Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

My buddy, Shannon, accompanied me to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, in Boothbay, today. The weather was mostly cloudy, with the air temperature in the upper 50s and a stiff breeze. This kept the blackflies at bay, yay! Although, when the clouds shaded us from the sun it was chilly!

Map of the Botanical Gardens. The gardens are extensive and varied. We spent 3 hours (which we feel is the perfect amount of time) exploring the majority of the gardens throughout this almost 300 acre park.

And, here is the path we took around the gardens!

There weren't too many flowers in bloom yet, but I found myself in tulip heaven, along with a healthy dose of giant hyacinths!

The ponds and creeks were lined with gorgeous marsh marigolds that were abuzz with hoverflies and a few scattered bumblebees!

I love this photo of tulips, ferns, the tree and the bridge...

Speaking of ferns...there are tons of them, and they are all in the fiddlehead stage where they are starting to unfurl in preparation for the summer season!

The Botanical Gardens are famous for their stonework incorporated into the landscaping. Here are the Shiatsu stones that you walk barefoot on to massage your feet!

More tulips...

And...fairy houses...Nearer to the river, a path winds its way through a forest where a wonderful children's area with a toad stool bench, a little fort-like area, and a place for kids to construct fairy houses is located. It is magical!

Remember that this is a coastal park. It is located on the Back River which runs into Sheepscot Bay, and then the Gulf of Maine. There is a boat rental area and landing for kayak rentals, and you can take a guided boat tour from the Botanical Gardens. We did the boat tour several years ago, and it was so interesting.

After visiting the river, we walked to the rhododendron gardens. As it was early in the season, there were very few rhododendrons blooming, but that was okay. This is my favorite part of the Botanical Gardens. 

I find it incredibly relaxing to sit near the frog pond and watch the waterfall. The sound of running water is very peaceful.

Here is a view from atop the waterfall. Over the next three weeks, the rest of the rhododendrons will be in full bloom and this hillside will be stunning!

Me... I see a sea turtle's head... What does this rock remind you of?

As we headed to our next destination, I just had to pose with Mother Earth to give her my respect.

Our final destination was the Childrens' Garden. It fills me with such joy to see kids in a part of the Botanical Gardens that is just for them!

The whale rock sculptures are the best! Water shoots out of their spouts randomly and it is fun to watch. As we passed the whales, the childrens' maze was on our left. It also has some awesome rock sculptures of dragons, etc!

The pathways throughout the Children's Garden are lined with...you guessed it...tulips! There will be lots of other flowers filling in as the season progresses, but early in the season the tulips abound with such a richness of color! What a glorious feast for my eyes;-)

When I am in the Botanical Gardens, I feel like a queen surveying my floral kingdom. I only shared a fractions of what is there. You have to visit in all seasons to see how it evolves. It is one of my favorite destinations in Maine!