Research, along with horticulture and education, is part of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ three-pronged mission. Since purchasing our initial 128-acre waterfront property in 1996, we have undertaken several long-term research projects that continue to this day. We will undoubtedly be adding new research initiatives both on the original property and on the adjacent 120 acres donated to the Gardens by the Pine Tree Conservation Society in 2005.

Lady-Slipper Survey: 2009 marked the twelfth year that Gardens volunteers have recorded information about our population of pink lady-slippers along the Shoreland Trail in a research project initiated and led for eleven years by highly regarded botanist Dr. Joanne Sharpe. Beginning in 2009, the horticulture staff took on the task of managing the project, with the guidance and assistance of Dr. Sharpe.

Each year, amateurs and professionals join forces to count and measure each and every one of these wild orchids within a grid they lay out in the primary growth area. They compare data from year to year to determine what conditions are advantageous, or detrimental, to these lovely plants, thereby adding to the body of research on wildflowers in general, and on the lady-slipper in particular.

Vernal Pool: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens has a fine example of a vernal pool, located roughly across the main drive from the Horticulture Building. Volunteers led by Jean Howe have for many years visited this pond each spring to monitor the number of species present, the vegetation, and other factors. They check to see that it contains the frogs and salamanders that are acceptable in a vernal pool, and does not contain other species (fish, for example) that would mean that it doesn’t qualify as such.

Fern Hardiness Study: A bed of 30 or so ferns that follows a curve in the Shoreland Trail is more than just a decorative planting; it is a research project for the Hardy Fern Foundation, a non-profit organization in Washington State. About a dozen sites across the country test ferns for the HFF to see how they stand up to varied conditions and to judge their ornamental value as garden plants. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens volunteer Catharine Guiles and others study the ferns and note their condition before making annual reports to the Foundation.

Take a few moments as you walk the Shoreland Trail to enjoy the array of shapes, sizes, and colors in this collection. If you see a tags with no corresponding plant, that indicates a trial specimen that didn’t make it. On the other hand, you may find some ferns you’d like to add to your own landscape; and you’ll know they’re hardy to at least our zone.