Stay tuned to events at our Children’s Garden by reading our blog! You can also check out our progress in the image gallery of construction photos.

Picture an outdoor space where children can use their imaginations for play and discovery, thrill to the wonders of nature, enjoy activities that are fun and educational, and explore features galore. Yes, our nature-oriented programs and Fairy House Village already appeal to kids, but before long your children, grandchildren, and other young friends will have a treasure of their own at the Gardens – the new Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden.

The Children’s Garden, which will open in 2010, will be unlike any other. It will be imaginative, spacious and vibrant. It will pique children’s interest and curiosity about plants and the natural world in an extraordinary way and will be a place where lasting memories will be made. And it will undoubtedly have great appeal for the rest of us, too. The garden is being built with the help of a $1.5 million matching grant from The Harold Alfond Foundation.

Based on a design by award-winning landscape architect Herb Schaal, FASLA and his team at EDAW in Colorado, the Children’s Garden will incorporate both the finest in traditional design and the latest, up-to-datest elements that engage children to the fullest. The landscape will be varied and full of texture and color. Bridges, statues and fountains will be among the intriguing spots to discover. Areas focusing on our nautical heritage, early peoples, and natural history will be favorite stops.

Books and Berries, Lobsters and Lupines
Maine has a rich history of storytelling, reflected in the number of fine, and even revered, children’s authors that hail from the state. It seems only natural that themes from treasured children’s books by these authors should be incorporated into our Children’s Garden. Look for the Lupine Meadow (Miss Rumphius), Blueberry Islands (Blueberries for Sal), boats and a dock (Burt Dow Deep-Water Man), and other areas with references to favorite children’s literature. The Gardens’ summer-long ‘Storytime in the Forest’ programs are popular with the younger set, and we will extend those offerings when the Children’s Garden is completed.

Nature will of course be the overarching theme, and there will be plenty of opportunities for children to learn about plants, animals, insects, reptiles, and more. We can offer an astonishing array of activities and can’t wait to get started. The Children’s Garden site is just beyond the Burpee Kitchen Garden, near the Visitor Center. As you visit the Gardens time and again, you can watch this children’s treasure-in-the-making unfold.