Landscaping With Native Plants Makes Your Life Easier (And Your Wildlife Happier)

Native New England plants give you a lot of bang for your gardening buck. There's a beautiful shrub or a perennial for almost any location you've got, whether it's sunny, shady, dry or downright boggy.

And why wouldn't there be? After all, these plants evolved here in New England, not in Asia somewhere. They're able to survive and thrive in conditions where imported plants struggle. Not having to replace expensive trees and shrubs will even have your wallet thanking you for gardening with New England plants!

Landscaping with native plants makes your life easier; you put in less effort watering and pruning, and in return you have more time to lie around in a hammock, enjoying a glorious landscape.

And the local birds and other critters will love you for going native. Why put out a plastic bird feeder when you can plant a beautiful living one instead?

If you've got a larger space that remains somewhat wet, plant larger trees like the native river birch, or willows such as the pussy willow and the black willow.

They provide habitats for insects that the birds will feed on. And our winged friends adore the berries found on native shrubs such as viburnum, elderberry, chokecherry and serviceberry.

Many New England neighborhoods are surrounded by woodland, and there is often a harsh, abrupt transition from the forest to the lawn. Any of the native New England plants listed above will help make a softer, more natural transition from woodland to suburban yard.

For sheer toughness combined with beauty, try a Northern Bayberry. Equally at home as a lovely hedge or toughing it out in sandy, thin soil, bayberries were once used (and still are) to scent candles.

This photo shows the Northern Bayberry extensively used in the landscaping surrounding the York Public Library in York, Maine.

The shorter shrub is the bayberry, and the larger tree in the picture is a native amelanchier (aka serviceberry, Juneberry, shadblow). The tree is just beginning to ripen its berries for the local birds.

You can't go wrong with trying some of our native New England and Maine perennials and shrubs this gardening year.

For more information, please visit:

https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/manual/plants-for-the-maine-landscape/

 

 447 Old Rochester Road in Somersworth, New Hampshire

 Sold for $250,000

 

 

 

 

 

 109 Woodbridge Road in York, Maine

 Sold for $420,000

 

 

 

 

 

 7 Triple G Farm in York, Maine

 Sold for $469,500

 

 

 

 

 

 84 Green Street in Biddeford, Maine

 Sold for $246,500

 

 

 

 

 

 62 Hooper Shores Road in York, Maine

 Sold for $215,000

 

 

 

 

 5 Organug Road in York, Maine

 Sold for $285,000

 

 

 

 

 

 59 Camerons Lane in Wells, Maine

 Sold for $352,500

 

 

 

 

 

 3 Tara Way in York, Maine

 Sold for $665,300

 

 

 

 

 

 23 Governor Hill Road in Eliot, Maine

 Sold for $465,500

 

 

 

 

 

Not pictured:

8 Nubble Rd Ext in York, Maine - Sold for $875,000

9 McCloud Drive in Kittery, Maine - Sold for $630,000

31 Titlon Avenue in Kittery, Maine - Sold for $355,000

296 US Route 1 in York, Maine - Sold for $450,000

Williams Realty Partners of Keller Williams Coastal Realty is the number one Keller Williams Team in New England. WRP is a full service team collaborating to bring buyers and sellers together. With this structure, our agents get to spend their time doing what they do best: working with clients to provide an exceptional experience whether buying or selling a home.

Recent Homes Sales for March 2020

 2 Pleasant Ave in Eliot, Maine

 Sold for $300,000

 

 

 

 

 

 2 Cole Lane in South Berwick, Maine

 Sold for $410,000

 

 

 

 

 

 159 Woodside Meadow Drive in York, Maine

 Sold for $497,500

 

 

 

 

 

 126 Fieldstone Estate Road in York, Maine

 Sold for $612,500

 

 

 

 

 

 153 Long Beach Ave in York, Maine

 Sold for $650,000

 

 

 

 

 

 273 Pine Hill Road in Berwick, Maine

 Sold for $176,000

 

 

 

 

 

 566 Little River Road in Lebanon, Maine

 Sold for $285,000

 

 

 

 

 

 26 1/2 Bellamy Road in Somersworth, New Hampshire

 Sold for $200,000

 

 

 

 

 

 15 Nash Parkway in Somersworth, New Hampshire 

 Sold for which closed Friday for $265,000

 

 

 

 

 

 34 Church Street Extension in York, Maine

 Sold for $505,000

 

 

 

 

 

 9 White Pine Drive in Sanford, Maine

 Sold for $199,900

 

 

 

 

 

 382 Beech Road in Eliot, Maine

 Sold for $525,000

 

 

 

 

 241 Beach Avenue in Kennebunk, Maine

 Sold for $1,675,000

 

 

 

 

 

 29A Nubble Road in York, Maine

 Sold for $1,615,000

 

 

 

 

 22 (A/B) Main Street in York, Maine

 Sold for $740,000

 

 

 

 

 

