2013 Camden (Maine) House & Garden Tour Part 3
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.
The last garden on the Camden Garden tour has sweeping views of Rockport Harbor.
Before I get to the post, I want to let the customers of Carolyn’s Shade Gardens know that we will be reopening for the fall in mid-September. As usual there is a packed schedule including low maintenance gardening seminars, a double hellebore offer, and an opportunity to buy shrubs and vines. The first open house sale is scheduled for Septmebr 28, and cyclamen breeder John Lonsdale will be making a guest appearance with his gorgeous, fall-blooming hardy cyclamen. You will start getting emails shortly with all the details.
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Another view of Rockport Harbor from the Holmes garden.
This is the last installment of the posts on the gardens featured on the 66th Annual Camden House and Garden Tour, which I attended in July. For photos of the Camden and Rockport, Maine, area and profiles of the first four gardens on the tour, read part 1 by clicking here. Part 2, which you can find here, features the fifth garden, a classic Maine cape with a gorgeous perennial garden. This post will focus on the Holmes house and garden, a palatial estate covering five acres overlooking Rockport Harbor.
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The entrance to the Holmes garden is quite lovely with this handsome, stone-pillared gate opening onto a handmade bridge bordered by woods.
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As we crossed the bridge, we came upon this dwelling, which we thought was the featured house, but it turned out to be the caretaker’s cottage. I want that job!
The Holmes property is located at the end of Sea Street, a road bordering scenic Rockport Harbor The house is newly built to resemble 20th century shingle-style Maine “cottages” (read grand estates). It has magnificent views of the harbor from every vantage point as well as extensive gardens and very impressive stone work. The inside of the house was gorgeous too but could not be photographed. Although I prefer a much simpler lifestyle, this house and garden were fun to tour and a great source of ideas. Enjoy the photos:
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the Holmes cottage
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Looking out from the house, across the perennial gardens and lawn, through the encircling edge of woodland to the harbor.
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Between the house and the ocean are massive shrub and perennial gardens .
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A lot of the plants were shade plants at their peak. I wish I could have gotten more photos, but it was noon on a bright and sunny day, great for viewing but not so hot for photography.
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Looking down from the porch that extends the length of the house to an elegant circular garden in the center of the lawn area with the harbor as backdrop.
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Up on the porch looking out.
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Particularly notable in the design of the house and gardens was all the beautiful stonework in the extensive walls, stairs, and patios. Stone was used especially well in the pool area and the pond and stream that surround it.
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Stone stairs leading to an elegant pergola over the full shade garden on the front of the house.
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Stairs on the side of the house along the stream on the way to the pool.
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The pool area: a naturally planted stream runs under and on both sides of the wide stone bridge in the middle of the photo.
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Looking down the stream with the harbor in the background.
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The boulder stream pours over several small waterfalls as it heads down the hill and under the stone slab to the pond.
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The waterlily pond lined with boulders.
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Looking back at the house from the harbor’s edge.
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A path leads through the woods at the edge of the harbor to a stone couch with a view over the water to the open ocean. I could have stayed there all day.
Click here, Camden House and Garden Tour , for information about next year’s tour on July 17, 2014.
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: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens will reopen shortly with a packed schedule including low maintenance seminars, an open house on September 28, a double hellebore offer, and a chance to order shrubs and vines. Customers on my email list will get an email shortly.
Facebook: Carolyn’s Shade Gardens has a Facebook Page where I post single photos, garden tips, and other information that doesn’t fit into a blog post. You can look at my Facebook page here or click the Like button on my right sidebar here.
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CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS 
August 31, 2013 at 9:58 pm
Such a lovely house and garden!
September 2, 2013 at 10:38 am
Larry, It really was fun to visit but a bit over the top. Carolyn
August 31, 2013 at 10:47 pm
Beautiful!! 🙂
September 2, 2013 at 10:38 am
Glad you enjoyed it.
September 1, 2013 at 4:53 am
With views like those, you hardly need a garden. I liked the way some of the views were glimpse s through trees, framing a view is so important rather than just leaving it completely open. It makes you look and appreciate it more.
September 2, 2013 at 10:40 am
Christina, The views through the trees were magnificent. The untouched areas around the property were just as beautiful as the gardens. Carolyn
September 1, 2013 at 5:35 am
This has been an interesting series of posts. I like the circular garden and that stone seating looking over the water.
September 2, 2013 at 10:41 am
I think I need a stone couch. It was actually quite comfortable.
