BOOTHBAY, Maine — The coast of Maine is probably better known for lobsters and windjammers than rose gardens and flowering dogwood trees.
But at one of America's newest gardens, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, you'll find nearly 1,300 varieties of plants, world-class sculptures and a restaurant that uses herbs grown on the grounds. The garden also has trails that offer classic Maine scenery, from evergreen trees to lobster boats.
The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, in their second year of operation, are located on a peaceful 248-acre plot on the edge of the Back River, a tidal waterway that flows into the Sheepscot River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Visitors have 10 ornamental gardens to choose from, along with more than two miles of trails through forests of towering spruce, pine and fir trees. A shoreland trail meanders along half a mile of the river, giving a view of islands, lobster buoys and a fishing cooperative on the opposite shore where lobstermen sell their catches.
Here you'll get a full flavor of Maine, from the coastal scenery to granite ledges and outcroppings on the garden grounds that were formed by glaciers thousands of years ago. The visitor center has Maine-made furniture and the restaurant features breads, produce, cheeses, mustards and other foods — even root beer — grown or manufactured in Maine.
"We always say you can see all of Maine here," Executive Director Maureen Heffernan said.
The entrance is a winding dirt road through the woods leading to a high-ceilinged visitor center designed by Quinn Evans Architects, a Washington architectural firm that specializes in traditional design. The building has a gift shop, a classroom/library and a restaurant where people can eat inside or at tables on an outdoor garden terrace.
Outside, each ornamental garden has a distinctive theme: There's the rose garden, the pond garden, the meditation garden and the rhododendron and perennial garden, which has a waterfall, more than 10,000 flowering bulbs and 120-plus different types of rhododendrons.
If trees are to your liking, the Kousa dogwoods put on a show throughout the summer with their white, yellow and pink flowers. Hundreds of white-barked birch trees line a dirt road through the woods, forming the picturesque "Birch Allee," or birch alley.
The land here in Boothbay at one time was destined to be developed into a subdivision. But instead, in 1996, it was purchased by a group of local residents intent on creating Maine's first botanical garden.
Supporters over the years have raised $12 million to turn their dream into reality. After years in the making, the garden opened in June 2007 with a goal of 25,000 people passing through. More than 40,000 showed up, and Heffernan hopes for 45,000 to 50,000 this year.
Besides the gardens, the site has permanent and visiting art exhibits, both inside the visitor center and on the grounds. The gardens also host musical performances, including the Portland Symphony Orchestra, a string quartet and a steel drum band this summer.
If You Go
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: Barters Island Road, Boothbay, Maine; http://www.mainegardens.org or 207-633-4333. Open year-round, daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults, $10; seniors $8; children 5-17, $5; children under 5, free; Family (two adults and two children), $25. Free admission January through March.
