In addition to all the lighthouses, one of my favorite things to do in Maine was explore the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. There is an admission fee of $22 per person but it is well worth it! The 300-acre garden offers beautiful flowers, birds, toads, walking trails, and – best of all – sculptural trolls!
The central gardens are universally accessible; however, the rest of the trails are sloped forest paths and gravel walkways. There are one-hour accessible cart tours available from June to October. There is also a shuttle that picks up and drops off around the property.
Giant Trolls
There are 5 giant trolls, called the Guardians of the Seeds, throughout the botanical gardens – each with their own name, form, and purpose. These trolls are made of recycled pallets and other salvaged wood. Their locations are on the garden map, so you know where to find them.
Roskva
Roskva stands for the trunks. She is the heaviest, tallest, and strongest.
Lilja
Lilja holds the scent of the flowers. As the youngest, she loves the colors, bees, and butterflies.
Birk
Birk holds the roots. He is the wisest and most mysterious who listens to the whispers of the soil.
Søren
Søren sticks up for the branches. He loves to celebrate and dance, curious about what is happening around him. This was my favorite troll!
Gro
Gro smiles with the leaves. She disappears in the fall and returns in the spring to feed all her friends.
Fairy House Village
Nestled in the forest near the shoreline, the fairy house village offers people the chance to build their own fairy dwelling. Most are built out of bark, stone, sticks, and leaves along tree stumps or walls.
Burpee Kitchen Garden
The kitchen garden offers herbs, edible flowers, fruits, and vegetables for the kitchen. There are café tables for visitors to enjoy their food outside in nature.
Great Lawn
The great lawn has a massive rock and moving sculpture called Wild Orchid at its center.
Arbor Garden
This garden’s main draw is the post-and-beam arbor. According to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens website, the designers wanted to create an informal twist on European botanical rose gardens. Climbing roses, native wisteria, clematis, ornamental grapes, and honeysuckle cover the arbor.
Garden of the Five Senses
The path winds through the garden in different regions emphasizing the five senses. There are fragrant herbs and flowers, edible fruits and vegetables, panoramic views, a tactile labyrinth, and sounds of running water and frogs.
Sculptures
In addition to the trolls and Wild Orchid, there are several other sculptures throughout the gardens. Some of my favorites are Flock of Birds (a kinetic stainless-steel piece), Pine Cone, The Codfather, and Sentinel Island II (a fountain).
There are a handful of simple sculptures on the Backwoods Trail as well.
The one downside of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens was the café. I felt the food was very overpriced for basic sandwiches and sides.
This attraction can be an all-day or multi-day event or a quick stop to enjoy nature.
I don’t know how I missed this . What a beautiful experience. The photos are lovely. The Maine Botanical gardens are on my bucket list.