Gardens Aglow tickets are on sale NOW! Weekends and holidays do sell out, so get your tickets early to ensure your ideal day and time.
Join Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, for a tour of the Gardens’ insect life. Our little friends are often overlooked, but their impact is often felt! Come find out which bugs are pests and which are our friends in this fascinating tour.
During this session, participants will get an up-close look at dragonflies and damselflies and learn how to tell the difference between them, as well as how to identify a few specific species within the groups. Participants will also learn about their life stages as they explore the ponds of CMBG in search of the larvae that transform into the adults we all know so well.
Join horticulturists Diane Walden and Brent McHale on a tour of their container garden designs in the Burpee Kitchen Garden, the Arbor Garden, and the Great Lawn. Learn about the different styles on display, from the organized to the whimsical, the bold to the muted, and the minimalistic to the complex. Diane and Brent will describe the plant varieties providing those stylistic differences and how plant placement can affect the design and overall management throughout the summer.
To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, class are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols.
Rain Date: Saturday, August 14, 2021
Join naturalist and botanical watercolor artist Hillary Parker for a fascinating three-day botanical watercolor workshop exploring the submerged plant life growing along the rocky shoreline of the Gardens' stretch of the Back River.
Our bees are always buzzing with activity, and this year is no exception. Join us this July for a tour of our new native bee exhibit. Sarah Callan, CMBG’s Interpretation & Exhibits Educator, will walk you through our apiary and native bee exhibit, exploring our local bee populations.
Learn to see the world from a bee’s-eye view! During this session, Sarah Callan will teach participants how to identify common native bees. Participants will visit the Gardens’ two bee-themed exhibits and go behind the scenes at our apiary to learn about the differences between native and non-native bees.
In this session, participants will explore new garden areas in search of medicinal plants with CMBG horticulturalist, Jen Dunlap. Participants will be introduced to a wide variety of medicinal plants that can be used safely to treat colds, wounds, stress, headaches, and so much more. Participants will also learn what part of the plant to harvest, how to harvest, and how to dry and prepare medicinal plants.
This registration is for the in-person event, which will take place indoors in our Education Center at 75% capacity. Please note: both online and in-person registration is available for this event.
In this conversation Abra Lee will discuss her garden roots from the dirt-road country of the rural South to a lesson in family history that helped define her life’s purpose. This is a story of failure, persistence, and how taking her Mama’s advice to “don’t be no educated fool” led her on a journey to uncover Black America’s legacy in ornamental horticulture.
The Ina and Lew Heafitz Endowed Lecture celebrates leading thinkers in horticulture, landscape design, sustainability, and more. These nationally-recognized speakers address cutting-edge and timely topics, presenting enriching talks centered around their work in nature-related fields. The annual lecture is free for all.
Abra Lee is a national speaker, writer, and owner of Conquer the Soil, a platform that combines Black garden history and current events to raise awareness of horticulture. She has spent ""a whole lotta time"" in the dirt as a municipal arborist, extension agent, airport landscape manager, and more. Lee is a graduate of Auburn University and alumna of the Longwood Gardens Society of Fellows, a global network of public horticulture professionals.
In this interactive walking-tour, students will gain insight in including art in the landscape, at any scale, while viewing examples located throughout the Gardens.
Paint a beautiful silk scarf with a botanical theme. Specimens will be provided by the Gardens to inspire your creativity and design. Students will go home with a lovely scarf and a fun new skill. Materials are provided for a $20 fee, collected on the first day of the workshop.
Back by popular demand! Join us August 3-10 when perennial favorite, The Caterpillar Lab, sets up its functioning caterpillar rearing, researching, photographing, filming, and educating facility in our hallways. No two days of this residency are alike! Come experience live caterpillar displays and witness how The Lab cares for and works with these amazing, surprising creatures. Learn more about the exhibit here.
Join us and get mothing! The Gardens has teamed up with The Caterpillar Lab for an after-hours mothing extravaganza. Lightsheeting, or “mothing,” is the practice of providing an irresistible surface for insects to land on by illuminating a large white sheet. This favorite pastime of biologists has quickly become a popular hobby for nature lovers, gardeners, and the naturally curious worldwide. Popular events like National Moth Week and Mothapalooza have been attracting more and more attention—and now you, too, can be an explorer at this exclusive, after-hours event.
