Spring is blooming! Please join us as we visit the Botanical Gardens in Boothbay! Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a people’s garden, a grassroots effort that began as a casual conversation between friends and evolved into the largest botanical garden in New England. Located on more than 300 acres along the MidCoast, the Gardens is a true Maine experience. Explore all the gardens have to offer:

Butterfly House | Dahlia Garden | Bee Exhibit | Great Lawn | Founder’s Grove | Lerner Garden of the Five Senses | Slater Forest Pond | Cleaver Lawn | Arbor Garden | Burpee Kitchen Garden | Bibby & Harold Alfond Children’s Garden | Haney Hillside Garden | Vayo Meditation Garden | Fairy House Village | Shoreland Trail & The Landing | Giles Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

What’s in bloom in May? Narcissus (daffodils) add their bright, colorful blooms throughout the Gardens. Hellebores still put on a show. Additional bulbs such as Hyacinthus, Muscari, and Chionodoxa are also painting the ground with shades of pink, blue, yellow, and white. Be sure to check out the soft yellow flowers of Corylopsis glabrescens ‘Longwood Chimes’ in the Alfond Children’s Garden; they smell really yummy! And many small leaved rhododendrons are in bloom in the Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden.

Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a water bottle, sunblock never hurts! Pathways in the central gardens are all ADA compliant, and ramps are available anywhere there are stairs. The Lerner Garden of the Five Senses features sensory-stimulating plants and areas dedicated to each of the five senses. They supply wheelchairs and scooters on a first-come, first-served basis. Shuttle Stops - Free 10-passenger shuttles offer service around the perimeter of the Gardens. They run every 20-25 minutes, with numerous hop-on, hop-off stops—guests should be aware that there is still walking required between shuttle stops and nearby destinations. We try to accommodate as many guests as possible, but the shuttle does get busy during high-traffic periods.

After our visit, we’ll head to the Tugboat Inn in Boothbay Harbor for a late lunch! Tugboat Inn’s waterfront Boothbay Harbor restaurant is a favorite spot for locals and visitors alike. It was built around the original superstructure of the historic tugboat “Maine.” Don’t forget to climb up and visit the original wheelhouse.

Choose from:

Haddock Monhegan – Baked with seasoned crumbs and lemon butter Or Chicken Pot Pie – Tender chicken with mushrooms, carrots and onions Our lunch is accompanied by chef’s choice of side dish, dessert (Maine Blueberry Pie), and non-alcoholic beverage.

9:00 a.m. Depart from Lawrence Jr. High School parking lot, 7 School Street, Fairfield

10:30 a.m. (approximately) Arrive at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

1:30 p.m. Depart Gardens and head to the Tugboat Inn for a late lunch

3:30 p.m. Depart Tugboat Inn and head home

This class is offered through RSU24 Adult Ed. Please contact them to register: 207-422-4794 or https://rsu24.maineadulted.org/classes/  

Learn how to create felted bowls using a variety of wet and needle felting techniques. Our finished bowls can then be embellished with various materials such as beads, buttons, ribbon,yarn, etc. to create one of a kind pieces suitable for the home or for gift giving. There is a supply fee of $10 payable to the instructor at class.

We'll learn how to create felted bowls using a variety of wet and needle felting techniques. Our finished bowls can then be embellished with various materials such as beads, buttons, ribbon, yarn, etc to create one of a kind pieces suitable for the home or for gift giving.

Materials fee: $10 made payable to the instructor at class.

***PLEASE NOTE: THIS CLASS WAS RESCHEDULED AND DIFFERS FROM THE DATE IN THE PRINTED CATALOG***

A staple in many Polish homes, Sue will share her family's golumpki (pronounced "gowumpkey") recipe and step you through the process of making the meat filling, how to cook the cabbage leaves, how to roll them, and most importantly...eat them!

Please bring containers to take home what we make.

Sue is a second generation Pole on both her parents’ sides. She learned to cook authentic recipes by taking notes while her mother and aunts cooked. Sue loves to cook and share recipes, techniques, and best practices.

Create a lovely mermaid with sheep wool using the needle felting* method.  You will begin by making an armature and then building it up with fiber to sculpt your sea goddess.  Add some curly goat locks and maybe some seaweed!  Even beginners can make this beauty!

$8 materials fee to be collected at class. No experience necessary, open to beginner or fiber enthusiast!

*Needle felting uses a barbed needle that is repeatedly stabbed into the wool to agitate the fibers. As the needle works in and out of the wool, the barbs catch scales on the fibers and cause them to interlock and bind together.

About Your Instructor: Maureen Andrew took up felting over 20 years ago when overwhelmed with fiber from her own flock! Her creations are whimsical and fun. She has been teaching felting for 10 years and has taught at Schoodic Arts for All. A creative artist at heart, she dabbles in multiple mediums.

Gain Hands-on experience with woodshop machines, turning rough-sawn piece of hardwood in to a cutting board. Beginners welcome.

This is a hand-built pottery class. 

In this one-day ceramic hand-building course, you will learn to make a slab constructed vase. Textures will be used to create dynamic surfaces on a vase that will make a beautiful addition to your home. Your finished project will be glazed in your choice of color. It will be ready for pick up approximately two weeks after class. No previous clay experience is required for this class. All tools and supplies will be provided by the clay studio.