Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

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Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Wow, it's been a year since I've been to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and how I have missed them. On this trip, my bosom buddy, Jane Ray (hailing from Colorado), accompanied neighbor Shannon and I.

Echinacea

Flowers galore...That's what the gardens are all about. I was surprised to see this species of Echinacea. It was so pretty, and so different from what I am used to observing in my garden.

And, of course, the daisies were numerous and cheery.

Twelve-spot Skimmer

I am sad to say that we did not see a single butterfly in the gardens. However there were some Twelve-spot Skimmers fluttering about. It is so disturbing that Maine has virtually wiped out the honey bees, butterflies, and most dragonflies due to pesticide use. Upon the early days of visiting the Botanical Gardens, we used to be surrounded by so many butterflies that we felt as if we were in a scene from Fantasia. Alas, those days are no more...

I think that the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are probably just about the best in the country (but I am biased;-) The Children's Garden is awesome and provides us with so much pleasure. There are pathways lined with flowers, tiny buildings galore filled with all kinds of treasures, sculptures, and even a tiny greenhouse to explore.

The spouting whale rocks are favorites, in the Children's Garden, for young and old. Here you can cool off in the spray of the spouts which go off randomly. Magical!

Just a few of the many fairy sculptures in the children's garden.

Within the Children's Garden, there are lots of fairy sculptures by various artists. I love, love, love all the details by these imaginative people.

The gardens are also about sculpture. There are sculptures scattered hither and yon throughout the trails and gardens. Here are a few of my favorites! When going to the gardens with Shannon, everyone must pet the bunny. It's tradition!

One of my favorite places is the Vayo Meditation Garden. There is a pool carved out of a gorgeous piece of schist rock that is stunning. And, you can sit on benches that look out over the garden toward the Back River.

As we walked toward the rhododendron garden, we passed a forested fairy house village for kids. Kids of all ages can create their own fairy houses within this magical space;-)

Our final destination was the rhododendron garden. It still had a few late blooming rhododendrons flowering, and was so gorgeous. The hillside view, looking out at the waterfall and down to the pond, is always stunning.

Duckweed covers the pond and there are green frogs galore!

Of course, my favorite part of this garden is the waterfall. The rock that the water falls over is horizontal and allows for such a pretty ribbon of water.

Top Left: Shiatsu Rocks, Top Right: Chair in Children's Garden
Bottom L: Meditation Garden, Bottom Middle: Whale Rock in Children's Garden, Bottom R: Garden Tool Arbor

Here is Jane in all her glory. Sweet;-)

And, finally I leave you with Mother Earth. Namaste...

Cloudy, cold and sad day

I am not having the best of days. It is cloudy, cold, and damp out. And, I am having a difficult time finding just the right way to honor my sister, as this is the one year anniversary of her death. 

Lilac buds

Last year, our lilac bush bloomed for the first time ever on this sad day, and it brightened my spirits upon arrival home several days later. This year, the cold weather has delayed the bloom. But, the flower buds are such a pretty, deep purple and the anticipation of their opening is exciting...

Trout Lily

I wandered around the yard looking for other flowers to cheer my soul. The trout lilies are in full bloom and are absolute lovely. I spent a few moments admiring their yellow beauty. They are like a ray of sunshine on this dreary day.

Daffodil

And, there are some daffodils that have survived the hard frost and snow. They do wonders for bringing light into my heart as they are some of my favorite, hardy and dependable garden flowers.

Bleeding Heart

And, last but not least, are the bleeding hearts. They are usually in full bloom by now, but this year the flowers are still forming. I love their deep red beauty and delicate structure no matter what phase of flowering they are in.

To sister, Jane, I salute you! You were always the brightest ray of sunshine to penetrate my being as we traversed our sisterly life together. Your soul radiated the beauty of all the flowers on Earth bundled together. I miss you dearly...

Wellies take a walk

I just arrived home from NYC, where I attended the most amazing celebration of life - a memorial for my sweet, sister Jane. Early this morning, before departing NYC for home, my most awesome bro-in-law, David, asked if I would like any of Jane's clothes. Well, there is nothing more that I wanted than to wear something that my sister had worn. I feel so close to her when wrapping my body in her apparel.  So, through her closet we went. And, we found a treasure...her new wellies!

Jane had always wanted some LL Bean boots, but they were out of those most coveted by the majority of the Maine population, so apparently she ordered some wellies, unbeknownst to me. She only got to wear them a couple of times, in NYC, before cancer took her away from us. The minute I saw those wellies, I knew that I just had to have them. 

You see, the timing was perfect. I had just gone to Target last week, looking for a pair, because mine had a few blowouts at the seams. But, there were no wellies to be found. And, you know that no Mainer can live without his or her wellies! (Now, please note that I'd rather that my sister was alive to wear this pair, but I think that she is smiling upon seeing that I have already taken them out for their maiden voyage around our property in Maine.) 

