Spring is in the air, and that means garden time! Organic perennials from Rebel Hill Farm can help create inviting habitat for the natural community on homeowners’ land. Gardeners can come by Midcoast Conservancy, 290 Route 1 in Edgecomb, Saturday, May 24, between 9 a.m. and noon, when Rebel Hill Farm growers will be on hand to help with picking the right plants.

Why choose native plants? Native plant expert Doug Tallamy advises that replacing unnecessary lawn with densely planted woodlots can serve as habitat for local biodiversity. Homeowners can do this by planting the borders of their properties with native trees and plants. To learn more, a Midcoast Conservancy webinar on “Rewilding Your Yard” with Lucy Birkett can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/rewildingyouryard.

Julie and Peter Beckford of Rebel Hill Farm in Liberty raise field-grown perennials, with a focus on native plants and medicinal herbs. Their plants are certified organic and necessarily hardy. The Beckfords believe the plants gardeners choose to grow matter a lot to wildlife and the surrounding natural areas. Of particular interest to them is the recent addition of the rusty patch bumblebee to the endangered species list. They encourage gardeners to plant many of the beautiful flowers used by local pollinators, caterpillars and birds. Native, as they use the term, means: growing in Central or Eastern North America prior to European settlement. Beyond that, they distinguish plants that are Maine natives. Besides selling to area markets, Rebel Hill Farm holds a number of sales where the Beckfords enjoy helping gardeners find the plants that will best suit their particular conditions.