Entry into the Children's Garden

Dave on the lift.

The rubber liner has been installed on the activity shelter. Next month we will add the structural supports and soil mix for the living roof.

The pillar with can temporarily in place. The tool arch will rise up from the top of this can and curve to its twin on the opposite pillar. The arch will be made of real garden tools welded together on site.

Contractors in Maine are a hardy bunch. They work outdoors in weather that would leave their counterparts farther south shaking in their steel toed boots. However, mortar is not quite so rugged, and to allow the Jorgensen crew to continue work on the greenhouse foundation, Jason erected a plastic ‘hooch” that can be heated to allow the mortar to set properly.

On this 27 degree day, it was quite pleasant inside the hooch. Stonemason Bill Jacobs, who is also an artist and partner to our plant records coordinator, Sharmon Provan was quite comfortable in a tee-shirt as he cut and placed the stones that will form the base of the 10x16 glasshouse. The glasshouse will be a perfect place for our young volunteers and students to start vegetables and flowers for the garden. The frame has been delivered and it sits protected under tarps until spring. Glass and a construction site are not always good bedfellows, so we thought it best to wait until the heavy construction is finished before erecting it.

Now that the whales are in, paving can progress from the entrance plaza on down the serpentine paths. Today as he has for the last several, Lee Dunning was busy at work on the paths. The concrete pavers are laid out in a specific pattern then Lee has to trim any that do not sit together tightly. The serpentine path that will lead guests down through the rainbow terraces has some sharp curves that kids will surely delight in walking through, but for the stonemasons, these curves are challenging. The whine of the diamond-tipped chop saw rings out in the crisp air as Lee and Bill trim and fit stones.

Lee Dunning laying pavers

A view of the finished walkway from the plaza

Becker Construction has finished shingling the barn and has all but the wooden louvers to install on the cupola. A fanciful pig weather vane will crown this cupola on the completed structure. We have picked out a lovely crescent moon weathervane for the cottage and another of a gull for the activity shelter. These along with the windmill will make it easy to tell which ways the wind’s a blowin’ in the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden.

Now that the trim is taking shape on the activity shelter, I can really picture how it will look with a sod roof and flared, shingled pillars. The wide fascia along the bottom edge hides a gutter that channels water into a rain barrel and also into a small rain garden we’ll install a pocket of the ledge behind the structure.

So, despite the cold, snow, and short days, the work continues. I put together a composite panorama looking northwest from the spot where the lupine meadow will be to show a larger view of the site on this, the first day of winter. - Bill Cullina

A draft of the planting design takes shape

Clematis addisonii (Addison’s Leatherflower) This smoky purple species is one of a large group of North American leatherflower clematis. They are characterized by their bell-shaped, thickened flowers that are very different from the typical garden clematis most folks are familiar with. Like many in this group, Addison’s leatherflower does not vine. Rather, it remains a shrubby perennial about 24-inches tall.

Delphinium tricorne (dwarf larkspur). Delphiniums are famous for their blue flowers, but many are really more of a rich purple than true blue. Case in point is this little woodland wildflower. Dwarf larkspur appears early in the year, unfurling its saturated royal purple blooms over finely dissected leaves. The flowers give way to three-clawed seed pods that quickly shed as the whole plant disappears underground before summer begins.

Gentiana clausa (bottle gentian) Bottle gentian flowers late in the year, hoisting its blue-violet buds atop 18-inch tall, leafy stems. The blooms never open, forcing bumblebees to muscle their way in to access nectar and pollen. It is a long-lived and very satisfying perennial perfect for a damp, sunny spot in the garden. We plan to feature it along the Rainbow Terraces.

Clintonia borealis (blue bead lily) This common Maine wildflower makes the list for its fruit, not flowers (the flowers are yellow with a hint of chartreuse). Blue bead lily prefers damp, shaded spots and its large, tongue-like leaves are easy to spot in the woods here. During the summer, wire-like stems bend under the weight of ½ inch diameter, porcelain blue berries.