The Caterpillar Lab Director, Sam Jaffe, will arrange his ultra-moth-attracting setup and be on hand to help identify the hundreds of species we’ll likely attract. Come ready to be amazed by the diversity, size, and beauty of Maine’s nocturnal insect inhabitants. Before long, you too will be hooked on this popular pastime.
For the best experience, avoid bright clothing, wear long sleeves and pants, and bring a flashlight and insect repellant. This program is designed for anyone ages 10 and up, adults and families alike.
Interested in gardening with ornamental grasses, but aren’t sure if you’re ready to commit or how to apply them in a garden? At Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, we have a plethora of ornamental native and non-native grasses through which Syretha Brooks, gardener and garden designer, will guide you. By studying the variety of shapes, sizes, textures, and colors, students will clearly understand how to use grasses effectively in perennial gardens or naturalized settings. Discussion will include grass management, cultivation, and habits.
To provide safe, in-person classes at the Gardens, classes are held entirely outdoors and have been reduced to 12 students. We are practicing Maine CDC social-distancing protocols. This course is alternately available in an online format.
Syretha Brooks is a horticulturist and project manager at Pretty Flowers, a landscape and design company based in Brunswick, Maine. A native of Harpswell, Maine, she has a degree in fine arts from Smith College, which has greatly aided in developing her eye for plant designing and curation. Syretha was formerly a horticulturist at New York City’s Wave Hill Gardens before returning to her home state of Maine and working as a horticulturist here at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens for four years.
The Caterpillar Lab is moving in, and while the exhibit is filled with munching critters offering lots to explore, the real story is the one happening outdoors. In our many gardens (as well as your own backyard), these creatures are living out their strange lives in the wild. Join The Caterpillar Lab Director, Sam Jaffe, on an exploration of the Gardens in search of native caterpillars and other insects. Learn how The Lab finds its caterpillars, all about host plants and parasitoids, and discover caterpillar-finding secrets from one of the world’s foremost caterpillar hunters! This walk is appropriate for naturalists, gardeners, and explorers of all ages. It may not, however, be appropriate for more casually interested younger children.
Spend time with naturalist Sam Jaffe on a special tour of The Caterpillar Lab exhibit. Hone caterpillar-identification skills and learn some of the different unique adaptations caterpillars take followed by a guided walk in the Gardens to look for caterpillars.
Learn from expert wreath maker Jen Dunlap, whose amazing and imaginative harvest wreaths feature dried floral and foliar cuttings from the garden. Walk the Gardens with Jen and learn which plants are perfect for dried wreaths and other dried compositions. Jen will discuss the proper time to cut and drying methods. This class pairs perfectly with the online tutorial, Making a Harvest Wreath, happening in October.
Have you ever seen some wild blueberries or blackberries and just had to grab a quick snack? Berries are just the tip of the iceberg so to speak when it comes to edibles to forage in our rich forests and fields. Come along with Curator of Living Collections, Andy Brand, on this tour as we explore lesser-known edibles that grow throughout our native habitat.
Seeds are miracles of the plant world – a lot of power packed into a small case that sustains nature’s biodiversity. Former horticulturist and lead propagator of Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary and native seed specialist, Leslie Duthie, will guide students through the process of growing meadow plants from seed. Whether you’d like to convert a lawn into a mini meadow-scape, diversify an existing field, or start a large-scale meadow from scratch, Leslie will share the secrets of making meadows succeed. Using the palette of the Gardens’ naturalized areas, discussion will include seed collection, storage, and plant selection as pertaining to the environmental conditions of a setting.
Leslie Duthie is a lifelong gardener. She was formerly employed at the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary where she was the horticulturist and plant propagator for over 38 years. An accomplished grower of ferns and wildflowers, she says you can't really know a plant until you have grown it from seed. Now retired, she continues to volunteer at various gardens and works to protect land for her local Conservation Commission and land trust.
