The Great Lawn garden with layers of echinacea & sedum. Tall grasses and the top of the arbor are seen in the background.
Credit: Heather Marcus
Summer on the Maine coast is one of those New England rites of passage—lobster rolls, working harbors, rocky beaches, salty air, lighthouses—the sights, sounds, and smells of summer by the ocean. What a treat for the senses to discover the picturesque Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Started by a small group of friends in 1991 using their own funds, these gardens have grown and continue to expand (with plans for a Conservatory and Discovery Center in the works) into an important learning and experiential center. Filled with magical trails, creatures, sculptural art, and native blooms, this is an incredibly special landscape.
Accessible garden paths are interspersed with water features and contemplative alcoves, wending among larger areas, such as the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. Accessibility is core to the mission, as are horticultural therapy programs. In the coastal woods, giant wooden trolls—Guardians of the Seeds, made by Danish artist Thomas Dambo—are one of the biggest draws for families. These keepers of the land each have an important message to share about preserving the environment and forest landscape. Everyone waits patiently for their turn for a selfie or photo op with Birk, Soren, Gro, Lilja, and Roskva, who were much more impressive in person than I had imagined. Tours include important discussions around building climate-resilient communities.
Don’t leave without taking home something from the environmentally-minded Gardenshop, where you’ll be tempted by unique handmade items. We couldn’t resist the sweatshirts—I took home one silk-screened with a cute bee from eco-friendly Connecticut artist Rachel Decavage’s Cinder + Salt.
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Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens opens in early May and closes in late October, with a brief reopening for Gardens Aglow during the holiday season, when the landscape becomes a magical wonderland of lights. This treasure is worth the visit, to bathe soul and spirit in a coastal woodland landscape.
A Summer Visit to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
The Vayo Meditation Garden along the Back River. Designed as a quiet retreat for those seeking the tranquility of the shore. A large central basin carved by sculptor David Holmes is the centerpiece of the garden and was placed to unify stone, water, and sky. The soapstone-like rock known as Ellsworth schist was originally found in a blueberry field near Mount Desert Island, Maine. Credit: Heather MarcusThe Great Lawn garden with layers of echinacea & sedum. Tall grasses and the top of the arbor are seen in the background. Credit: Heather MarcusThe shingled Culinary Center off the Great Lawn, where diners can picnic among the gardens. Credit: Heather MarcusThe Burpee Kitchen Garden provides herbs, edible flowers, fruits, and vegetables for the Garden Cafe. The wooden birch structures are trellises designed to support edible or ornamental vines. Credit: Heather MarcusA red admiral lands on a black-eyed susan in the Native Butterfly House & Gardens. Credit: Heather MarcusVertical Gardens growing in the horticultural therapy section of the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. Programs are geared toward universal accessibility and hands-on experiences. Credit: Heather MarcusThe play cottage with its living roof of mixed sedums in the interactive Bibby & Harold Alfond Children’s Garden. Credit: Heather MarcusRoskva is one of five giant trolls designed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo located throughout the gardens and woods. Made from found and recycled wood, her hair was crafted to look like lightning struck by splintering and sledgehammering the pieces. Dambo refers to the shingling as mottled “fur” made with oak slabs from an Amish farm in Whitefield, Maine, and pallet wood. The expressive faces and gestures are beautiful. Credit: Heather MarcusLayers of plantings in the Pond Garden include baptista, sedges, and hydrangea. Credit: Heather MarcusMother Earth, by local artist Dick Alden of Starfish Studio, who carves using marble and granite and strives for rhythm and harmony in his work. Credit: Heather MarcusThe Haney Hillside Garden is ADA-accessible along a descending path that connects a series of hillside gardens and terraces. Credit: Heather MarcusThe lower section of the waterfall in the Giles Rhodendron Garden, designed by architect Bruce John Riddell as a tribute to long-time board members John and Sarah Giles. Credit: Heather MarcusThe Shoreland Trail is an almost 3-mile network of footpaths showcasing indigenous trees, shrubs, ferns, and mosses as it meanders along the Back River. Credit: Heather MarcusChildren build structures in the Fairy House Village using non-living materials found on the forest floor, including birch bark, stones, sticks, and leaf litter. Credit: Heather Marcus“Fish in the Garden,” a ceramic school in the pond garden created by Maine artist Tyson Weiss, is also available in the gift shop. Credit: Heather MarcusColorful native Rainbow Marcella Coneflower in the Pond Garden. Credit: Heather MarcusBirk is the first troll made for the gardens. He holds the roots, and his hulking frame almost disappears in the forest landscape. He was my favorite with his stick beard & enormous limbs. Credit: Heather Marcus
Have you ever explored the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens?
Heather Marcus
Heather Marcus is the senior photo editor for Yankee. She works closely with the art director and contributing photographers to tell our stories about people and place in a compelling way. Living and growing up in New England, she continues to be inspired by the communities, the landscape, and the wonderful visual opportunities the region affords.
