Happy Friday GPODers!
For some added inspiration and color to get us through the winter months, our website editor, Christine Alexander, has gone through her own archives to share some amazing photos she’s captured that haven’t found their way to finegardening.com or the print magazine. To start, she’s sharing some shots she took while visiting New England’s largest botanical garden.
I visited Coastal Maine Botanic Garden in Boothbay, Maine as part of the crew going to work on the video Andy Brand did for us on Dividing Perennials in Fall, which is definitely worth checking out (and doing as well)! I was so amazed by the garden that I ended up shooting a video about the park itself. Andy, the Horticultural Director for the garden, is a long-time contributor to Fine Gardening magazine. You can see some of the many articles he has written for us here.
The gardens were lush, colorful, and gorgeous – even in late October. There are various areas of the botanic gardens, and I daresay you could spend a few days exploring the extensive property. Andy ended up giving us an overview of a few of the most popular gardens, including the garden of the five senses, the children’s garden, and the garden on the slope. The insights into how each of these gardens were designed and maintained were many. Andy also offered ideas for how to bring some of what makes these gardens so special to your own garden and home. Aside from the gardens themselves, there are many programs for kids and adults alike, a yearly native plant sale, and there are amazing statues including the huge trolls- the Guardians of the Seeds – designed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, which are so fun to search for. Each troll has an accompanying story and message that kids and adults alike will appreciate!
The photos below are just some of the different sights and vistas that grabbed my attention. You can watch the video about these gardens here if you want to see more!
As Christine mentioned above, this trip happened in the late season but there was no shortage of sensational color to be admired. And this wasn’t the fall color that you might first imagine when you think about New England in autumn, but an absolutely exhilarating mix of colorful flowers.
Of course, you don’t get far into CMBG without encountering some whimsy. Aside from the jaw-dropping troll statues that are an attraction in themselves, there are tons of permanent sculptures throughout the grounds and space for art on exhibit. This adorable cat-shaped picket fence can be found in the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden.
Can you believe all of this bright color was in bloom in late October… in MAINE?
If it weren’t for the plumes of ornamental grass and sprinklings of distinctively fall bloomers like dahlias and marigolds, I would swear that Christine got these photos confused with a trip she made in the summertime.
More gorgeous grasses blowing in the wind, and a glimpse of ‘Wind Orchid’, another incredible sculpture that can be found a CMBG. This towering piece of art is made of steel by George Sherwood, an artist and engineer known for his kinetic sculptures.
Also inside the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden is this sweet structure with a ‘living’ or ‘green’ roof. Just in front you can see the cat fence peeking out from the flurry of yellow flowers.
Do you ever look at a planting and think the best word to describe it is “fluffy”? That’s exactly what I’m getting from this combination of Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum, Zones 3–9) blooms and Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii, Zones 6–8) foliage.
Located on more than 300 acres, CMBG spans such a large amount of space that each garden has a distinct and different style and vibe. Brighter, more vibrant plantings in other areas make way for calmer, moodier plantings amongst water features in shadier gardens.
Kaleidoscopic combinations of bold colors can be enjoyed and compared to more sophisticated pairings of contrasting light and dark foliage and flowers.
Just about every color scheme, design style, and plant category can be found on display. No matter what your design preferences are, there is some inspiration you can take away (or straight up steal) for your home garden.
Thankfully, Christine took so many stunning photos of CMBG that we have a second batch to marvel at next week! You didn’t think we’d show off all these amazing plantings but not a single photo of one Dambo’s infamous troll statues would you? Be sure to tune in next week for another installment from Christine, and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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