Gentianopsis crinita (fringed gentian) As flamboyant as a Vegas showgirl, fringed gentian is spectacular but fleeting. This 2 to 3-foot tall wildflower is a biennial, meaning it blooms and dies in its second year. The large, satiny blue blooms are an unforgettable sight. It prefers soils derived from limestone, and since this is a rare mineral in most of New England, it can be challenging to find in the wild.

Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells). No garden is complete without a few Virginia bluebells. It springs from the ground as soon as it thaws, and soon pink buds uncrinkle and intensify to an irresistible sky-blue in early spring. Like dwarf larkspur, this woodland wildflower goes quickly dormant before summer. We use it much like we would a bulb, mixing it in with later-flowering plants that take over after it has retreated underground.

Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed). Vying for the title of tallest native perennial, New York ironweed can top ten feet in rich, damp soil and full sun. Though its size may make it difficult to accommodate in smaller gardens, the stately stems rise like great, green exclamation points in the lower reaches of our Cleaver Event Lawn. In late summer, each is crowned with lavender domes comprised of myriad small aster-like blooms.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’ (‘Purple Dome’ New England aster). Though New England aster is one of the true glories of the fall landscape, by the time it flowers, its 3 to 4-foot stems are stripped bare albeit for a few shriveled and spotted leaves. This is of little consequence when skirted by grasses and goldenrods in a native meadow, but it is somewhat embarrassing in a well-tended garden. Enter ‘Purple Dome’ – a selection introduced by the Mt Cuba Center in Delaware. This compact form bears full-sized, deep lavender blooms on stems that grow only 16 inches high. The flowers effectively screen the unseemly stems and let the glory of the display proceed without distraction. Look for it around the edge of the Great Lawn.

Geranium maculatum (wild cranesbill) Few wildflowers give so much while asking so little as wild cranesbill. Most common along poorly mown roadsides, this spring-blooming wildflower lifts its cheery pink blooms on 16-inch stems over the course of 2-3 weeks. Seeds soon follow and these are forcibly catapulted from the plant so they may make purchase far from the smothering leaves of their mother.

Dicentra eximia (fringed bleeding heart) Studying a plant in the wild after years of growing it in gardens can be a revelation. I have always used fringed bleeding heart as a shade perennial, and it certainly excels in this capacity. Lacy mounds of foliage frame arching stems tipped with the unique heart-shaped blooms. My attitude shifted once I spent some time with it in the mountains of West Virginia, where it grows lustily amid rocks and moss above the tree lime. In such exposed locations, the plants stay in bloom most of the summer and far longer than they do in the shade. I have since begun using this lovely plant in sunny situations and it flowers on and off from spring well into summer.

Helonias bullata (swamp pink). Colors such as white, pink, and violet are common among flowers, but I know if very few hardy plants that combine shocking pink with pale blue the way swamp pink flowers do. The unique two-toned clusters rise dramatically on stiff stems above clumps of leathery leaves. Though you would never suspect it by the flowers, this rare species of the Atlantic coastal swamps is distantly related to trilliums. We have planted a few along the upper pond in the Lerner garden of the Five Senses.

Rosa virginiana (Virginia wild rose) I photographed this voluptuous wild rose on my inlaw’s property on Mount Desert Island, ME. Though this tough-as-nails native shrub can produce flowers that range from pale shell pink to white, specimens from Downeast Maine tend toward a more flamboyant shade. This is an easy to grow shrub for any sunny, well-drained spot in the garden but be forewarned – it does like to ramble. Look for cuttings from this plant in the renovated Haney Hillside Garden in 2011.

Trillium sulcatum (southern red trillium) Trillium sulcatum is a large species with a center of distribution around the Great Smoky Mountains. Its flower color ranges from deep wine red to velvety crimson like the one pictured here. Look for it near the pond in the Children’s Garden.

Spigelia marilandica (Indian pink) Like the trillium preceding it, this brilliant red wildflower hails from the Southeastern US. It is one of the few hardy species in the largely tropical family Loganiaceae, and for us in Maine, getting it through the winter can be a bit challenging. The effort is certainly worthwhile, as the scarlet blooms lined with creamy yellow are dazzling. We have a nice patch growing along the small terrace on the Cleaver Event Lawn.

Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) The epitome of sanguine, cardinal flower is almost painful to look at, so intense is the redness of its blooms. Cardinal flower spends the winter as a low rosette of narrow leaves but shoots up dramatically during the summer. Flowers are produced atop the 3 to 5-foot stems from July through August and they are hard to miss in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses.

Chamaepericlymenum (Cornus) canadensis (bunchberry) You may not recognize its tongue-twisting new Latin name, but the brilliant red berries of our native bunchberry are sure to ring a bell. This diminutive dogwood is one of favorite groundcovers, and we use it extensively in both sun and shade throughout our gardens.

Clematis texensis (Texas Leatherflower) Hailing from the Edwards Plateau in the center of the Lone Star State, this distinctive vining Leatherflower has passé on its scarlet hue to generations of garden clematis hybrids. Even if have never seen the true wild species, if you are a clematis grower, you undoubtedly have seen its progeny. Though its flowers are relatively small, they appear atop the climbing stems for several months during the summer. We will plant some on the swing arbors in the Children’s Garden.

Asclepias tuberosa (orange butterflyweed) There is no better orange among the wildflowers than Asclepias tuberosa. It is a rather rare species in New England, largely because it prefers the sandy soils found largely on our coastal plain. Farther south and west it is far more common, but no matter, if you have well-drained soil and full sun, this petite milkweed is sure to satisfy both you and any monarch butterflies that happen by. It is one of the plants we are trying on our living roof in the Children’s Garden.

Prosartes (Disporum) lanuginosum (yellow fairy bells) With a name like fairy bells, this delicate wildflower seems a natural for our Children’s Garden. Late in the summer, the plants are bedecked in pumpkin-orange berries like the one pictured here.

Hamamelis virginiana ‘Mohonk Red’ (orange-flowered common witchhazel) A true departure from the typical pale yellow blooms of the species, this distinctive cultivar hails from the Mohonk Mountains of Southeastern New York. Its flowers open during September and October – the perfect color for this time of the year. We have planted grove of these near the largest wooden platform in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses.

Helianthus X ‘Lemon Queen’ (Lemon Queen sunflower) Their very name a tribute to the sun, no wildflower does yellow like Helianthus species. One of my favorites is the cultivar ‘Lemon Queen’ (here photographed below the Cleaver Event Lawn). Its strong five foot stems erupt in a sea of yellow as summer turns to autumn.

Uvularia grandiflora (great merrybells) Also featured near our Cleaver Event Lawn, this demure yellow wildflower unveils its spiraled golden blooms atop still-expanding stems during May. The leafy stems stand about a foot tall when mature.

Erythronium americanum (trout lily) Trout lily gets its name from the speckled pattern of its leaves as well as its propensity to bloom when the trout become active again in spring. Its flowers are yellow with just a hint of green. One of our few true indigenous bulbs, this woodlander does remarkably well in the sunny garden. I plan to incorporate some into the Rainbow Terraces for early season interest.

Cypripedium kentuckiense (Kentucky Lady-slipper) It is remarkable that one of Eastern North America’s most spectacular wild orchids remained undiscovered until the 1980’s. First described in 1982, this species is one of the true highlights of late spring in the woodland garden. Perched atop 16-inch stems, the creamy yellow and mahogany flowers are as big as a hen’s egg. Look for it in our woodland garden.

Baptisia leucophaea (cream wild indigo). Cream wild indigo is a slow-growing but long-lived prairie wildflower with lupine-like flowers that appear from the arching stems in late spring. It is smaller and earlier blooming than other members of this beautiful genus in the pea family.

Asarum arifolium (heart-leaved wild ginger) Known also as little brown jugs, this evergreen wild ginger sports unusual greenish blooms lined with a thick pelt of white hair. The “fur”, reddish color and faint fetid odor of the flowers no doubt attracts small flies or beetles to pollinate the blooms. Though it hails from the Southern Appalachians, it grows very well for us here in coastal Maine. We have planted it both in the Giles Rhododendron Garden and the Vayo Meditation Garden.