Celebrate the natural world by creating a work of art honoring the relationship between an animal and a plant. Block printing, a form of relief printing, is the oldest, simplest, and most direct approach to making an impression. Experience all aspects of the process, from handling and care of tools through inking and printing your own images by hand.
Join Horticulturlist Lesley Paxson on this tour of the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through one of our most beloved gardens while learning about its unique design and planting themes.
Does your child love nature and want to expand their identification skills? In this program geared toward students ages 8-14, participants can join our specialists for weekly, small-group outdoor sessions.
Plants may be slowing down this time of year, but insects are busy preparing for the coming winter. Join us as we visit our apiary with our beekeeper, search for the different stages of butterflies in our many gardens, identify insect mating calls, and dip nets into our ponds to learn about the different winter survival strategies used by our native insects.
Please note: In an effort to keep the group size small, this is a drop-off program. If your child would be more comfortable with you nearby, please contact Erika Huber at ehuber@mainegardens.org before the session to discuss options.
Please bring a face covering to be worn while indoors at the Gardens.
Cost includes admission for child and adult chaperone.
Join our educators this fall for in-person walks to explore nature and experience fall at the Gardens, perfect for ages 4-8.
Join us as we investigate what exactly plants are up to in the fall. We will search for interesting seeds and seedpods (even some edible ones!), learn about seed dispersal and the lifecycle of a plant, and discover the importance of seeds and their many adaptations! Participants will also make seed bombs to take home.
Please bring a face covering to be worn indoors at the Gardens.
Cost includes admission for child and adult chaperone. Parent participation is optional.
Whether grown from seed or transplanted as seedlings, native woody species can adapt to changing conditions and challenging environments, benefitting urban communities and rural developments or woodlots by filling in empty spaces and protecting and bringing nutrients back to the soil.
Drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and incise! Learn the art of encaustic painting in this hands-on workshop using pigmented wax and a heated palette! Through a rich variety of marks and surfaces, explore the various painting techniques of this seductive medium. We will also look to CMBG’s gardens as sources of inspiration.
Nothing says autumn like apples. Ron Ross, CMBG volunteer and apple expert, will explain how to cultivate new varieties of apples, going into some detail about breeding for desirable traits. The tour will end with a bit of apple pressing—can you guess how many apples it takes to make one gallon of cider?
Join our educators this fall for in-person walks to explore nature and experience fall at the Gardens, perfect for ages 4-8.
We will put our five senses to work as we wind our way through the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, experiencing this garden in a whole new way. Participants will be encouraged to sample different herbs and veggies that may be new to them. As a take-home, participants will pot up a mini herb garden to enliven their senses at home.
Please bring a face covering to be worn indoors at the Gardens.
Cost includes admission for child and adult chaperone. Parent participation is optional.
Does your child love nature and want to expand their identification skills? In this program geared toward students ages 8-14, participants can join our specialists for weekly, small-group outdoor sessions.
Fall is a great time to forage for wild edibles as plants mature and offer us a tasty bounty of seeds, berries, mushrooms and more. Local forager and restaurateur, Nikaline Iacano, will lead participants through the Gardens and surrounding woodlands in search of wild edibles to enjoy and identify. Bring your taste buds and a sense of adventure! We will end the session by making a tea with some of our finds.
Please note: In an effort to keep the group size small, this is a drop-off program. If your child would be more comfortable with you nearby, please contact Erika Huber at ehuber@mainegardens.org before the session to discuss options.
Please bring a face covering to be worn while indoors at the Gardens.
Cost includes admission for child and adult chaperone.
Deepening your connection to nature through moving meditation offers enormous benefits for personal well-being. Follow Susan Bickford, forest therapy guide for the ancient Japanese practice, Shinrin Yoku, or forest bathing, as she gives you the tools to begin your own meditation practice. In this gentle class, experience how the simple practice of walking mindfully through a forest can provide deep serenity. By engaging with the forest with all five senses, we enhance awareness and presence. Despite a busy lifestyle, taking time for ourselves is enormously important—what luck that we can do so by walking in the forest!
Does your child love nature and want to expand their identification skills? In this program geared toward students ages 8-14, participants can join our specialists for weekly, small-group outdoor sessions.
