BOOTHBAY, Maine - Stand still, and hear the calming sounds of a gurgling fountain and the breeze rustling through the leaves of a hybrid poplar tree. Run your fingers along the edge of a low stone wall planted with velvety lamb's ears. A circle of random river stones invites bare feet to explore. In planted, waist-high beds, contrasts of brilliantly colored blossoms and spiky foliage inspire closer examination. Follow a path, and the heady aroma of earthy lavender, spicy peonies, and sweet roses perfumes the air.

In this place along Maine's untamed central coast, an oasis of beauty blooms.

The Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, dedicated last month, is the newest addition to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, a 250-acre swath of nature, both cultivated and wild, about an hour north of Portland. It is named for benefactors Dan and Lyn Lerner of Merion, Pa., who have lived here part-time for more than 20 years.

The Lerners have a long record of philanthropy, but this three-quarter-acre garden marks their first donation to create a public space - a gathering place for families and tourists and an enabling place for people with disabilities.

"We've done other things to give back," Lyn Lerner says. "But this garden, this place, brings me such joy. I'm so happy to have our name on it."

The designers employed a variety of elements to accomplish what's called "wayfinding" - sensory cues by which a person with a disability can navigate and feel differences in the garden landscape. Guideposts range from textured path surfaces to signs in raised lettering and Braille and garden beds planted with herbs, berries, and edible flowers, all there for the touching and tasting.

A central fountain cascades down a granite wall, the sounds of the water changing depending on your vantage point. More than 7,000 plants, each appealing to one of the senses, transform a once-empty lot into a riot of color and scent.

A large pavilion and vine-covered pergola is one focal point, an outdoor classroom meant for interactive programming to make gardening possible for all.

Depending on your interests and the weather, which in Maine changes minute to minute, a visit to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens can take a few hours or most of the day. And you don't have to speak plants to enjoy yourself.

A trail along the tidal Back River delivers contemplative water views. Or walk the more rugged two-mile Maine Woods trail, a secluded loop punctuated with native ferns and huge, mossy ledges. There are rose and perennial gardens, an expanse of woodland plants, a hillside garden with a dramatic waterfall, and a meditation garden facing the water.

Art is everywhere, from Steve Tobin's whimsical giant pine cone made of industrial materials reclaimed from a Bethlehem steel mill to a large, chiseled-glass orb by Henry Richardson and a metal kinetic sculpture by George Sherwood called Wind Orchid.

And for a rugged slice of Maine life, explore sea-worn Boothbay Harbor, on a rocky section of coastline between the Sheepscot and Damariscotta Rivers, with about 2,500 locals. The largest boating harbor north of Boston, Boothbay Harbor is the quintessential fishing village, home to lobstermen, ship builders, and, in summer, pleasure cruisers and the yachting set.

It's a friendly place with lots of locally owned shops, restaurants, and natural beauty. The compact downtown includes a working fisherman's wharf, sightseeing cruises in the harbor, and a rocky shoreline that's best navigated by kayak and bike. There's not much in the way of beaches, but Knickerkane Island Park is one of the few spots for public swimming.

The Maine State Aquarium, with its collection of colorful lobsters, and the Kenneth E. Stoddard Shell Museum are worth checking out. And there's a restored turn-of-the-century Maine village at Boothbay Railway Village, where you can ride a coal-fired narrow-gauge steam train and wander through the general store, blacksmith shop, and filling station.

Then, crack open a lobster at Kaler's Crab & Lobster House or the Lobster Dock.

For the best view of Boothbay Harbor, head to Ocean Point, a scenic drive out on a spit of land facing town. From there, the working beauty of the harbor, with its lobster boats, pleasure craft, and sightseeing cruisers, fans out like a postcard come to life.

One and a half miles west of Boothbay Harbor, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens maintains the untamed beauty of the coastal wilderness, gently enhancing natural areas with walking paths, sculptures, and massive stone benches perfect for contemplation.

The gardens opened in 2007, nine years after a small group of local residents, horticulturists, and botanists mortgaged their homes to buy 128 acres from a failed housing developer. They were drawn to the site for its tranquil waterfront and native plants, including lady-slipper orchids. Doubled in size by a 2005 land grant, the gardens now include a hemlock swamp, a waterfall feeding into a native stream, and a mile of prime coastal frontage.