Arisaema triphyllum var stewardsonii (northern Jack-in-the-pulpit) Jack-in-the-pulpit is one of our most distinctive and curious wildflowers. Like heart-leaved wild ginger, it relies on small flies or gnats for pollination. The sexual parts of the flower lie at the base of the reddish-brown spadix that sits within a corduroyed white and green spathe. This singularly attractive form of northern jack-in-the-pulpit I acquired years ago from a friend will be added to the woodland garden this spring.

Carex typhina (cattail sedge) Cattail sedge is a rare species in Maine as well as most of the Northeast. The large spiky heads pictured here are not flowers but developing seeds. Each seed ripens within a papery sack called a perigynium – in this case each tipped with a long bristle. It is a distinctive sedge and certainly a fitting ambassador for the color green.

Dryopteris intermedia (intermediate wood fern) I could have chosen any one of our three dozen native ferns for this spot in the post, but I picked this one as it is one of the most common wild species here at the Gardens. Intermediate wood fern is a handsome, clumping species with narrowly triangular fronds that remain green through at least the first half of winter. Look for large patches down in the woods near the Abenaki Camp and Fairy Houses in the Children’s Garden.

Veratrum viride (false hellebore) With flowers so green they might make a leprechaun jealous, false hellebore is a natural for inclusion in this list. False hellebore is a relative of the swamp pink pictured above and it is a fairly common plant of swampy woods as well as mountain meadows. In the woods the plants rarely bloom but you can occasionally find one in flower during the early summer.

Chionanthus virginicus (fringe tree) OK, I admit that white is not typically seen in rainbows, but as it is the most common flower color among natives and in a sense all the colors of the rainbow combined, I am including a few of my favorite white-flowered natives. In late spring or early summer, there is one plant that is the true epitome of all things white and pure. Fringe tree is a really more of large shrub than a tree, but no matter: when in bloom it is as if the clouds themselves have become temporarily earthbound. Look for specimens of this very fragrant shrub throughout the Gardens.

Dicentra canadensis (squirrel corn) Squirrel corn is smaller and more ephemeral than fringed bleeding heart, but you can easily see the family resemblance in both flower and leaf. It is a spring-blooming woodland wildflower that goes quickly dormant before summer, so like trout lily we have used it as we would spring bulbs in mixed plantings. Look for it in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses.

Dodecatheon jeffreyi (Jeffrey’s shooting star) I can think of no more kinetic flowers than those of shooting stars. They are relatives of primroses and like them bloom in spring, lofting their downward pointing flowers on stiff stems a foot or so above a clump of lettuce-like leaves.

Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot) Its flowers only last for a few days, but when it is in bloom, bloodroot shines with a white more pure than even the recently departed snow. Even if you miss the flowers, the catcher’s mitt-like leaves are attractive and hold up well through most of the summer. Look for bloodroot near the pavilion building in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses.

Trillium grandiflorum (showy trillium) The second trillium on this list is arguably even more stunning than the first. Showy trillium is an apt name for one so beguiling. On mature plants, the pure white flowers can be over three inches across and they display very effectively over the whorled leaves. We plan on adding this beautiful wildflower to plantings around the pond in the Children’s Garden.

The entrance plaza pre-whale.

Dave and Jason carefully guide the water pipe through the blowhole of this nine ton behemoth.

The final whale in place just as the sun begins to set Becker Construction has made good progress on the buildings since my last post. The activity shelter steel is complete and the wood sheathing is going up on the roof (this will provide support for the living or green roof. The Becker crew is also shingling the barn while the stone masons from Jorgensen finish the foundation stone facing of the cottage. Work is also progressing on the greenhouse. We expect the frame in 2 weeks, so the stone foundation is well underway.

The finished steel frame of the activity shelter (notice how the two back posts sit higher on the ledge and the ledge itself flows into the building)

Mark Becker sheathing the roof

Shingling the barn roof

The stone façade on the cottage is nearly done