2013 Brunswick (Maine) Garden Tour
Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops and miniature hostas. For catalogues and announcements of events, please send your full name, location, and phone number (for back up use only) to carolyn@carolynsshadegardens.com. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.
One of the gardens on the tour surrounded this classic New England cape.
Earlier this month, I attended the 2013 Brunswick (Maine) Garden tour with fellow blogger Jean from Jean’s Garden. We both spend parts of our summers in Maine, and this is the third summer that we have gotten together for a garden related event. The tour benefited the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. The MCHPP runs the Brunswick soup kitchen, food pantry, and food bank as well as providing services for homebound clients and offering a summer feeding program. It benefits over 1,200 families in need in the Mid Coast Maine area.
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One of the gardens on the tour was the Tom Settlemire Community Garden, a large part of which provides vegetables for the MCHPP.
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The area that grows food for the MCHPP is called the “Common Good” bed and is very neat and organized.
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The tour included nine gardens. Although none of them were spectacular, they all had interesting elements and plants worth photographing. It was one of the days when it was 90 degrees in Maine with very bright sunshine which is not great for photography (or for people to be outside for that matter), but we persevered. It was fun spending the day with Jean and driving around beautiful Brunswick and its environs. I graduated from Bowdoin College, which is located in Brunswick, so I was also reliving my youth.
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The first two houses on the tour belong to Bowdoin College. Behind one is this creative combination of traditional native plants like mayapples and jack-in-the-pulpits with hydrangeas and astilbes.
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The highlight of the day for me was our afternoon visit to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. We went to see the current exhibit called Maurice Prendergast: By the Sea. It features a truly spectacular assembly, filling three entire galleries, of the seaside paintings of American Post Impressionist painter Maurice Prendergast (1858 to 1924). The works, many of which were painted in Maine, span Prendergast’s career and illustrate beautifully how he progressed and changed as a painter and what events and people influenced his style. This excellent show will continue at the museum through October 13.
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Hydrangeas grow so beautifully in Maine.
Here are some more images of the garden tour for you to enjoy:
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Although white on white doesn’t always work, these hydrangeas look gorgeous in front of the home of the President of Bowdoin College.
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This home has a lovely shade garden fronted by sundrops or evening primroses.
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The sunlight shining through the common rue on the right and the complimentary (but unknown to me) plant on the left was a beautiful effect.
Fringed loosestrife, Lysimachia ciliata, is native to almost every state in the U.S. and much of Canada, but I have never seen it before. A large stand of it is quite pretty.
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This garden has beautiful views of Maquoit Bay over expansive perennial beds.
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I can see myself sitting in this charming little playhouse retreat working on the gardening book I have always wanted to write.
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The last garden on the tour called Sky Hy had amazing stonework all completed by the owner from rocks on the property. It was built for entertaining and contained many different levels of seating areas, firepits, outdoor grills, a tiki bar, and other accoutrements of a fabulous party:
Seating area at Sky Hy.
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Paths lead between all the levels and are enclosed by beautiful stone walls.
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Stone floor of one of the party areas.
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Firepit at Sky Hy
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Exposed ledge with lovely complimentary plantings.
I hope you enjoyed the tour,
Carolyn
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Carolyn’s Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.
If you are within visiting distance and would like to receive catalogues and information about customer events, please send your full name and phone number to carolynsshadegardens@verizon.net. Subscribing to my blog does not sign you up to receive this information.
Nursery Happenings: The nursery is closed and will reopen in the fall around September 15. Have a great summer.
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CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS 
July 26, 2013 at 11:33 am
Very nice… you appear to be having a great summer! L
July 26, 2013 at 11:50 am
Beautiful garden! The stone really adds character. Such lovely borders.
July 26, 2013 at 1:28 pm
The homeowner took on some pretty complicated stone cutting and layout. It is difficult for professionals, so i can imagine the work the homeowner had to do. I like the small playhouse too. Very cute design.
July 26, 2013 at 1:35 pm
Donna, The whole garden is on a steep slope and impossible to photograph in its entirety but the paths and stonework went on forever. The owner has been working on the site for eight years and hasn’t built his house yet but the terraces are lovely. Carolyn
July 26, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Carolyn,
Love those Maine gardens! I like the stonework ideas. the green and white photo was inspiring, very simple, clean and classic.
Starr
July 26, 2013 at 4:11 pm
Starr, That’s what I liked about that photo—classic hydrangeas in front of a classic Maine house. Carolyn
July 26, 2013 at 7:04 pm
Carolyn, I enjoyed revisiting these gardens through your photos. I haven’t even downloaded mine from my camera yet! It was great to get to spend the day with you — and next year I won’t be feeling like summer is almost over in July!
Now that the week of hot weather is gone, I can’t quite remember what it felt like. Alas, going back to PA in August usually provides a reminder.
