Augusta - Want to grow fresh, flavorful, and pesticide-free vegetables and an ornamental garden that attracts birds, bumble bees, and butterflies? Come to the Maine State Library to learn more about gardening in tune with nature. On Friday, May 16 at 6:00 PM, the Friends of the Maine State Library are hosting a discussion on gardening with Maine authors and gardening experts Reeser Manley and Marjorie Peronto.

Admission is free and open to the public. Friends of the Maine State Library in attendance that evening will receive a special gift for their gardens. Light refreshments will be served.

The authors share the point of view that gardens should be an extension of the natural world - and gardeners serve as caretakers of that world. The two recently published "The New England Gardener’s Year," a practical reference manual and a book you will find yourself reading cover to cover for discovery, inspiration, and pure enjoyment. The book provides month-by-month guidance from March through October with suggested dates for planting and tending adjusted for each zone. It offers practical advice on such topics as soil testing, composting, pruning, landscape design, and how to provide a season-long source of pollen and nectar for beneficial insects.

Reeser Manley holds a Ph.D. in Horticultural Science and has gardened for many years in Massachusetts and Maine. His weekly gardening column appears in the Bangor Daily News and on-line. Marjorie Peronto, a Professor for the University of Maine, has taught courses in ornamental gardening, ecological landscaping, and home food production for 20 years.

The authors will remain after the presentation to sign books. Copies of their book will be available for purchase at the event.

For more information, please contact the Maine State Library at 207-287-5600.