Asticou Azalea Garden

The Asticou Azalea Garden is a garden that has all the features of a Japanese garden, but with the unique qualities of coastal Maine. Much like the gardens I explored in the Pacific Northwest, the garden retains local features with some of the stone work and plants. As an Azalea garden, the garden is fantastic. I have never had much success with Azaleas in my own garen, but the Azalea in this garden were outstanding and well cared for. 

The garden was started in 1957 by Charles K. Savage. Many of the plants were brought to the site from the Reef Point estate of Beatrix Farrand. Interestingly, there is a sand garden incorporated into the site that is based upon the Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto, one of my favorite gardens. Although my primary reason for coming to Maine was to visit another garden, I was glad to have visited the Asticou Azalea Garden. It was much larger than I anticipated, and it was very beautiful.

I was surprised to discover from one of the on-site gardeners, that during the 1980s, the garden had fallen into disrepair, but that it had been revitalized starting in the 1990s. They have done a great job bringing it back to the original intent of Charles K. Savage. The garden was one of the better gardens I have visited and one of the best maintained, all of which is possible becuase of the management of the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve and the long-term support of the Rockefeller family.

Website: https://www.gardenpreserve.org/asticou-azalea-garden