I am going to put it out there that the North Street Community Garden in Portland is the most scenic community garden in the country. Maybe there are others that compete . . . I might ultimately be able to settle for top ten. But if there are others that are as nice- I want you to tell me about them!

Peter and I have a plot in the North Street Community Garden in the East End of Portland. We were on the waiting list for two years, but it was worth it. From our little patch of paradise, we can watch the sun set over Back Cove and Mount Washington in the distance (on a clear day).

The North Street Garden was just doubled in size, bringing the total number of garden plots managed by the city to 126 (at North Street and several other gardens around town). The expansion also included a pretty sizable school garden for the East End Community School across the street (in the background of the photos below- you can just make out the solar panels on the top of the building), and a small orchard of apple and pear trees- a pet project for Jeff Tarling, the City’s Chief Arborist and one of my heroes here in Portland.

Not only is the view awesome- but the dirt is good and the sun is strong. Combined with the regular rainstorms we’ve been having- it’s a freakin’ vegetable factory up there!

It is still pretty early in the season for Maine, but I am really enjoying the leafy green colors and textures in our garden. In the next few weeks our lavender, coreopsis, and lilies will blooming- giving it a whole different ambiance.