Planting and garden beds in Saco, Maine.

On heavier soils a new bed is raised slightly and amended with compost so roots are not sitting in water through spring. Mulch goes on at a modest depth and is kept off stems and siding. On sand near the beaches the same compost helps the bed hold moisture instead.

Coastal southern Maine has lived with browntail moth for years, and the Maine Board of Pesticides Control warns that the caterpillars' hairs cause rashes and breathing trouble. Near marine waters, pesticide use within 250 feet is restricted and treatments in that band require licensed applicators, so bed and shrub care close to the bay relies on pruning and plant choice first. Saco has no pesticide ordinance on the Board's municipal list, but the state's marine-water rules still apply.

Mulch finishes most beds, laid at a modest depth and edged cleanly against lawn and walkways. On the sandy coastal side of Saco it holds moisture through July and August; on heavier inland ground it keeps soil from crusting and weeds from seeding into bare patches between young plants. Stone accents can replace mulch in the windiest spots, where shredded bark blows off every winter.