Jake and I took our first ever RV road trip earlier this month. We rented a small 21 foot sleeper van with a pop-top and drove 2200 miles across Maine, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. It was cozy, cold, a lot of work, a lot of planning, and a great adventure. We saw so many animals and amazing sunrises. Highlights of the trip included self-guided tours of four botanical gardens.
On the recommendation of some trusted friends with good taste, we made it a point to include a lengthy visit to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Booth Bay on our way to Nova Scotia. The gardens were spectacular! A sprawling, well-maintained property with every manner of display. Shade gardens, sun, butterfly, native, colonial, cottage, sculptural, water-features, succulent, vertical, trellising, low-growing….everything!
Mid September was an ideal time to visit the gardens, even in a light rain, because everything was so lush and filled in from a long fruitful season. There was plenty still in bloom for annual flowers, and the vegetable gardens were spilling over with produce.
I’m always so impressed with professional garden-planners’ mastery of layers. The predictive understanding of height and depth for each plant is so perfectly translated into precise viewing windows for each specimen. Boarders swell to 10 feet wide and 8 feet tall but nothing ever looks crowded, nor bare, and every plant feels just within reach while tucked into its perfect little spot in the choir.
Endless inspiration on these winding paths. If only I had the time to give my garden a fraction of this level of care and attention.
Another great feature of the gardens were the trolls scattered throughout the woods and hiking trails. Made of natural materials, these enormous art installations are meant to decompose back into the landscape overtime. We found them all!
If you are ever in Booth Bay, even if you’re not much of a gardener yourself, I highly recommend a visit to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens for a half-day of beauty and joy.
