkanen, Sharon B. Hoover, Carol Howe, Les Hyde, Dorothy K. Jordan, Karen Keller, Kendel H. Kennedy, Aleta M. Kilborn, Leslie Kimball, Marcia Kimpton, June Kincade, Loel Kline, Elinor Klivans, Deborah Koban, Sharon Landry, Judy Laurence, Gretchen Leone, Louise Avery Lewis, John Lippman, Jill Luks, Mary Lou Lundy, Barbara Malone,

(continued on page 7)

The Hawthorn Spring 2013 Page 7

Leesa Mann, Roslyn Marcopulos, Marjorie E. Maxcy, Mrs. Warren H. Maxfield, Marian F. McAleenan,Carolyn Sue McCullough, Ann McKen-dry, Janis McQuade, Maura L. Melley, Carol Melquist, Ann Marie Merrill, Howard Miller, Paula Mills, Alison N. Montgomery, Elaine P. Morse, Judith Moses, Corallie H. Murray, Linda Nash, Barbara Nash-ner, Susan Neves, Jana Norris, Robert Olfenbuttel, Christina M. Pe-rugini, Margaret Mednis Phillips, Martha M. Porter, Harriet Potter, Marietta Raneri, Kristin A.Ribeiro, Carolyn Robinson, Diane M. Robin-son, Dorothy C. Robinson,, Antje Roitzsch, Stacey Rossiter, Sheila Bu-chanan Ruyle, Sandie Sabaka, Alexandra Samaras, Barnette Savitz, Marina Schauffler, Dorothea Schmitt, Jane Schroeder, Maryann Sed-lack, Steven Seidell, Steven Shaw, Estelle B. Shevis, Meg Sideris, Eliza-beth Simon, Donna Ward Smith, Victoria Smith, Lynn Snider, Engelber-tha M. St. Andre, Christine Statler, Christopher F. Stewart, Johanna Stinson, Jane M. Strauss, Barbara Sweitzer, Ms. Nancy Syme, Jan B. Taft, Susan G. Taylor, Michelle Terry, Joan Thibault, Chris Tofani, Marcia T. Turner, Lynn Van Reich, Ingrid Van Steenburg, Zella Walker, Constance Wallace, Mary Waltz, Priscilla Weatherwax, Adele M. Welch, Marjorie R. Wester, Katrine McCollum Willey, Christina Woh-ler, Martha E. Yandle, Laura Zalewski.

COMPLIMENTARY MEMBERSHIPS: Richard & Kathrin Anderson, Sarah Mattox & Aaron Bauman, Barb & Leon Bausch, Loren & Pamela Brown, Frank Carr, Phillip deMaynadier, Hannah Demmons, Donald & Deborah Dodge, Maggie Hunter, Allison Kanoti, Burt & Carol Keenan, Mark King, Joel & Jane Lafleur, Harrah Lord, Sandy Oliver, Lorraine and Philip Streat, Gail & Bill Sutton, Laura Wilson, David Yarborough.

GIFT MEMBERSHIPS: Ellen Began, Toby & Bella Fuhrman, Gail Palmer.

GIFTS IN KIND: Ray & Wendy Andresen, Paula & Alexander Armen-trout, Amy & Robert Campbell, Gayle Curtis, Carol Goodridge, Doro-thea Graham, Linda Mairs Holt, Bonnie Janicki, Faith Getchell & Glenn Jenks, Clay and Magy King, Regina Knight, Stephanie A. & Alan S. Kum-ble, Edie Kyle, Susan Peats, Sharon A. Staz, Lynette Walther.

AILEEN LUBIN MEMORIAL GIFTS: Nancy J. Bishop, Jeff Brodsky, Susan & Kennedy Crane III, Carol & Dan Daigneault, Dr. & Mrs. Robert Furman, David M. & Virginia S. Hilyard, Gregory Kernan, Jim & Judith Kunkel, Marion & James G. McCully, Enid W. Stone.

OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS: Thomas & Sally Wilkins.

FOUNDATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT:

In 2012, our programs received crucial financial support from a vari-ety of organizations, municipalities, and private foundations. We thank the following institutional supporters for their help during the past year: American Rhododendron Society, Camden Garden Club, Otter Island Foundation, Rockport Garden Club, The Ethel & W. George Kennedy Family Foundation, Inc., United Mid-Coast Charities, Inc., Town of Camden, Warren Field and Garden Club.

Merryspring is very grateful for the support the local business com-munity gave us in 2012. If you appreciate Merryspring, we hope you will extend your thanks to these businesses that help fund our work and provide valuable goods and services to our community.