July 28, 2013 at 11:03 am
Jean, It has been cool in PA so maybe it will remain nice in August. I enjoyed our day and look forward to a tour next year. Carolyn
July 26, 2013 at 10:29 pm
Thank-you so much for that tour, I’m sure these cooler temperatures have reinvigorated the gardens and gardeners. Having visited Maine several times, I love to see the difference in perennials between Maine and Virginia. Main is a really lovely place!
July 28, 2013 at 11:02 am
Karen, Yes, we have recovered from the heat up here, although the plants didn’t suffer very much because of all the rain this summer. Maine is gorgeous and a wonderful place for gardeners to visit. Carolyn
July 26, 2013 at 10:35 pm
The unknown plant beside the Rue looks like Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium). Used to stuff mattresses in a bygone era, I like it as a cut flower.
July 28, 2013 at 11:00 am
Susan, Is there a galium with yellow flowers? I am only familiar with sweet woodruff which has white flowers? Carolyn
July 27, 2013 at 4:34 am
Carolyn the MCHPP sounds like a very good organisation and well worth supporting, the paintings of Maurice Prendergast I was surprised at as in my mind when I read your post I was thinking of beautiful Maine scenery, the painting are still very nice and interesting being full of people and how people enjoyed the coast in his time,
the gardens are lovely, I too like the white hydrangeas in front of the white house, green and white always look fresh and clean I think, the stone work is amazing and quite beautiful, thanks for sharing, Frances
July 28, 2013 at 10:59 am
Frances, During the time that Prendergast painted, Maine was the summer destination for many wealthy and middle class families on the East Coast. They came for the whole summer and there were even more of them than come now. There were large hotels, most of which eventually burned down, all up and down the coast where they stayed. Can you imagine spending the day at the beach in your long white dress and petticoats? Carolyn
July 28, 2013 at 11:17 am
with a tight corset too! no wonder they needed smelling salts,
thanks Carolyn for the background info, much appreciated, Frances
July 29, 2013 at 8:30 pm
Yes, you’re right, corsets too.
July 27, 2013 at 4:53 am
Love the gardens and the flowers grow so strong and colourful. That playhouse won me over! The paths are also inviting!
July 28, 2013 at 10:55 am
Barbie, I have been visiting a lot of gardens with a retreat for the gardener. I would love to have one of my own. Carolyn
July 27, 2013 at 8:45 am
I did very much! I recognize one of the houses too!
July 28, 2013 at 10:55 am
Tina, I forgot that you are from Maine. Are you coming up? Maybe we could tour together? Carolyn
July 27, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Wow, the use of stone in so many ways is sensational! I’m noticing stone hardscapes a lot lately–I think that’s my preferred medium. How nice that you were able to spend some time with Jean and visit your old college haunts. I love that cottage!
July 28, 2013 at 10:54 am
PP, Jean and I had a great day. There is nothing like a garden tour in the company of a fellow plantaholic. Carolyn
July 27, 2013 at 11:40 pm
This reminds me how stone is so much more plentiful in the Northeast than it is in the Midwest. That walled path and the big mass of sundrops are especially nice.
July 28, 2013 at 10:52 am
Jason, Yes, there is an abundance of stone here. Usually more than we need. Carolyn
July 28, 2013 at 9:26 am
I am really surprised to see what looks like Hydrangea macrophylla growing that far north, but am glad they can do it. I could not imagine a garden without them. BTW, I think I am going to steal that stone floor idea.
July 28, 2013 at 10:52 am
Les, Any ideas posted on this blog are up for stealing (unlike the photographs). Can’t wait to see photos of your creation. Carolyn
July 28, 2013 at 3:11 pm
What a wonderful day spent with friends…I told Jean once I retire I am coming to visit her in Maine…perhaps we will see each other there as well and you can both show me this lovely state…I have always wanted to spend some time in Maine.
July 29, 2013 at 8:30 pm
Donna, I would love to help Jean show you around. I love Maine. Carolyn
July 30, 2013 at 8:49 am
Thanks for taking time out to share you tour. Visiting gardens with like-minded friends is such a pleasure
July 30, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Christina, Yes, I am sure I would enjoy touring gardens with you. Carolyn
August 3, 2013 at 8:06 pm
I’m a huge hydrangea fan, they look spectacular! Not sure I could cope with those temperatures though.
August 3, 2013 at 8:58 pm
Dee, The temperatures were pretty extreme and I had to keep drinking water to stay hydrated. The car AC was quite welcome. Carolyn
August 5, 2013 at 1:49 am
Wonderful garden, beautiful photos, beautiful presentaion:) Greetings
August 5, 2013 at 6:00 am
simply beautifully captured shots…lovely!
August 9, 2013 at 8:21 am
Wow, your gardens are beautiful, great pictures. I browsed around your site and love all the pictures. Hostas, hydrangeas, ferns, etc….. My ostrich ferns have done well this year with all the rain we’ve had.
thanks for sharing..