Acadia National Park - Part II - The Wild Gardens of Acadia

One of the places that we got to visit while driving around Acadia National Park was the Wild Gardens of Acadia, located in the Sieur de Monts area of the park.  This area dates back to 1961 when the park superintendent asked the local Bar Harbor Garden Club to cultivate the area.  The decision was made to include only plants native to the island, so many popular and prevalent species weren't included, but they had no shortage of plants to cultivate.

Guided by Edgar T. Wherry’s Wild Flowers of Mt. Desert Island, published in 1928 under the aegis of the Garden Club of Mount Desert, volunteers established more than 400 indigenous plant species. These efforts have been recognized by awards from the Garden Club of America, the New England Wild Flower Society, the Garden Club Federation of Maine, the National Council of State Garden Clubs, and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
--from Friends of Acadia website

Because of the focus on native plants the area doesn't look like many botanical gardens, it definitely looked planned, but also much more natural than other gardens that I've seen.

The gardens consist of a number of different areas including different woods, heath, a bog, and more.

I thought this bark looked especially beautiful.

If I recall correctly this was the coniferous woods which according to the Friends of Acadia website are stereotypical Maine.
Lichen-clad red spruce, white spruce, and balsam fir cling to coastal rocks that are only thinly covered with soil. Often these trees are pruned by the wind. Away from the fog and salt spray, these conifers are joined by larger cone-bearing trees such as white pine, red pine, and eastern hemlock, as well as some hardwood trees, to become part of the vast northern spruce-fir forest.

I think trees look especially beautiful from underneath when you can see the branches radiating out.

The bog contains pitcher plants and other plants adapted to the acidic conditions usually found within bog environments.

Walking along the fern path was especially nice.  I'm not sure what it is about them, but I've always liked the look of ferns.

The path through the meadow area was lined with quite a few wildflowers.

If you're in the area take some time to drop by the Wild Gardens.  It is reportedly best between May and October when the signs identifying plants are in place, but it is open other times of year as well.  You can see the pictures above and a few more in this album.  Tomorrow's post will take us back on Acadia's loop road headed south.

~Matt