Growing a garden takes planning, preparation, and planting; but for it to continue to grow takes management. As our gardens change throughout the seasons, and as they mature over the years, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens staff and volunteers will use a management plan tailored specifically to our plants and conditions. The plan encompasses our entire 248 acres: everything from our most-manicured ornamental gardens to the deepest forest on the property. It will include the waterfront and ponds as well as the plantings and native vegetation.  

With input from Gardens staff and board members, students of Professor William Mitchell in the Horticulture Department at the University of Maine at Orono have created a computerized management plan. When completed, this will be the tool to which we refer as our gardens grow.

Ultimately, our management plan can help you in your own garden. After all, the principles are to a great degree the same, whether for a large botanical garden or a residential landscape. We welcome your use of the information we’ll present.