Arborist Rolf Briggs shares it all

Certified arborist Rolf Briggs, founder of Tree Specialists, Inc., of Holliston, Mass., will be Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ Expert-in-Residence Sept. 4-6. During his residency, he’ll present several programs for audiences from home gardeners to professional landscapers.

Pros, and anyone who wants to deal with trees like a pro, will appreciate the program from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. Briggs will explore the many applications for the Super Sonic Air Knife and the Air Spade, everything from locating roots and trunk collar excavation to trenching for irrigation, fencing, landscape lighting. This program in the Bosarge Family Education Center is $60 for members of CMBG or MELNA and $75 for nonmembers. Preregistration is required.

On Friday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, Briggs will present a hands-on tree care and preservation workshop for homeowners. He’ll cover pruning, nutrition, root care, pests, and other topics Prices are $35 for members and $42 for nonmembers.

Then, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Friday, Sept. 6, he’ll be on board for “Ask the Arborist!” when his audience can bring him their tree-related questions, no matter how complex. They may want to show him photos, diagrams, and samples from their own properties, too. He’ll provide answers and recommendations. Prices are $15 for members and $25 for nonmembers.

Tour the Sarah Orne Jewett and Hamilton houses

The Gardens has made arrangements for two special “insider tours” in South Berwick on Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The locations are Historic New England’s Sarah Orne Jewett House and Hamilton House in South Berwick and their beautiful period landscapes.

Guided by garden historians and landscape gardeners Nancy and Gary Wetzel, the group will meet at the Jewett House, the stately Georgian residence of the famous author, where she drew on the house for inspiration for her novel “Deephaven.” The gardens contain borders and pots of heirloom varieties, many of which were described by Jewett in her writings, and an herb garden featuring those cited in her masterpiece, “The Country of the Pointed Firs.”

The tour will continue at the nearby Hamilton House, a striking riverside mansion built by shipping merchant Jonathan Hamilton in 1785.  The picturesque landscape includes an elaborate Colonial Revival perennial garden and charming garden cottage. 

Participants should bring a bag lunch. Prices are $65 for members of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens or the co-sponsoring New England Wild Flower Society and $80 for nonmembers.

The right plants in the right place

On Friday, Sept. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Gardens’ Therapeutic Horticulture Coordinator Irene Brady Barber will help gardeners simplify their tasks while creating more productive gardens. She’ll teach them how to accomplish proper plant selection and the best possible placement based on habits, care requirements, fragrances, textures, and color within an ornamental perennial garden. She’ll focus on practical, realistic options for any size garden space and gardeners of all ages. Prices for this class in the Education Center are $30 for members and $37 for nonmembers.

Summer’s end tea

On Sunday, Sept. 15, at 4 p.m., the Gardens will celebrate the end of another summer season with a delicious tea, including Mollie Moore’s homemade scones with Devonshire cream and jam; four types of elegant tea sandwiches (salmon, tomato, cucumber and herbed cheese), sweets, and individual pots of perfect tea: all with views of spectacular surroundings. Prices for this traditional event in the Kitchen Garden Café at the Gardens are $22 for members and $25 nonmembers.

More information

To sign up for any of the above programs, or to learn more about Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, call 207-633-4333, ext. 101; visit www.mainegardens.org; or stop by the Gardens, located off Barters Island Road in Boothbay.