September 1, 2013 at 6:08 am
What a place!
September 2, 2013 at 10:42 am
I appreciated that all the homeowners opened their properties to the hundreds of visitors attending the tour.
September 1, 2013 at 10:06 am
Love the garden for the views of the harbor alone, Carolyn. That circular garden is stunning. P. x
September 2, 2013 at 10:51 am
Pam, Mid-coast Maine is a beautiful area. Carolyn
September 1, 2013 at 10:45 am
The Holmes “cottage” is on a par with some of the Newport “cottages”! What eye candy! Thanks so much for the great photos!
September 2, 2013 at 10:53 am
The inside of the house was quite beautiful too. The owner is a very talented furniture maker and had constructed an amazing high boy and a desk.
September 1, 2013 at 11:56 am
Very beautiful property and grounds. I would have loved to see it, inside and out. I agree with you, i too prefer a more simple lifestyle. That house looks like it holds a lot of stately parties!
September 2, 2013 at 10:55 am
Donna, The house is featured in the book Leading Residential Architects and was designed by John Morris Architects. Carolyn
September 1, 2013 at 2:33 pm
All we need is millions and millions of dollars and we could have this too! Quite beautiful, but not at all personal, I don’t think. I’d much rather visit all of our quirky little gardens which are designed and grown with love (and a bit of obsessive/compulsive behavior!)
September 2, 2013 at 10:56 am
Bonnie, The Holmes house and garden is beyond the reach of most people, but it was very fun to visit—lots of nice shade perennials. Carolyn
September 1, 2013 at 4:22 pm
Hello Carolyn,
What a fabulous series of photos – amazing house, location and garden. And that stone couch is glorious. Best wishes for your new season,
Julian
September 2, 2013 at 10:57 am
Julian, I think I would prefer your house but you are too far away over there in Wales. Carolyn
September 2, 2013 at 10:17 am
Wow Carolyn what a grand place…I love porches overlooking the water…well my hopes to visit your nursery this fall have been dashed. As I figured work will interfere. I have to travel to our state capital for a week of training in late September, and another project in October. At least we know when all the training is that is required this year. So looking forward to May.
September 2, 2013 at 10:58 am
Donna, I will be happy to see you whenever you make it down to this area. Carolyn
September 3, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Lovely place, Carolyn. That “couch” almost looks soft and cushy! I think I would have taken a dip in that pool!
September 9, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Beth, The pool was tempting, but I already got in trouble putting my feet in the pool at Fioli Gardens. The couch was comfortable. Carolyn
September 4, 2013 at 12:45 pm
WOW!!! would love to experience
September 4, 2013 at 5:09 pm
The house reminds me of Dallas or Dynasty that I used to watch as a kid. I can’t remember what their gardens were like though.
September 9, 2013 at 2:46 pm
Bag, The house reminded me of a giant ocean liner with all it’s levels. The materials used were quite beautiful. It was just a little too big for me. Carolyn
September 5, 2013 at 7:27 pm
It’s beautiful…as are your photos. I do prefer to just enjoy the ‘natural’ Maine landscape when in Maine — be it the lakes or the coast. But I guess if I had the kind of $$ I’d be tempted to adorn my ‘cottage’ (more like mansion!) with gorgeous gardens, streams, pools, etc. To me, the view of the bay tops everything else, though:)
September 9, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Jan, The views of the harbor were gorgeous and the house and gardens were designed to highlight them. Carolyn
September 7, 2013 at 1:43 pm
I agree, I would not mind living in the caretaker’s cottage! The main house is beautiful, and the garden and water views are breathtaking. I love all the stone work. I can imagine what a grand lifestyle the family that originally owned this place must have had.
September 9, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Deb, The house was recently built by the current owners. It only resembles the houses built in theGilded Age. Carolyn
September 14, 2013 at 8:39 am
Hi Carolyn
We are moving to a village named Holmes Chapel, its not exactly as picturesque as these images you show us but its pretty cool in an old mannie sort of way. Love Rockport Harbor.
September 14, 2013 at 9:09 pm
Alistair, I can’t wait to see photos of the new area. Good luck with the move, is it soon? Carolyn
September 23, 2013 at 9:16 pm
I don’t know why more pools aren’t designed to look like part of the greater landscape.
September 24, 2013 at 8:48 am
Les, You are right tehy do look so much better that way but I am sure it is amazingly expensive. Carolyn