Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

On one of our camping trips to Maine, we made our way to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. We found a place that held much more than flower beds. Garden paths opened onto colorful plantings, while wooded trails led us into a landscape that felt familiar from our time camping in Maine. We could enjoy the care that had gone into the gardens and still feel close to the woods around them.

The gardens began as an idea shared by a group of Maine residents. After years of planning and planting, they opened to the public in 2007. They now extend across more than 300 acres, with cultivated gardens set within a much larger landscape of forest and coastal habitat. The grounds include perennial gardens, spaces designed to engage the senses, and trails that reach the shore of the Back River. That range is part of what makes the visit distinctive: the experience changes as you move from flowers and lawns into the quieter woodland.

We spent time among the blooms and open garden spaces before following the trails into the trees. There, giant wooden trolls created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo waited throughout the woodland. Called Guardians of the Seeds, the five figures are made from recycled wood. Each represents a part of a tree, from roots and trunks to branches, leaves, and flowers. Their story encourages visitors to think about the life of the forest and their own part in caring for it.

We spent time among the blooms and open garden spaces before following the trails into the trees. There, giant wooden trolls created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo waited throughout the woodland. Called Guardians of the Seeds, the five figures are made from recycled wood. Each represents a part of a tree, from roots and trunks to branches, leaves, and flowers. Their story encourages visitors to think about the life of the forest and their own part in caring for it. 

The trolls added surprise and playfulness to our day, yet the gardens were memorable in their own right. The flowers, paths, and surrounding woods gave us different ways to enjoy the same place. We had set out on a camping trip to enjoy Maine’s landscape, and at the botanical gardens, we found its beauty in the flowers, the woods, and the paths we explored together.