Gardening Resources

Check out some of these helpful free reference materials, gathered from our members as well as other organizations. There's also a wealth of free information available in the form of online articles and videos.

Plant information & gardening how-tos

• ASPCA's searchable database of plants harmful to cats, dogs, and/or horses

• Botanical Interest’s 2022 Indoor Sowing Calendars

• Ecological Landscaping Alliance’s library of educational videos and garden tours

• Floret Flowers’ library of flower-focused how-tos

• Fruition Seeds’ library of reference materials and recorded webinars

• Guide to Caring for Bare Root Plants — Our many thanks to Carolyn Wirth!

• modern farmer’s library of gardening and farming how-tos

• National Garden Bureau’s video library

• Native Plant Trust's GoBotany New England Plant Identification Tool

• Native Plant Trust’s Plant-Finder Tool

• New England Wildflower Society: Tough Plants for Tough Spots

• Penn State Extension’s Guide to Winter Sowing

• Penn State Extension’s vast video library on plants and gardening — There are over 900 videos here, so use the menu on the left, or the search bar, to narrow the selections; also note that there are webinars at the end of the catalog that are NOT free.

• Toni Gattone’s video library on adaptive gardening for seniors or those with limited mobility

• Tutorial for Making A Garden Scarf to help protect plants in freezing temperatures

• UMass Amherst’s presentation on logistics and best practices for starting a seed library

• University of CA Extension’s cheat-sheet of veggie germination temperatures

• University of CA IPM's Plant Problem Diagnostic Tool

• University of CA IPM’s library of videos on managing garden pests

• Weston Nurseries information, guidelines and garden designs using Native Plants

Supporting wildlife & ecosystems

• Pollinator Habitat Resources

• Native Pollinator Task Force short guide to Gardening for Pollinators

• Dr. Neil Pederson’s handout on Climate Forward Trees for Maynard’s Downtown Arboretum

• Kent Wildlife Trust’s library of articles and downloadable guides on using gardens to support wildlife

• MA Dept of Environmental Protection’s guide to vermicomposting (composting with worms)

• Metrowest Conservation Alliance’s Pollination Preservation Garden Toolkit

• National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife Garden Certification Walk-through Checklist

• Native Pollinator Task Force Flyer

• Penn State Extension’s vast video library of on nature conservation and sustainable gardening — There are over 900 videos here, so use the menu on the left, or the search bar, to narrow the selections; also note that there are webinars at the end of the catalog that are NOT free.

• Pollinator Habitat Resources

• University of CT Invasive Plant Management Calendar

Local gardening/nature organizations & initiatives

• Acton Arboretum

• Assabet River Rail Trail

• Maynard Conservation Division

• Maynard Open Space & Trails

• Maynard Tree Corps

• Native Plant Trust

• Sudbury Valley Trustees