PARIS — The 2019 McLaughlin Garden lecture series begins Wednesday, Feb. 20, with Tom Estabrook of Estabrook’s garden center speaking on underused plants in landscaping.

The illustrated lecture will begin at 4 p.m. upstairs in the historic Tribou home at 97 Main St. It is free and open to the public. Tea will be served at 3:30.

Estabrook’s talk will cover how to use both underused and new plants. He will cover old and new varieties to fit hard-to-fill spaces.

The speaker is the vice president of the family-owned and operated business with locations in Yarmouth and Kennebunk. He grew up in the family business and  graduated from Southern Maine Technical College in 1994 with a degree in horticulture.

He has overseen many facets of the nursery, growing and business operations throughout his career of more than 30 years. A former president of the Maine Landscape and Nursery Association, he remains active in a wide array of Maine gardening initiatives and is a tireless advocate for independent garden centers throughout the state.

This is the first of six lectures held each Wednesday afternoon.

Donations will be accepted for the preservation of the McLaughlin buildings and garden.