 12-18 Oak Terrace in Kittery, Maine

 Sold for $672,500

 

 

 

 

 

 53 Lewis Road in Kittery, Maine

 Sold for $329,475

 

 

 

 

 

 33 Fox Farm Hill Road in North Berwick, Maine

 Sold for $355,868

 

 

 

 

 4 Anns Terrace in Hampton, New Hampshire

 Sold for $361,000

 

 

 

 

 

 121 Colonial Village in Somersworth, New Hampshire

 Sold for $54,000

 

 

 

 

 

Not pictured:

Lot A Rams Head in York, Maine - Sold for $250,000

68 Charles St in Rochester, New Hampshire - Sold for $326,000

82-84 Cabot Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire - Sold for $695,000

40 Clay Hill Road in York, Maine - Sold for $327,500

Williams Realty Partners of Keller Williams Coastal Realty is the number one Keller Williams Team in New England. WRP is a full service team collaborating to bring buyers and sellers together. With this structure, our agents get to spend their time doing what they do best: working with clients to provide an exceptional experience whether buying or selling a home.

Recent Homes Sales for February 2020

 00 Frost Road in Eliot, Maine

 Sold for $185,000

 

 

 

 

 

 20 Boothby Road in Limington, Maine

 Sold for $170,000

 

 

 

 

 

 54 Woodlawn Ave in Kittery, Maine

  Sold for $285,000

 

 

 

 

 

 8 Cottonwood Circle in Wells, Maine

 Sold for $484,900

 

 

 

 

 

 11 Callahan Lane in Berwick, Maine

 Sold for $337,000

 

 

 

 

 

 32 Lower Main Street in North Berwick, Maine

 Sold for $239,000

 

 

 

 

 

 4 Weil Lane in York, Maine

 Sold for $575,000

 

 

 

 

 

 114 Old Post Road in Kittery, Maine

 Sold for $349,000

 

 

 

 

 

 12 Juniper Park Lane in York, Maine

 Sold for $292,000

 

 

 

 

 207 Mountain Road in Cape Neddick, Maine

 Sold for $425,000

 

 

 

 

 

  80 Berwick Road in Berwick, Maine

 Sold for $225,000

 

 

 

 

 17 Styles Lane in York, Maine

 Sold for $595,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 4 Fords Landing in Dover, New Hampshire

 Sold for $232,000

 

 

 

 

 259 Little River Rd in Berwick, Maine

 Sold for $79,000

 

 

 

 

 

 366 Ridge Road in York, Maine

 Sold for $428,000

 

 

 

 

Not pictured:

7 Dory Drive in York, Maine - Sold for $165,000

682 River Road in Eliot, Maine - Sold for $296,000

Lot B Rams Head in York, Maine - Sold for $250,000

1 Oak Ridge Road in Nottingham, New Hampshire - Sold for $311,500

8 Cameo Court in York, Maine - Sold for $540,000

Williams Realty Partners of Keller Williams Coastal Realty is the number one Keller Williams Team in New England. WRP is a full service team collaborating to bring buyers and sellers together. With this structure, our agents get to spend their time doing what they do best: working with clients to provide an exceptional experience whether buying or selling a home.

Like many of us at Williams Realty Partners, you're starting to daydream about retiring. But where? What kind of house? Near the water? Will we be close to the kids? Do we even want to be close to the kids? :-)

Consider The Village at Great Brook in Eliot, Maine, one of the newest 55 plus communities in Maine. The location and affordability can't be beat, especially if you're coming from a state in southern New England, such as Massachusetts or Connecticut, and you want to be able to regularly see your loved ones who live there, or host a get-together for them at your new home.

The beautiful little coastal town of Eliot Maine offers historic attractions, a plethora of recreational activities, and a vibrant retirement community.

Established in the late 18th century, Eliot became a town independent from Kittery (the Upper Parish) in 1810. Its New England charm and elegance is due to its stunning rural landscape, as well as its unique coastal New England architecture.

Eliot is in the southeast portion of Maine, along the north bank of the beautiful, deep water Piscataqua River that makes up the border between Maine and New Hampshire. This location puts Eliot residents within easy reach of daily necessities as well as great recreational and cultural opportunities. You know what else is within reach? Friends and relatives in the more southerly states! Boston is a little over an hour away by car (or by train or bus if you don't feel like driving).

If you've got farther to go, Boston's Logan Airport and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, NH are both an hour or less from door-to-door. Many Seacoast residents also take advantage of daily flights to Florida and other popular destinations from the Portsmouth International Airport at the Pease Tradeport, just a 15 minute drive from Eliot. You can leave your house in Maine at 8:00 in the morning, and be in Orlando for lunch!

When you live at the Village of Great Brook, you get the best of all worlds; a relaxed, friendly, safe, rural Maine environment that is also close to the great towns and cities of three New England states. If needed, easy access to high-quality medical care at York Hospital, Portsmouth Regional Hospital and the Boston medical centers are also yours when you choose the Village at Great Brook.

