{"id":3882,"date":"2025-07-18T12:51:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T19:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/18\/gpod-on-the-road-coastal-maine-botanical-garden-in-early-summer\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T12:51:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T19:51:11","slug":"gpod-on-the-road-coastal-maine-botanical-garden-in-early-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/18\/gpod-on-the-road-coastal-maine-botanical-garden-in-early-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"GPOD on the Road: Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Early Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Happy Friday, GPODers!<\/p>\n

A couple of weeks ago I was traveling up the coast of Maine for a camping trip with a friend, and found myself conveniently close to Coastal Maine Botanical Garden<\/a> in Boothbay. Obviously this was an opportunity too good to pass up, so I extended my stay an extra night and stopped by to check it out. To no one\u2019s surprise, the garden was absolutely alive with color and a gorgeous assortment of plants in full bloom. Here is just a sampling of some of my favorite scenes.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Before I even fully entered the gardens, I was blown away by this \u2018Kohout\u2019s Ice Breaker\u2019 Korean fir (Abies koreana<\/em> \u2018Kohouts Icebreaker\u2019, Zones 5\u20138) surrounded by bright blue delphinium<\/a>. Found in the beds right outside the main entrance, this combination conveyed cool and calm even on a hot and sunny day.<\/p>\n

\"garden<\/a>The calm and coolness ended as soon as I entered the main part of the garden. The beds and borders were bursting with every color imaginable, and I was frantically trying to take it all in, pick up on every detail I could, and get some decent photos. This gorgeous collage of low-growing plants under a pink flowering dogwood (Cornus<\/a> florida<\/em> f. rubra<\/em>, Zones 5\u20139) was one of many standouts.<\/p>\n

\"white<\/a>While there were plenty of huge, sweeping scenes that blew me away, some of the smaller vignettes were just as exciting. A Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa<\/em>, Zones 5\u20138) with Multi-Blue clematis\u00a0(Clematis<\/em><\/a> \u00d7 \u2018Multi-blue\u2019, Zones 4\u201310) and a bright pink climbing rose was stunning in the Arbor Garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"tiny<\/a>If you\u2019ve followed my travels and garden visits on the blog, you might remember that I have a penchant for woodies, and the weirder the better. This Troll ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba <\/i>\u2018Troll\u2019, Zones 3\u20139) was tiny, but grabbed my attention from miles away. If you want to add the interesting leaf form and fascinating history of this ancient tree to your garden but have limited space, this is a fabulous option that only grows to about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.<\/p>\n

\"garden<\/a>Near the caf\u00e9, along the outside of the Great Lawn<\/a>, this border of yellow, orange, and chartreuse was absolutely glowing. While all of the plants in this section were very cohesive and complementary, the lady\u2019s mantle (Alchemilla<\/a> mollis<\/em>, Zones 3-8) cascading over the stones in front was particularly lovely.<\/p>\n

\"giant<\/a>I\u2019m not exactly sure where this beautiful planting was spotted, as these incredible \u2018Red Giant\u2019 alliums (Allium<\/em><\/a> \u2018Red Giant\u2019, Zones 3\u20139) were sprinkled around the garden, but I really enjoyed them planted between the golden, creeping \u2018Angelina\u2019 sedum<\/a> (Sedum rupestre<\/em> \u2018Angelina\u2019, Zones 5\u20138) and taller dark purple sedums.<\/p>\n

\"Josephine<\/a>Sometimes one plant, not even a rare or unusual one, puts on a scene-stealing performance. This \u2018Josephine\u2019 clematis (Clematis<\/em> \u2018Josephine\u2019, Zones 4\u201310) was growing on one of the pond bridges, which give incredible views of the gardens, but the way the light was hitting this cluster of bulbous blooms captured my attention.<\/p>\n

\"Coastal<\/a>While plenty of sunscreen was needed, I couldn\u2019t have asked for a more perfect day to visit the garden. Not too hot, as long as I took things slow (and caught the shuttle whenever I could), and the bright skies were creating dazzling reflections on all the ponds and water features in the gardens.<\/p>\n

\"Soren<\/a>Of course, I couldn\u2019t share photos from CMBG without sharing a couple of the iconic trolls. The \u201cGuardians of the Seeds\u201d by Thomas Dambo<\/a> are as big a draw to the gardens as any of the plants, and showcase how gardens and art go hand in hand. Each troll represents a different part of a plant, and one of my favorites was S\u00f8ren, which represents the branches. This is obvious in his funky haircut, but S\u00f8ren\u2019s limbs reaching out to the sky also signify branches growing up to better access the sun.<\/p>\n

\"Birk<\/a>Another favorite was Birk, which might be the most difficult capture and appropriately symbolizes roots. These trolls are a bit of a hike to get to but are worth the effort. The time spent under the forest\u2019s canopy is also a nice reprieve from the sunny pathways of the gardens.<\/p>\n

Did you visit any public gardens so far this year? If you traveled to visit a botanical garden that has been on your bucket list, or took the short journey to a local garden you visit every year, we\u2019d love to see some of the highlights of what you saw and captured!\u00a0Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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We want to see YOUR garden!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Have photos to share? We\u2019d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!<\/p>\n

To submit, send 5\u201310 photos to\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a>\u00a0along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We\u2019d love to hear where you are located, how long you\u2019ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.<\/p>\n

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on\u00a0Facebook,<\/a>\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0with #FineGardening!<\/p>\n

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet?\u00a0Sign up here<\/a><\/p>\n

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DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw with 6-Piece Saw Blade Set<\/p>\n

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.<\/p>\n

You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It\u2019s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
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Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.<\/p>\n

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