READING A PLANT LABEL NATIVE BUTTERFLY HOUSE AND GARDENS TO THE OVERLOOK BRIDGE Our Native Butterfly House and Gardens is a singular experience—a garden of nectar plants for butterflies interplanted with host plants for caterpillars, it’s a wonderful place to begin. Upon exiting, cross the Overlook Bridge and veer left toward the Café and Market. LERNER GARDEN OF THE FIVE SENSES Cross under the larch arch and enter the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. This garden, designed for universal accessibility, opened in June of 2009. Featuring a section for every sense, it also houses our unique outdoor Horticultural Therapy classroom. From fragrant flowers planted in a kaleidoscope of colors to a variety of edible herbs and blooms, a reflexology labyrinth to a pair of sound stones, the Lerner Garden is the perfect entrée to your Gardens experience. BIBBY AND HAROLD ALFOND CHILDREN’S GARDEN Don’t let the name fool you— our Bibby and Harold Alfond Children's Garden is a garden for all ages. Peppered throughout are sculptures representing story characters by Maine authors, a rainbow terrace of colorful blooms, the Coloring Cottage playhouse, and story time and puppet shows in the Story Barn. A treehouse and the rustic back woods lend an extra air of adventure. OTHER SPECTACULAR GARDENS From the Café and Market, take a 20-minute walk down the Birch Allée to the Giles Rhododendron Garden. Our first planned garden is also often the first in bloom. Spectacular in June when its 175 varieties of rhododendron and azalea are blossoming, it remains stunning year-round with its magnificent waterfall, singular sculptures, and winding walking paths. From here, adventure off the beaten path. Follow the Maine Woods Trail to the Shoreland Trail, then wander along the river and watch the tide from our boat Landing. 4 Don't miss Sal's Bear CHILDREN’S GARDEN (ABOVE) AND SAL’S BEAR (BELOW) PHOTOS BY JR P (CC BY-NC 2.0) A ACCESSION NUMBER—As plants are added to our database they are assigned an accession number. The first four digits of the number reflect the year it was accessioned, and the balance becomes a serial number. B PLANT FAMILY BOTANICAL NAME—Includes the genus, species and any sub-species or variety names. D COMMON NAME—Includes the cultivar name. E ORIGIN—Native region of the plant. If nothing is listed, the plant originated under cultivation. Botanical gardens are living museums. Our plant collections are identified and documented to serve our goals of display, education, and conservation. Oxydendrum arboreum Sourwood 20060429a ericaceae NE, N Central & SE USA A B C D E 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT IF YOU’RE WONDERING HOW TO PRIORITIZE—OR ORGANIZE—YOUR VISIT AMONGST A GARDEN OF “MUST-SEES,” START HERE. 1 2