Situated in Boothbay, Maine, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are often regarded as one of the US’s finest. With over 300 acres of gardens and dramatic outdoor spaces to explore, you will come home bursting with ideas for your own backyard.
Encompassing beautifully designed gardens, shoreland and forest trails, art and education, there is so much to be inspired by within the iconic garden's designs and its must-see highlights.
Featured as one of Beyond Wild Expectations: 21 of the most beautiful gardens in the world, we delve deeper into what makes Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens such a prized outdoor space and what inspiration we can take from it to shape our own gardens, improving our well-being and deepening our love of outdoor living.
What Makes Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens An Iconic Garden
Beginning in 1991 as a dream of MidCoast residents, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, a people’s garden, opened in 2007 and now inspires hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to learn about natural history, habitats, botany, horticulture and ecological connections.
When asked what makes it such an iconic garden and special place to visit, Daniel Ungier, Vice President of Guest Experience and Education at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens says: ‘We are known for gardens that uniquely reflect the stunning beauty of our region: with miles of tidal waterfront, acres of dense Maine woods, and 15 unique ornamental gardens displaying a dazzling variety of native plants, annuals, and perennials, there is so much to explore.'
Furthermore: 'In addition to the beautiful horticulture, the gardens have a robust collection of artwork that complements its surroundings. The five giant trolls created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo attract guests from across the US and beyond.’
With so many exceptional gardens to see, it is hard to know where to start. From the Native Butterfly House and Great Lawn to the more than 175 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas displayed in the Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden, there really is something for everyone. Here are our highlights:
Lerner Garden Of The Five Senses
To entice the senses, a visit to the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses is a must.
Engaging all the senses through fragrant herbs and flowers, edible vegetables and fruits, panoramic views, running water, local wildlife, and a reflexology labyrinth, the garden is also designed towards universal accessibility and includes a horticultural therapy area.
Dahlia And Iris Garden
Depending on the time of year, you will want to see the stunning Dahlia and Iris Garden.
Beginning as a dahlia trial garden in 2019, it proved so popular that it soon became a permanent feature and exhibits an extensive array of exceptional cultivars in a variety of colors and forms.
However, it was not until 2024 that the Currier McEwen Siberian Iris Collection was added.
‘A pioneering iris breeder, Dr. Currier McEwen, introduced more than 160 new cultivars of Siberian iris during his retirement in Harpswell, Maine. Both beautiful and tough, Siberian iris thrive in coastal Maine’ says Daniel.
Arbor Garden
Drawing inspiration from the formal rose gardens of Europe, the spectacular Arbor Garden is a sight to behold. Centred around a large post-and-beam arbor constructed from Douglas fir, it is draped in climbing roses, clematis and climbing hydrangeas.
Daniel adds: ‘Nestled in the adjacent beds are two 5ft copper fiddleheads woven in the style of traditional native basket weaving by Shane Perley-Dutcher, a Wolastoq mixed media artist from the Neqotkuk Wolasqiyik (Tobique First Nation) in New Brunswick. The piece teaches about traditional Indigenous foraging and principles of reciprocity.'
Burpee Kitchen Garden
If you are a keen vegetable or fruit grower, or you'd like to start growing your own, a visit to the Burpee Kitchen Garden is essential, and with a new planting theme every year, this kitchen garden is ideal for visitors to draw fresh inspiration from.
For 2026, Daniel reveals that ‘the planting for the Burpee Kitchen Garden is inspired by the diversity of culinary traditions found around the world. We hope to help guests understand the connection between the food on their plate and where the fresh ingredients come from, and hopefully, inspire them to grow their own.’
Bibby And Harold Alfond Children’s Garden
If you are visiting with children, they, and you, will not want to miss the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden, which, as Daniel says, ‘is designed for children to explore and experience and not worry about their surroundings being off-limits.’
Made up of two acres of woods, ponds and theme gardens inspired by Maine’s children's book authors, kids will love the learning garden, greenhouse, chicken coop and maze lawn, amongst others.
Ideas To Steal From Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Whether you have acres to play with or a small patio, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are a font of inspiration for your backyard at home.
Engage all the senses
Connecting with nature can be beneficial for mental health and what better way than engaging all the senses, as the Lerner Garden facilitates so well.
Whether a pond, a water feature, or a fountain, water is often a key element of a wellness garden. From providing a calming sound to a place of stillness or reflection, water can be used for a variety of purposes. Even installing a small feature such as this Avonlea Pond and Water Basin from Wayfair, will give you a place to be still and observe the wildlife in your garden.
To engage your taste buds, you don’t have to have a dedicated vegetable patch, as you can simply include a few tasty strawberries or edimentals in a window box. Or, when it comes to smell, a few fragrant herbs in pots or at the front of the border will have you dreaming up recipes in no time.
Include vertical interest
Often used to provide a shaded seating area, arbors are ideal for adding some vertical interest and structure to your backyard. Typically constructed from metal or wood for a more natural style, arbors are perfect for allowing your favorite climbers to sprawl over.
Whether an evergreen climber, a climber that thrives on neglect, or a fast-growing climber such as the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus), there are multiple options for you to choose from. Suitable for growing in zones 2-11, you can purchase Sweet Dreams Mix Sweet Pea Seeds from Burpee.
Plant up shaded areas
Shady areas often get forgotten or, at best, are used for a shed and compost bin storage, but that need not be the case. Surrounded by towering trees, the Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden and Vayo Meditation Garden beautifully showcase many shade-loving plants, including hostas, ferns and epimediums.
From shade-loving perennials such as the elegant Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert', available at Nature Hills, to shrubs that thrive in the shadows, there is no excuse not to plant up a shaded spot at home.
Not only ideal for a day out, public gardens are also a great source of garden ideas for you to borrow and use at home. From the perennial garden of the New York Botanical Garden to the drifts of flowering bulbs in the Graham Bulb Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden, you’ll be amazed at the tried and tested and innovative ideas you can come away with.
