I was able to take a bit of time off this week for some camping in Maine and was able to include a visit to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. I was blown away. I hadn’t heard of the gardens before, just stumbled upon it in a “things to do” web search, and boy am I glad. I’ve had the good fortune to visit numerous botanical gardens such as Denver’s gem and the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Massachusetts and Coastal Maine holds it’s own very well, and quite possibly surpasses even the Denver example. Delightful gardens around every curve of the paths, plenty of ponds, whimsical 20 ft tall wooden trolls residing in forest area understory, ponds, stone or teak benches scattered generously to rest for a few and soak in the beauty, and of course an impressive array of nature’s floral glory. Despite being the latter half of September a wide range of plants were blooming profusely, attracting some better-get-a-move-on Monarch butterflies and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds trying to stock up on nectar for the next leg of their daunting journeys.

The Garden is a relative youngster, first opening in 2007 after the first all-volunteer steps to bring it to fruition starting back in 1991. You wouldn’t know it to see it: the plantings all have that “we’ve settled in nicely, thank you” feel to them, all designed to flow seamlessly from one area to the next, a little surprise awaiting around every curve of path. The volunteers and staff were invariably friendly but there just to guide and answer questions, otherwise they quietly receded to let you enjoy the gardens.

It helped that the weather was stellar – clear blue, pleasant temps – but even in a drizzle I think I would have had a memorable visit.

My only complaint? At 3+ hours away it is too distant to easily explore multiple times per year to enjoy the different flowers that celebrate each season. But a return visit (or more) are certainly on my to-do list.

Highly recommended!