With trails set into the hillside along the saltwater Back River and topography that includes dramatic ledges, vernal ponds, and forest, the 248-acre Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, the largest in New England, has a distinctly Maine flavor. New this year (opening June 19) is the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, which has moving water for sound, plants you can touch or taste, and blooms with heightened aromas.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, 132 Botanical Garden Drive, Boothbay, 207-633-4333, mainegardens.org.