April 2024

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Features

Small World

In an era of sky-high housing and construction costs, it’s little wonder some Mainers are seeing the appeal of a tinier abode. We caught up with six homeowners who have downsized to stylish, efficient dwellings under 1,000 square feet. And by and large, they’re happy they went small.

By Sarah Stebbins

Seasonal Splendor

Gardening in Maine is no bed of roses, but for those who don’t wilt in the face of forbidding weather, soggy soil, and tenacious wildlife, the payoff can be exhilarating, with glorious landscapes that thrive in every growing season.

By Aurelia C. Scott and Virginia M. Wright

Good as New

Nowadays, professional tinkerers are relatively few and far between, but scattered across Maine are handy folks who can, say, rewire an heirloom lamp or revive a rusty cast-iron pan — and who believe that preserving useful things still matters.

By Joel Crabtree, Sara Anne Donnelly, Will Grunewald, and Nora Saks


North by East

Hut Diggety!

A gung-ho DIYer’s very charming potting shed.

Maine Moment

Dream Weaver

Traditional Rwandan basketry from a new Mainer.

Going to Seed

Something new sprouting up at libraries around the state.

Flights of Fancy

Old Orchard Beach’s renegade birdhouse maker.

Maine Dispatches

That Creepy-Crawly Feeling

A destructive earthworm wriggles its way into Maine gardens and forests.

Long Way Home

A lost dog, a loving family, and a lesson in letting go.

Dining

The pleasures of (almost) feeling like you have a personal chef.

Room With a View

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Where in Maine

Dooryard

Editor’s note, responses to February’s Where in Maine, the masthead, and more.

My Favorite Place

Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., on Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead.

On the Cover: A resilient summer garden on Barters Island, in Boothbay, by Tara Rice.

Additional Photos: Michael D. Wilson, Nicole Wolf, and Dave Waddell