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Kayakers explore Boothbay Harbor, a rocky shoreline that's best navigated by kayak and bike.

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Posted on Sun, Jul. 5, 2009

Maine's sensuous delight

By Beth D'Addono

For The Inquirer

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.

Dan and Lyn Lerner happened upon the gardens during a lunch at the Kitchen Garden Cafe to celebrate their granddaughter's graduation from elementary school.

"We fell in love with the place," says Dan Lerner, founder of KISS-100 FM (which later became Y-100).

While the Lerners' donation of more than $1 million made the Garden of the Five Senses possible, it was the mission of Mollie Moore, an original board member and resident of nearby Southport.

Moore and her husband were on a garden research trip in England when she lost her sight to pneumococcal meningitis. When a friend told her about the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's sensory garden, the notion of incorporating something similar into the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens began to take shape. They researched sensory gardens in places such as Osaka, Japan; Singapore, and Montreal.

"We go to the garden to relax, to slow down," Dan Lerner says. "It's such a beautiful, joyful place."

From Botanical Gardens to Boothbay Harbor

Visiting the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens can easily be a day trip from the Portland/Freeport area, just an hour to the south, where you can stay at the Harraseeket Inn, shop at the flagship L.L. Bean store, and browse the outlet stores along Main Street.

In Boothbay, stay at one of the harborside motels or, just out of town, at the funky Linekin Bay Resort, a ramshackle collection of comfy cottages on pristine Linekin Bay. A great option for families, with an all-inclusive rate that starts at $100 per adult, including meals, kayaks, sailboats, and sailing instruction, the property has been family-owned for more than 100 years.

If you're looking for upscale, the tony Spruce Point Inn offers a spa, waterview dining, and rates in the $169-$269 range for rooms with garden and ocean views.

You can have local lobster every which way at casual eateries like the Lobster Dock and Kaler's Crab & Lobster House downtown. But for a change of pace, get dinner at Ports of Italy, owned by Milan-born Davide Rossi and his wife, Christa.

The Thistle Inn is a favorite for happy hour, and live music at McSeagulls draws an amiable crowd. The restored Opera House offers live theater and musical entertainment.

THINGS TO DO

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Barters Island Road
Boothbay
207-633-4333
www.mainegardens.org

Tidal Transit Kayak Co.

18 Granary Way
Boothbay Harbor
207-633-7140
www.kayakboothbay.com

Cap'n Fish's Boat Cruises & Whale Watch

Pier 1, Boothbay Harbor
207-633-3244
www.boothbayboattrips.com

Boothbay Railway Village

586 Wiscasset Rd. (Rte. 27)
Boothbay
207 633-4727
www.railwayvillage.org

Kenneth Stoddard Shell Museum

Hardwick Rd. & Rte. 27
Boothbay
207-633-2370

Maine State Aquarium