The Village at Great Brook is a community of 90+ stand-alone or condex homes. While the development is modern, it takes inspiration from the charming feel of the rest of the coastal town to create a friendly and welcoming environment.

Meet with neighbors at the community center, invite family over for a barbecue at one of the outdoor grilling areas, play bocce on a summer evening, or spend time growing flowers or vegetables in our community gardens. Take a stroll along the beautiful walking paths, and so much more...

 

Williams Realty Partners is justifiably proud of our thoughtfully designed homes, crafted with high-quality construction. We not only focus our care on the large-scale housing plans, but also in the details. Customize your home by choosing your own finishing touches.

Many of the homes at the Village at Great Brook are already happily occupied, and house lots are selling briskly. Click below and let us show you the interiors, exteriors, and home plans of one of the best over 55 communities in Maine! We love it here, and we think you will too.

http://www.villageatgreatbrook.com/

Our photography safety protocol during the coronavirus outbreak is one of the things that sets WRP apart from the rest! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Williams Realty Partners knows a lot about partnerships. It’s in our name because it’s the reason for our success.

Real estate agents at WRP are the #1 Keller Williams team in New England in part because they are a very collaborative group, bouncing ideas of off each other and constantly providing each other with resources and advice. We rely on each other.

We found another great example of partnership on a recent trip to Hannaford supermarket in York. Like the team at WRP, the team in this picture does something truly extraordinary, and they’re based right here in York, Maine. 

We walked out of Hannaford, and right in front of us sat this lovely dog, one of the most beautiful examples of her breed that we’ve ever seen. Being dog lovers, we of course stopped to admire and pet her, after asking her owner’s permission.

Turns out that Zena the dog and her owner Elizabeth Fossett are a volunteer Maine search and rescue dog team! More accurately, Zena is a trainee. They are part of a remarkable organization called Maine Search & Rescue Dogs (MESARD).

MESARD is a non-profit, volunteer organization that provides official agencies such as in the State of Maine and the Northeast region with trained and certified volunteer search and rescue dog teams that aid and assist in the recovery of missing persons. Each team consists of a handler and a search dog that have completed extensive training and passed certifications.

These volunteer search and rescue dog teams will drop everything at a moment’s notice, at any time of day or night, and respond to a call when someone is lost in Maine. Many owe their lives to them, yet few know that they exist.

If you’re out and about town and you see this happy pair, please thank them for what they do. And if you’re so moved, MESARD operates solely by private donation. http://www.mesard.org/donations.htm

A great team is unbeatable.

We hope you'll join us on Thursday, March 12th from 4-6pm at York Beach Beer Co!

Quick Vegan Food In Southern Maine

Need a bite, but don’t want to bite into meat? The area around Williams Realty Partners in York is flush with vegan options if you know where to go.

There are some wonderful sit-down restaurants with plenty of vegan options, fortunately. Restaurants like the Green Elephant in nearby Portsmouth, NH, which is completely vegetarian/vegan. They have a deadly good vegan chocolate mousse pie that you’ll want to eat every.single.day.

Durbar Square, also in Portsmouth, is a Himalayan restaurant that serves up plenty of vegan dishes alongside the wild boar. You can opt for the kitchen to spice your dish so hot that you’ll never, ever forget eating it. And if you’re traveling with your favorite carnivore, Ore Nell’s Barbecue in Kittery offers lots of vegan sides, and a vegan barbecue tofu, too.

But sometimes you’re on the go, right? There's no time to sit and blissfully savor that chocolate mousse pie at Green Elephant. You’ve still got vegan options in southern Maine.

Golden Harvest is a wonderful produce shop on Route 1 in Kittery. Obviously, you can grab some apples, bananas, grapes, etc. for the road, but Golden Harvest also has a salad bar inside, and plenty of snack-type yummies (like a positively addictive portabella jerky).

Just up the road from Golden Harvest is Beach Pea Bakery. They’ve got build-your-own sandwich options at the counter that include a wide variety of vegan fare.

Anthony’s Food Shop on Route 1 in York Maine doesn’t seem like a place that you’d walk into and find a lot of vegan-to-go, but it is has a vegan cook, and she’s great. There are containers in that refrigerator case with so many delicious vegan concoctions that you could spend a long time just trying to choose from among them.

Anthony’s also has some fabulous baked goods, in case you’re wondering. The cupcakes always look like a colorful party waiting to happen and many of them are even gluten-free. There are loads of other goodies, too -- see?

Speaking of yummy treats, anyone up for vegan donuts? Kittery Maine now boasts a donut shop called Lovebirds that specializes in them. The entire shop is 100% vegan, and 100% delish. They have all the classic donuts you know and love, plus some cool experiments like Sticky Rice + Mango, a brioche donut with mango glaze, sticky coconut rice, mango, and black sesame seeds.

Williams Realty Partners – no one knows southern Maine better! We'd love to show you around.