Out we went, my wellies and I, for a walk on this damp afternoon. First, we traversed the front yard, so that they could see the flowers and stumps that I love so much. 

Stump with pinks and chives nearby

My wellies raced to the stump garden to explore. Before I knew it, they were posing with the greenery of the pinks, on the stump, and the chives nearby.

Blue Flag Irises

Then, they saw the irises...Blue Flag irises are a bit more petite than your larger garden variety of irises, and my wellies were very enthusiastic upon seeing them. The irises are in full bloom next to the stump. And, I told my wellies that this variety of irises would soon be blooming in Caesar pond as well.

Lupine

But, before we went over to the pond, we just had to gawk at the lupines which are in full bloom in the secondary stump garden. We only have purple lupines, but you can see groupings of pink and white varieties, on hillsides all around Maine, at the moment.

Highbush Blueberries

And, nearby are the highbush blueberries, which still have a few blossoms hanging on, as well as the beginnings of blueberry fruits. My wellies are looking forward to tromping around the blueberry plants as the season comes into full swing. Ah...blueberries... Of course, we'll be lucky to harvest any of the sweet fruits before the birds get ahold of them!

Muddy path to the pond

"Okay, okay," I told my wellies, "we'll go over to the pond now!" Gee...my wellies were chomping at the bit to tromp through a bit of mud. Go figure! That is what they are made to do, so off we went at a jaunty pace...

Ahh.... The pond is ever so refreshing...

Wellies at Caesar Pond

My wellies just couldn't resist propping themselves up against a boulder so that they could gaze at Caesar Pond. Because they are rather short of stature, my wellies were forbidden to wade in the pond as my feet would get too wet. So, they were satisfied to gaze at it from afar.

Poison Ivy

While we were lazing around, we saw some poison ivy next to the boulder. So, I decided to educate my wellies as to the dangers of this wily plant! I have had a reaction to poison ivy in the past, and do not want a repeat performance! I told my wellies to remember the age-old saying, "Leaves of three, let it be."

And with that, we ended our first outing together. I'm sure my wellies and I will have lots of great adventures throughout the summer and autumn seasons. We will dedicate each adventure to my sister, and we'll thank David for uniting us as we explore the environs of Bowdoin!

Fractured feelings and the rebirth of springtime

Azalea coming into bloom gladdens my heart.

Wow, there are days like today, when I feel as though I am drifting... It seems so surreal, and I cannot wait for the work day to be over. The emotional pain I feel, and the emptiness in my gut are so difficult to address as I work with kids in the classroom. When I finally arrive home, I am extremely drained and wander aimlessly through our property trying to find something to smile at...something to lighten my soul. And, there is always a burst of happiness, a little light, and then the darkness threatens to snuff out the flame. Such is the roller coaster I am riding after the death of my dear sister...

Wild blueberry gives me hope of sweet fruits

Begonia is so bright and cheery

My good friend, Lynne, had some wonderful words to impart through a letter she wrote to me. She said, "I was so saddened to read your blog and find that your sister had passed away. These losses leave us with few words that can bring any comfort. I suppose it is age that makes us suddenly aware of how precious life is. Every day brings more loss but I hope you find solace in your garden. I know that is where I go when I need peace. It is reassuring to see how nature constantly renews itself. Someday, we will all drift with the stars. I take some comfort in that..."

Solomon's Seal is incredibly elegant,
and is a feast for my eyes.

I find that I need my garden. I need nature. I need to see life renewing itself. This constant provides me with an anchor that I know will always be there when I require comfort. Thank you, Mother Nature, for giving me solace each day. Although I weep with deep sadness, I also find time to smile and give you a high five for all the wonders you impart to this world...

Lilac has me jumping for joy as this is
the first time it has ever blossomed
in the 10 years since I planted it!

Mt Washington (White Mountains of New Hampshire)

I made a quick trip to New York City due to the unfortunate, and untimely death of my sweet sister, Jane. And, I think my sister was smiling down upon me, and cleared the clouds away so that I got to view Mt. Washington, from the airplane, for the first time. What a gorgeous mountain. Thanks, Sis, for being with me, and for lightening my heart for a few moments...

Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

I dedicate this beautiful plant to my loving sister.

I have many plants that were introduced to North America from other parts of the world. One of my favorite, most colorful, small flowering plants is Lungwort, or Pumonaria. This shade loving plant is native to Europe and western Asia. Its flowers are predominantly blue with a few pink blossoms sprinkled throughout. I get an incredible amount of joy seeing this plant throughout three of my gardens.

Many moons ago, herbalists thought that the leaves reminded them of a lung, hence the name. I have a few choice words for the leaves of this plant as their hairs cause me intense pain from contact dermatitis. I must always remember to wear garden gloves when working with them.