Explore the Summer 2025 edition
On the cover: Did you know the majority of cut flowers sold at supermarkets, big-box-stores and many supermarkets come from farms far outside the U.S.? But change is in the air. Maine’s locally grown flower market is blooming, thanks to the Maine Flower Collective, a new collaboration of growers and buyers. Photo courtesy Broadturn Farm
Editor’s note
Buy this issue
SUMMER IS THE PERFECT time to be outdoors and get off the beaten path or kick back with a book and smell the roses. This issue is packed with inspiration to craft a summer that provides all of that and more.
Ever wondered how scientists and non-profit organizations monitor the millions of acres of land in Maine to understand changes that are happening in our natural world? It doesn’t happen without hundreds of volunteers who pitch in every year to make it happen. Learn more at People-powered science, including 15 projects that you can get involved with throughout the state.
Looking for an excuse to take a road trip? How about a tour d’ murals! Maine is home to a large and growing collection of urban (and suburban) wall art. The big picture starts with a growing collection of public murals in Bangor, then hits the highlights of six other downtowns across the state.
Next, join us as we visit Maine’s southwestern foothills, dotted with small towns and villages known for antiques, artisans and world-class music. Exploring the southwestern foothills highlights some of our favorite stops in Cornish, Brownfield, Newfield and Limerick.
If kicking back in the Adirondack chair on your patio or putting your feet in the sand with a good book is your idea of summer bliss, take an Imagination vacation with our picks for novels set in Maine.
Ready to smell those roses… and lavender, zinnias and peonies? Maine’s locally-grown flower market is blooming, thanks to a new collaboration of growers and buyers called the Maine Flower Collective. Learn more in Seed to bouquet. Find all this and more in this year’s summer edition.
As always, thank you for supporting our magazine with your subscriptions and gift subscriptions. If you like what you find here, please stay in touch by following us on Instagram and Facebook and signing up for our monthly e-newsletter.
Heather Chandler
Editor & Publisher
Contributors
June Donenfeld is a Midcoast Maine writer, editor and writing coach focusing on sustainability, design, education and social entrepreneurship. In previous lives, she also worked in philanthropy and cross-cultural communication.
Andrea Lani is the author of Uphill Both Ways: Hiking toward Happiness on the Colorado Trail (Bison Books, 2022). She writes about family and the natural world from her home in Whitefield.
Saisie Moore is a freelance writer and editor living in Portland. The former editor for Portland Monthly, she currently lives and works on the East End.
Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer, editor, photographer and—fulfilling another childhood dream—an occasional librarian. She lives in Scarborough.
Raine Raynor is a contributor and editor at Green & Healthy Maine. Her other creative interests include graphic design, photography and landscape architecture. She lives in Portland.
Julia Tilton is a freelance climate and environmental reporter, contributing to The Maine Monitor and The Daily Yonder. She grew up in New Hampshire and is partial to the Northeast’s mountains and forests.
Staff
Editor & Publisher
Heather Chandler
Copy Editing & Proofreading
June Donenfeld
Amy Paradysz
Raine Raynor
Account Executive
Cheryl Denis
Creative Content Manager
Raine Raynor
Design
PELLE Graphic Design