I grew up in rural northern Maine, where farming and gardening were simply part of daily life. Long, tough winters gave way to beautiful summers. Life was guided by the seasons—time to plant and time to harvest. A long, tough winter was followed by mud season, until the cycle started again.
When retirement arrived, I was drawn to the idea of gardening year-round. Southwestern Florida has been a wonderful place to learn about gardening in a subtropical climate.
I’ve learned a few tricks about transitioning from north to south – closing up one home and opening another. I’m an adventurous cook who has enjoyed trying different foods in various locations.
Lisa Colburn, author of The Maine Garden Journal, often speaks about a variety of horticultural topics. She is an enthusiastic ornamental and food gardener. Lisa spent many years living and gardening in northern Aroostook County, Maine, which is considered zone 3a. Now residing in Orono, Maine, she has transitioned to a zone 5a garden and greatly expanded her plant palette. Lisa is now a snowbird, enjoying gardening in sub-tropical Florida for part of the year. Her gardening experiences span from Zones 3a to 10a. She is a Master Gardener in both Maine and Florida.
Lisa is the recipient of the 2017 Garden Club Federation of Maine Stella Dearborn Garden Award and the New England Garden Clubs Linda Wagner Perennial Garden Award. Her garden was featured in Downeast Magazine in 2022. She is the former editor of Maine Grows, a horticultural newsletter for the Garden Club Federation of Maine.
Lisa is an enthusiastic supporter of garden clubs and currently belongs to three!