Hello Jenn, as you can tell by my user name I usually hang around the the Daylily forum but love to check in with this site from time to time. Having moved several times, I know it's hard putting in a new yard. Are there already established flower beds? I live in Kennebunk so I'm not familiar with what garden centers are in your area but just wanted to welcome you to Maine and the Maine Gardening Forum :)
Marilyn

I also hang in the daylily area and also from k bunk daylilys are realitively cheap and long lasting with little maintanence It might be a possibility

Hi Jenn. In our yard, we have Jerusalem Artichokes aka Sunchokes. They're actually a species of perennial sunflower that is usually grown for their edible tubers. They're native to the northeast, and grow extremely well. They make very pretty 3-4" yellow blossoms for about a month in the fall, and spread very easily.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Jenn---be sure to get in touch with your local garden club. Members can provide you with a wealth of informtion about plants which do well in your area. Also, many clubs hold plant swaps or sales which are a good source of free or inexpensive plants. Most gardners are more than willing to share when they divide perennials. I have many plants in my garden which are "pass-along" plants given to me by friends:)

Welcome to Maine. Am pretty sure your in Zone 4 so want to make sure you check a plants hardiness before you buy. Don't think theres a lot of big garden centers in your area so may have to travel but am sure there are some local small home based nurseries around. They would sell hardy plants and some that may have wintered over already so you would be sure they will survive.

You can try locating a local garden club. Many clubs have sales in the spring with plants donated from members' gardens. They should also be able to steer you in the direction of some of the local nurseries. Another thing you may enjoy is Peoples Places & Plants magazine. It has nice articles about gardening in New England, many ads from nurseries, etc. & you also get a 10% discount card that's accepted at many nurseries (they have a list on their website www.ppplants.com).

Now it's time to clean up what's there & spend the winter planning what you want to do when spring arrives.

Hi Jenn, Welcome to Maine. I live down in Calais and am near the St Croix River which infulences out temps to be just a little warmer. When I choose plants though, unless it's something I just have to have, I usually go with zone 4 hardiness. Recently I have been reading a lot about winter sowing. It's a forum on this web site and I am going to try planting seeds outdoors in covered containers after Christmas. I was even sent small packages of free seeds for this purpose for postage only. You should check it out because it is an inexpensive way to get plants for your gardens. Starting out fresh is an exciting challenge. Good luck with it. Bonny