Potato blight, hemlock wooly adelgid, Asian longhorn beetle – aargh! These are pests that can keep amateur and professional gardeners awake at night and lay waste to landscapes far and wide. There are solutions, though, and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is ready and willing to offer some help. 

As a new member of the Sentinel Plant Network (SPN), the Botanical Gardens will hold a session of “First Detector Training” from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Aug. 23, in the Bosarge Family Education Center. Participants will learn about numerous pests and diseases that are potential threats to our agriculture, forests, and landscapes in the Northeast.  The instructor, Justin Nichols, will discuss which problems are here already and what to be on the lookout for, and how to scout for and identify possible threats. He’ll also cover resources for diagnosing and managing pests and pathogens.    

The Sentinel Plant Network is a partnership between the American Public Garden Association and the National Plant Diagnostic Network that provides a means to quickly detect and diagnose pests and pathogens that have been introduced into agricultural and natural ecosystems.  

Nichols, who has been on Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ horticulture staff for more than four years, has been professionally maintaining gardens for 20 years. He has a master’s degree in education and enjoys teaching horticultural topics to people of all ages.  

The fee to attend is $20 for members or $25 for non-members. Pre-registration is requested. To sign up, call 633-4333, ext. 101, visit www.Mainegardens.org, or stop by the Botanical Gardens, off Barters Island Road in Boothbay.