Today’s photos come from Harriet Robinson, and she is sharing with us some shots of beautiful wildflowers from a public garden where she works as a volunteer.
The McLaughlin Garden in South Paris, Maine, opens for the season with a Wildflower Celebration every Mother’s Day weekend. The preserved garden was planted by Bernard McLaughlin. He began planting it in 1936 and continued working in it until he died at age 98 in 1995. He especially loved lilacs and wildflowers but grew many different perennials, shrubs, and trees. These photos were snapped at this year’s Wildflower Celebration. Depending on the season (cold or warm spring), some years the celebration features bloodroot, and other years Dutchman’s britches intrigue the visitors. This year the trillium were out in full force. A wooded path between stone walls known as the wildflower lane is where most flowers bloom.
Looking down the wildflower lane toward the red barn. Wildflowers are on both sides of the path.
Looking up the wildflower lane. Ferns near the stone walls are growing up, and trillium carpet the woods beyond.
Near the top of the path, the trillums carpet the woods.
The double yellow wood anemone (Anemone ranunculoides ‘Plenaflora’, Zones 4–8) is a European wildflower that does well in Maine.
Double wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa ‘Vestal’, Zones 4–8), also native to Europe, grows as a white ground cover.
An Amelanchier (service berry, Zones 3–7 ) towers over the lilacs in the main part of the garden.