Spring Greens

In Thomas Dekker’s Elizabethan ode to spring, the Merry Month of May is green, green, green. This is still true 500 years later as drab, dull April folds into colorful May. Buds are bursting, the grass is growing and it’s time to plan your garden layout.

Fortunately, we have a local expert on hand to help us with planting and growing a healthy, prolific harvest this summer.

Master Gardener Marissa Caminetti will present a lecture on garden design and organic techniques at the Bridgton Community Center on Tuesday, May 14. Sponsored by the Gilroy Garden Initiative, the presentation will be preceded by a potluck dinner.

This event is a great way for new members of the Community Garden to meet each other and discuss plans for the summer growing season, and the general public is welcome to attend as well. Feel free to join us at 5 p.m. for the pre-meeting potluck at the Bridgton Community Center, and bring a dish if you want to! Call me at 542-9525 with questions about dinner and Marissa’s lecture.

Ole!

There’s more to Mexico than Coronas and nachos, and the chefs of the Bridgton Historical

Society know it. Head south of the border with a traditional Cinco de Mayo dinner on May 5 at

Narramissic Farm on the Ingalls Road in South Bridgton.

A benefit fundraiser for the historical society’s annual Bluegrass Festival on Aug 3, the

cost is only $10 for adults and $6 for kids and includes homemade enchiladas, quesadillas,

pork carnitas, mole, Spanish rice and churros, with Mexican beer and Sangria extra.

Diners

are encouraged to embrace their inner Mexican by dressing in festive attire, and there will be

pin?atas, games and sunset activities on the beautiful grounds of Narramissic. For tickets and

more information call 647-3699 or visit www.bridgtonhistory.org.

Hit The Trail

With elevations from the gentle amble of Bald Pate to the blistering peaks of the 4,000-foot-plus Presidentials, Bridgton is surrounded by hikes of staggering variation. Join the Denmark Mountain Hikers for their summer schedule, beginning May 10 with a climb up to Lowe’s Bald Spot (2,875 feet) in Pinkham Notch, NH.

This moderately difficult 4.4 mile round trip hike has 950 feet of elevation gain. It begins as an attractive walk from Pinkham Notch Camp via the Old Jackson Road and leads to the Madison Gulf Trail with an outlook providing interesting views of the Presidentials.

All hikes meet at the Denmark Congregational Church at 8:30 a.m. on Friday unless other arrangements are made. If you have questions about the difficulty of a climb, or for any other information please call John Patrick at 756-2247

or johnfp@earthlink.net.

Spring Soiree

After that long winter it’s time to buy a new flowery frock and celebrate the spring season in style. The Bridgton-Lake Region Chamber of Commerce is throwing its annual Spring Fling fundraiser on Thursday, May 16, from 5 to 9 p.m., and the public is invited.

Join new Executive Director Barbara Clark and the many members of the local Chamber as they raise money for future Chamber events. Tickets for the party are $20 per person ($25 at the door), with a cash bar. The Silent Auction starts at 5 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. followed by the live Auction at 7:30 p.m.

There are many fun items in the auction this year including vacation getaways, ski and golf packages and several big surprises. For more information, call 647-3472 or check out www.mainelakeschamber.com.

Dig It

Great news for all of us who love fresh, local produce: The Bridgton Farmer’s Market opens this weekend for the summer. After a long winter of buying broccoli from California, cheese from Wisconsin and tomatoes from who knows where, it is always nice to see what our local farmers have coaxed out of the soil here.

What started almost 20 years ago with a small group of growers selling greens and flowers out of their pickup trucks has grown to a passel of diverse vendors. Offering everything from annuals, herbs and grass-fed beef to maple syrup, organic eggs, pastries and artisanal cheeses, the market draws an enthusiastic crowd to their weekly gathering.

Join perennial members Helen Ramsdell, Kathy Banks and their green-thumbed friends at the Market beginning Saturday, May 4, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Commons between the Community Center and the Magic Lantern. I adore these dedicated diggers who get their hands dirty so I don’t have to. It’s great to have you back for another summer… See you Saturday!