A Walk Through Celia Thaxter's Garden at Prescott Park

 While we were spending the day in Portsmouth recently, one stop was the recreated garden of Celia Thaxter in Prescott Park. I'd read her wonderful book, An Island Garden, so seeing the garden in person felt a bit like stepping into the pages. 

The original garden has been lovingly recreated on Appledore Island by volunteers working with the Shoals Marine Laboratory, but for those of us who don't happen to catch a boat to the Isles of Shoals, there's a wonderful bonus. Each summer, a recreated version blooms in Prescott Park, giving visitors the chance to experience something close to what Celia herself would have enjoyed.

If you're not familiar with Celia Thaxter, she was one of New England's best-loved poets and writers. Born in 1835, she grew up on Appledore Island in the Isles of Shoals, where her family operated the famous Appledore House hotel. During the late 1800s, artists, writers, musicians, and other creative souls escaped the cities each summer to visit the islands. While Celia became well known for her poetry, she was equally admired for the spectacular flower garden she created beside the hotel.

In fact, her garden became almost legendary. American Impressionist Childe Hassam painted it over and over again, capturing its joyful mix of old-fashioned flowers spilling across the beds. Later, Celia shared her love of gardening in An Island Garden, a little book filled with her observations about seeds, flowers, birds, and the simple happiness of watching a garden come to life. If you enjoy old gardening books, it's well worth reading.

I ended up taking far more wide-angle photos than close-ups because I wanted to capture the feeling of the entire garden. Of course, I couldn't resist photographing plenty of individual flowers, too! 

 I'll share closeup photos in my next post, along with a look at some of the beautiful heirloom plants that make this historic garden such a treasure.

If You'd Like to Learn More

If Celia Thaxter's garden captured your imagination as much as it did mine, here are a few wonderful places to continue exploring.

• An Island Garden by Celia Thaxter. You can read this charming classic online for free through the University of Pennsylvania's Digital Library. It's filled with her thoughts on gardening, flowers, and life on Appledore Island. Read An Island Garden 
• Shoals Marine Laboratory maintains the original recreated garden on Appledore Island. Their website includes information about the restoration and seasonal tours. Shoals Marine Laboratory
• Prescott Park Arts Festival is home to the mainland recreation of Celia Thaxter's garden each summer, making it easy to experience a bit of Appledore without taking a boat.  FestivalPrescott Park Arts
• If you'd like to learn more about the Isles of Shoals themselves, Celia's Among the Isles of Shoals is another fascinating read, blending history, local stories, and her love for the islands. Read Among the Isles of Shoals

Note to Michele: Peter Rabbit in Celia Thaxter's Garden

Michele, 

It has been some time since my last update. I enjoyed seeing your patio flowers. Interestingly, we both chose the same color impatiens.  You've come a long way since your gardening days in Portland, Oregon. You are truly a coast-to-coast gardener now! How do you like the East Coast?

This summer has been full of activities, visiting family, and daily life. I will give you a full garden tour soon, but for now, here is a sneak peek of my deck, where I am growing annuals. As you can see, I have some house plants mixed in with petunias, impatiens, geraniums, coleus, nasturtiums, begonias, and argeratum. I am growing some herbs, but no vegetables this year. 

When I saw this little bunny on a recent excursion to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to visit the gardens in Prescott Park, I thought of you and your love of rabbits. Do you think your Louie and Pepper would like to play with this tiny fellow? Reminds me of Peter Rabbit after he’s lost his jacket and shoes! But there is no Mr. McGregor here. You are safe from angry farmers, wee one! 

I will be posting photos from my trip to Portsmouth soon. I visited the formal Josie Prescott Garden at Prescott Park as well as the nearby Celia Thaxter Garden, a re-creation of the poet's garden. Both are on the shore of the Piscataqua River that separates Maine from New Hampshire. More about that to come. 

I’ll also update you soon on my own garden, as well as my parents’ cottage garden, which I’ve featured in the past on "Sprouts." 

Cheers! 

Caroline