Planting and garden beds in Gorham, Maine.
Gorham's position inland from Portland puts it in USDA hardiness zone 5b on the 2023 map, with average winter lows between minus 15 and minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Beds against a south-facing foundation will run warmer than that, but shrubs and perennials planted out in the open yard need to be rated for the full zone.
We build foundation plantings, perennial beds and mulched borders matched to each site. Across Gorham, a lot of that work is replacing the evergreens a builder set in the 1990s or 2000s, which have since grown into windows, walks and each other.
Choosing plants in a quarantine town
The Maine Forest Service lists Gorham within its quarantines for emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, spongy moth and white pine blister rust. The emerald ash borer quarantine now covers all of Cumberland County. The white pine blister rust quarantine restricts Ribes, the currants and gooseberries that host the disease, so those shrubs are not a sensible pick for a Gorham border.
Emerald ash borer attacks every true ash, though not mountain ash, which belongs to a different genus. For a new specimen tree beside a bed, that rules out ash; for screening, it argues against leaning heavily on hemlock. Diverse plantings of hardy natives and proven shrubs ride out pests better than one species repeated down a property line. Oaks, which host spongy moth caterpillars, are still worth planting, but not as the only shade tree beside a Gorham patio.
Beds that handle runoff and build soil
UMaine Extension advises up to twelve inches of good topsoil for planting areas, amended to a soil test, and notes that most Maine soils are too acidic and usually already rich in phosphorus. On a newer Gorham lot, where the original farm soil was often scraped off during construction, that test decides how much compost and lime a bed needs before anything goes in.
Gorham's 2016 Comprehensive Plan flags Mosher Brook and several small Presumpscot tributaries for water-quality concerns. Mulched beds placed where downspouts and driveway edges drain let water soak in rather than run to the street. Mulch goes down at a moderate depth and stays off the stems and trunks, and edges are cut clean so the lawn does not creep in. Perennials go in during spring or early fall, when Gorham's soil is workable and the plants have weeks to root before a hard freeze.
Plantings · Mulch · Garden Design
How we handle planting & garden beds
We build planting beds that look better every year — hardy perennials and shrubs matched to your site, finished with clean-edged mulch and stone accents. From single foundation beds to full hillside plantings.
See the full planting & garden beds service page or everything we do in Gorham, Maine.
Planting & Garden Beds in nearby towns
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More services in Gorham
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- Landscape Design in Gorham
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- Fall Cleanup & Leaf Removal in Gorham
- Commercial Mowing & Cleanups in Gorham
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- Septic Systems in Gorham
- Tree & Shrub Services in Gorham
- Tree Removal in Gorham
Free Estimates
Planting & Garden Beds in Gorham? Let's talk.
Tell us about your property and we will walk it with you — free estimates, straight answers, stonework guaranteed to hold its lines.
Mon–Sat 7:00am – 5:00pm · Based in Cumberland, Maine