Apr 21, 2026 | Garden News
If you’re new to gardening or trying to eat healthier, this seasonal chart for Maine is a great place to start. It is essential to see which foods are freshest, most affordable, and most nutritious throughout the year. The green bars show peak harvest times for each fruit and vegetable, when produce is at its best in both flavor and nutrition. Produce picked at peak season tends to be richer in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, while also tasting better. You’ll also see orange and yellow bars, which indicate foods that is available beyond the peak season, meaning they are either grown in greenhouses or stored after harvest. This means you can still enjoy local foods even in colder months, just in a different way!
Spring and summer are upon us, which means getting our hands dirty and planting tons of produce for the upcoming season. Soon enough, an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables will be blooming for everyone’s enjoyment. At a community garden, you don’t just read about fresh produce, you experience it. Come dig in, get involved, and enjoy fresh, healthy food while bonding with your community.
Thank you to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry for this great resource. Click here to see more from their website!
> Volunteer here!
Apr 20, 2026 | Garden News
Hi everyone! My name is Amanda and I am a BCG garden team member. Do you know how easy it is to get nutrients through fruits in homemade smoothies? If you don’t, let me share how I taught some friends at St. Andre’s and the Ledgewood apartments to make an easy, nutrient dense smoothie with varying fruits and herbs. The great thing about smoothies is anyone can make one using the fruits, veggies, or herbs they like or have on hand! During my two demonstrations, I talked about knowing how many fruits and veggies to eat each day and how they benefit our bodies, the importance of elevating cooking with herbs straight from the gardens without salt, and how to repurpose fruit to save money.
Fruit Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 1 cup frozen strawberries or berries of choice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
- 1 cup yogurt of choice
- Optional: handful of mint leaves
Instructions:
- Put banana and yogurt in blender
- Add frozen berries or any overripe fruit you’d like
- Add orange juice (can substitute for milk or water if preferred)
- Blend, serve, and enjoy
Tip: the more liquid you put in, the thinner it gets and you get more smoothie.
Click down below to donate or volunteer with BCG!
>Donate
> Volunteer with BCG!
Jan 9, 2026 | Garden News
Our 2026 Winter Newsletter is out!
Find out about the exciting plans we have underway for the upcoming gardening season!
> Read the newsletter
Aug 4, 2024 | Garden News
Have a lot of zucchinis on-hand? We can relate! They are growing like crazy right now. But no need to waste them. Bake up some Zucchini Breads and share with friends and family.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oil (avocado or olive oil recommended) + extra to grease your pan
- 1-½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (choose one with a one-to-one ratio to regular flour like King Arthur Flour or Cup4 Cup)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tsp vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups grated zucchini (no need to peel the zucchini – the green color makes the bread look more attractive)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350°
- With electric mixer, beat together oil, sugar and eggs
- Add dry ingredients and vanilla, beat well. Then fold in your grated zucchini and nuts
- Pour batter into two 9 x 5 x 2½ inch greased and floured bread pans and bake for 1 hour or until lightly browned
- Let cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool on racks
- Slice and serve. Enjoy!
