Spring and fall, you mark your calendars to be sure you don’t miss Pick of the Pots (POPs), Friday nights before the plant sales. As a Landis member, you enjoy a host of perks. Discounts on plants and classes; first choice of plants, free refreshments, and camaraderie at POPs -- all available when you join. But did you know these benefits extend far beyond the Arboretum?
With your membership, you have access to hundreds of public gardens and arboreta that participate in the American Horticultural Society (AHS) Reciprocal Admissions Program, or RAP. Enjoy free or reduced admission to beautiful places you can research online before you plan your travels, sometimes gift shop discounts as well. Gardens big and small, well-known attractions or hidden gems, all are awaiting your visit.
If you’re a fan of New England, look no further than the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Three hundred acres of themed gardens, wooded trails, a native butterfly house, fairy house village, a waterfall, and giant trolls – “Guardians of the Seeds” -- for your enjoyment. Join a docent for an informative and entertaining tour. Hop on the shuttle to the location of your choice and disembark to explore one of the less-traveled trails down to the shoreline. Listen to the sounds of the waterfall and breathe in the cool fresh air in the shelter of the rhododendrons surrounding it. Let the years slip away as you enter the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden, with themed sections inspired by well-known children’s books from Maine authors. Stroll down to the Cleaver Lawn and gaze upon the grove of majestic dawn redwoods. These are just a few of the highlights you will find at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Buy a ticket at the gate and the price is $24; show your Landis membership card and you walk in for free.
The mission of the Coastal Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections between people and nature and to promote plant conservation through horticulture, education, and plant science. That sounds like a place a Landis member would love to visit, doesn’t it?
If I have whet your appetite for the Coastal Gardens, you can find further information at https://www.mainegardens.org. For more detail on the American Horticultural Society and the scores of gardens and arboreta you can explore with those financial benefits as a Landis member, go to https://ahsgardening.org and start dreaming about your next vacation.
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