They might be small, but mosses and mushrooms play a pig part in keeping our forests healthy. They also love the fall weather, so join us on our search to identify them in our Maine woods. Participants will learn what makes them so special and all about their similarities and differences.
Please note: In an effort to keep the group size small, this is a drop-off program. If your child would be more comfortable with you nearby, please contact Erika Huber at ehuber@mainegardens.org before the session to discuss options.
Please bring a face covering to be worn while indoors at the Gardens.
Cost includes admission for child and adult chaperone.
Our Northeastern forest genera consists of a wide assortment of deciduous and coniferous species that vary throughout the macro- and micro-climatic regions of Maine. Understanding these species helps inform landowners about management, the local ecology, soils, and successional development. Join us and learn how to identify many of Maine's forest trees and about concepts like silvaculture and climate adaptive species. Autumn is the perfect time for this exploration—beyond the natural spectacle, the range of fall colors provides Allysa Gregory, Maine District Forester, the perfect palette by which to explain trees and their color choices. Leave feeling more connected to our forests and confident in identifying trees in your area.
Does your child love nature and want to expand their identification skills? In this program geared toward students ages 8-14, participants can join our specialists for weekly, small-group outdoor sessions.
For trees, fall is a time of beautiful and dramatic changes. During this session, participants will learn handy tricks for remembering both the coniferous and deciduous trees of the Maine woods, gain an understanding of the science behind fall foliage, and learn an experiment they can perform at home.
Please note: In an effort to keep the group size small, this is a drop-off program. If your child would be more comfortable with you nearby, please contact Erika Huber at ehuber@mainegardens.org before the session to discuss options.
Please bring a face covering to be worn while indoors at the Gardens.
Cost includes admission for child and adult chaperone.
Join us for this hour-long tour through our central gardens. Meet by the Café building and walk through the gardens surrounding the Great Lawn. Learn the origin stories and people who made each garden possible, highlights of the Gardens’ history, design elements, and botanical details.
Dive into forest ecology and discover how to become a better steward of our ecosystem, just like the Guardians of the Seeds. These trolls have emerged at the Gardens to save the seeds of Maine’s most important tree species—help them protect the trees by deepening your connection to the forest around you. In this guided tour, learn not only how you, too, can become a guardian of the forest like our giant trolls, but all about these important trees, their significance in our landscape, and some of the many threats our forests face. Note that the emphasis of this excursion will be on the Maine forest, and we will only see three trolls on this tour.
Join Director of Horticulture, Andy Brand, and Youth Programs Educator, Bridget VerVaet, for a morning tour before the Gardens opens to the public. Explore our wonderful bird population at the height of the spring migration season. Bring a sharp eye, but binoculars are recommended. All skill levels welcome.
Treat your mother to flowers at the Gardens! We’re offering free admission for all mothers. No need to purchase a ticket for her—just purchase your own and bring Mom along.
The Photography Club meets every other Thursday morning at the Gardens, 7-9 a.m. Enjoy having the whole of our campus to yourself for two hours before we open to the public. Come and capture the stunning morning light, May-October. You must be a member of the Gardens to enjoy this amazing perk. The first meeting of the year is Thursday, May 12.
Spring is such a wonderful time to enjoy the Gardens! Come join Horticulturist Courtney Locke on a tour of our early spring blooms and bulbs in the crisp spring air. Courtney will share her extensive knowledge and help get your gardens looking great for next spring!
Ever wonder what it would be like to have the whole of the Gardens to yourself? Members can come find out! From May through August, join us for any of our several Member Evenings at the Gardens, open 5-7:30 p.m., exclusively for our members. Enjoy these quiet, tranquil hours and relax with us here at the Gardens. Register early--space is limited!
Set up your easel and paint or sketch at the Gardens for free! Enjoy glorious spring weather and capture some brilliant color. The event is a bit earlier this year, and thinner crowds mean artists can spread out and enjoy the tulips and daffodils. There is no charge for entry, but you must pre-register for this event. You may attend one or all of our plein air days.
The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections between people and nature and promote plant conservation through horticulture, education, and plant science.
Copyright 2024 Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
