I just visited the Coastal Maine Botanic Garden in Boothbay, ME, back in the last week of June. It was a cloudy, rainy mud day up in Maine, but the actual precipitation stopped on the way up. There was a mist and light fog that gave the garden a mysterious atmosphere. They were finishing up their new Children's Garden which is due to open tomorrow. Parts of this garden are very rustic, such as the driveways in which are muddy gravel roads and there is a large section which is scheduled for future development and planting and hiking trails. It's about 1 1/2 mile walk to the Rhododenron and Azalea section. They are making new plantings around the overflow parking lots too.
The Visitor Center is a beautiful building which houses a gallery lobby and a small restaurant with an outdoor patio that overlooks the new Children's Garden. The day I was there, they had an art exhibit of drawings by Maine author Robert McCloskey. He wrote Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings among others. These were drawings from these and others of his children's books including a number of studies for the bears in Blueberries for Sal. They commissioned a sculptor to cast a bronze bear statue for the Children's Garden from a picture in Blueberries for Sal.
Outside there is a Garden for the Senses, a Rose Garden, an Event Lawn, and the Burpee Kitchen Garden which is next door to the restaurant patio. I made some picture collages to follow from my visit. What a beautiful place!
Martha
Coastal Maine Botanic Garden
Here's some of my bazillion pictures. They have taken great pains to integrate art into the garden and it's a truly beautiful place.
Martha
The entrance to CMBG.
Sounds wonderful but I cannot see any pics. Says click to enlarge image but no image showing up.
oh, dear. I will work on that this weekend.
Martha
here goes with the picture again. The entrance road art, the entrance map and the lovely weather the day I was there.
Martha
Page two. The Visitor Center with the McCloskey art exhibit. and bits of the Garden of the Senses {GOS}. Maine author Robert McCloskey wrote Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings, among others.
Martha
Page three. more sculpture and plantings from the GOS. The reflexology maze was in the touch part. You were invited to take off your shoes and walk on the stones to massage your feet. Lots more mist, too. More pictures tomorrow as it is past my bedtime.
Martha
Nice Martha. So much to see. I am looking forward to more pics. The mist does add a bit of mystery to the garden doesn't it. The flower wall looks really interesting as does the maze, did you take off your shoes?
I didn't as it was actually drizzling at that moment. the plant wall was in the taste section of the garden and was planted in flowers and vegetables. There were several. They had ferns sprouting in the back as well as little coral bells divisions 'Caramel'. The top left quadrant of the one in the picture was growing tomatoes. I think they were using the backs to grow out some of their fern and perennial divisions. The whole section of this garden was handicapped accessible. They had a display of adaptive garden tools as well.
Martha
Sounds like a great place for many reasons. If I ever get to get out and about again, this is on the places to see list for sure.
page 4 Japanese iris and one of several whimsical stone heads carved by a CMBG staffer. I love the way they integrated art into this garden.
Martha
Page 5 the Burpee Kitchen Garden Actually, I mean my other left at the bottom picture.
Martha
This message was edited Jul 11, 2010 9:26 AM
page 6 The Children's Garden. This just opened last Thursday. They were still putting the finishing touches on it when I was there. The workers graciously let me wander around their worksites to get these pictures. It should be spectacular to see when I go back again.
Martha
page 7 The McCloskey bear. and more Children's Garden. This is the end of the tour, but I am going back this summer perhaps to take some pictures in the sunshine!
Martha
Whew! these picture collages took longer to make up and get into jpegs than I think I spent at the garden. I took a lot of pictures. I enjoyed my visit thoroughly and I hope to go back soon.
Martha
Your photos and collages are lovely. We love Maine and the wide open roads (no traffic except for Red's lobster roll area!) along with the beautiful scenery. We'll definitely stop at the Coastal Maine Botanic Garden the next time we're in Maine.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I used my Arnold Arboretum membership to get in. If you have a botanic garden membership, they will probably accept it.
Martha