BUSINESS SPONSOR ($1,000 or more): Bangor Savings Bank, EBS Style Solutions.

BUSINESS STEWARD (500 - $999): Camden Real Estate, The First.

BUSINESS DONOR ($250 - $499): Allen Insurance and Financial, Jaret & Cohn Real Estate, Pen Bay Veterinary Associates, Inc.

BUSINESS FRIENDS ($100 - $249): Breakwater Vineyards, Camden Coast Real Estate, Cold Mountain Builders, Dominic Paul Mercadante Architecture, Windsor Chairmakers.

BUSINESS SUPPORTER ($50 - $99) 17-90 Lighting Showroom, A. E. Sampson & Son, Ltd, Agren Appliance, Ariana Fischer Interior Design, Atlantic Hardwoods, Bernhard & Priestley Architecture, Briggs Archi-tects, Brimstone Consulting Group, LLC, Brown's Appliance & Mattress, Inc., Chatfield Design, Christopher Glass, Architect, Crestwood Kitchens, Data Pro North East, Inc., David C. Olivas DDS, Design Concepts Co. Inc., Dream Kitchen Studio, Endless Summer Flower Farm, Fixtures Designer Plumbing Showroom, Francine Bistro, Freshwater Stone, Gartley & Dorsky, Greenwood Tech Strategies, LLC, Harbor Builders Associates, Holland & Foley, Interiors By Janis Stone, John Gillespie, Architect, Kel-sey's Appliance Village, Inc., Landscape Services, Larson Shores Archi-tects, Ledge End Studio, Liberty East, Maine Coast Construction Corp., Maine Soapstone Co., Mary Bourke, Once a Tree, Pen-Bay Glass, Peter T. Gross, Architects, P.A., PHI Home Designs, Prince's Furniture, Rick Wright Home Repairs & Renovations, Inc., Rockport Mechanical, Inc., Rockport Steel, Scholz & Barclay Architecture, Silverio - Architecture + Design, Smith & May Masonry, Taylor-Made Builders, Inc. / Corner-stone Kitchens, The Good Table, The Rockland Home Depot, The Rock-port Company, TRS Lighting, Viking Lumber, Inc., Vision Builders, Inc., Wanamaker Raphael, Well Tempered Kitchen.

BUSINESS GIFTS IN KIND: Admiral's Buttons, Fernwood Nursery & Gar-dens, Fresh Off The Farm, Green Thumb, New View Interiors, Optimum Performance, Plants Unlimited, State of Maine Cheese.

COMPLIMENTARY BUSINESS MEMBERS: 40 Paper, Amalfi on the Wa-ter, Atlantica, Cafe Mediterranean, Cafe Miranda, Conscious Kitchen, David Waldron Trash Removal, FIORE Artisan Oils & Vinegars, French & Brawn, Fromviandoux, Hartstone Inn, Laura Cabot Catering, Market Basket, Primo, Starlight Custom Cakes, Stonewall Kitchen, The Slipway Restaurant.

MATCHING GIFTS: GE Foundation, IBM Corporation, Northern Trust.

2012 Business Support

Dear Members and Friends of Merryspring We are very fortunate to have so many friends and members of Merryspring who, year-in and year-out, support their Nature Center with gifts of time and money. You are the reason Merryspring exists and continues to serve our Midcoast community.

Merryspring has an annual operating budget of almost $140,000 to cover salaries, educational programs, supplies, utilities, maintenance, etc. The major sources of our income are fundraisers — such as the Plant Sale on May 10-11 and Kitchen Tour on August 7 — and our annual appeal for memberships and extra donations. Other income comes from park usage, programs, grants, local businesses, and dividends on our endowment.

So, as we continue moving ahead in 2013, we wish to thank all of you on these pages for your contributions in 2012, and we hope that you will continue to support Merryspring in the future. On behalf of the Merryspring trustees and staff, THANK YOU.

Ray Andresen

P.O. Box 893 Camden, ME 04843

Reserve Merryspring for Your Event

Remember to think of Merryspring when you or your friends are planning a wedding, memorial service, meeting, or other event.

Each year several weddings, receptions, and meetings take place at Merryspring. Conveniently located yet away from the noise and bustle of the towns of Camden and Rockport, Mer-ryspring offers stunning gardens and an outdoor hexagon per-fect for small ceremonies. A well-tended lawn bordered by flower beds filled with spectacular color from June through Sep-tember will accommodate a tent for up to 200 guests.