Maine Monday 4: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

It's the last Monday of the month, which means it's Maine Monday time (better late than never, right??)! This month, I've got lots of summery eye candy for you from the

           ...Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. 

Open since 2007, the gardens encompass 250 acres near the coast in Boothbay, Maine. On Saturday, I went to the gardens for the first time with my mother and sister, and despite the record heat, we had a fantastic time exploring the gardens and pretending the lush, green and manicured property was our own backyard!

Note: The day started out cloudy then became sunny, so you'll see some photos in bright light.

We saw lots of pretty lilies, roses and other colorful flowers blooming in the height of summer...

One of my favorite parts was the children's garden, opened last year. It had a massive treehouse, a maze, stone whale sculptures that spouted water and little playhouses that even had grass growing on their roofs.

I loved the "bog" too!

And no kids' garden is complete without some animals-in-residence.

For the grown-ups, there was a lush meditation garden with a beautiful water feature and a view of an ocean inlet.

A garden of the five senses had aromatic plants like lavender and mint, silky-soft plants like lambs' ear, the soft sounds of water features and even tomatoes and blueberries you were encouraged to pop in your mouth (when ripe, of course!).

The gardens were dotted with sculptures and art from Maine-made artists, as well as pergolas with adorable outdoor seating where you could sit and rest. I want this in my backyard!

We spent about three hours there, but could have spent a lot longer, if it hadn't been so hot. We also spent some time browsing a handful of local vendors selling jewelry, art, food and other products.

A few more photos...

Cabbage and lettuce in the kids' garden

Weeping trees

 

If you're in Maine or planning to visit, I would highly recommend a visit to the gardens. But not if you're allergic to bees. That place was constantly buzzing!

Yep, there's my mom and sister!

Thanks for your patience with this month's Maine Monday (I'm sure you were all just hanging on the edge of your seats all day waiting for this...haha). Read the other Maine Mondays here!