McLaughlin Gardens

Letter from the Executive Director,

As I sit here composing this, I've been thinking about how much things stay the same–the bloodroots emerge in late April with their flowers wrapped in their vampire cloak-like leaves, daffodils emerge from what seems like endless layers of mud, and come late May, scores of lilacs will bloom, releasing their heavenly fragrance for thousands of fans who have waited another whole year for their show. Other things also stay the same here at McLaughlin Garden, such as volunteers who we can count on to work tirelessly in the garden, in our back office, and out in the streets fundraising and making new friends for us. These constants, along with the beauty and character of our 1840 homestead and the magical gardens that surround it, provide us the strength to do the important work of preservation and education in the context of our historic cultural landscape.

Together, as we celebrate our tenth year of preservation and education, we also look forward to some things that do change. New volunteers will help in our work, new summer staff will help provide the highest quality visitor experience, and a project I'm most excited about will take shape in the form of a new visitor exhibit in our barn featuring never before seen historical photographs of our property and an educational video installation. I send my thanks to the Maine Community Foundation, the Maine Humanities Council, and Norway Savings Bank for providing funding for this project. Thank you also to our 2006 business sponsors: Androscoggin Bank, Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, Bessey Motors, CN Brown, Chalmers Realty, Goodwin's Insurance, Grover Gundrilling, Maine Garden Railway Society, Norway Savings Bank, Paris Farmers Union, Phantom Florist, Schiavi Homes and Young's Greenhouses. Their vision in supporting McLaughlin Garden and our programs deserves to be recognized and applauded.

I invite you to visit this season and share the beauty of this place with new friends. While some things in the Garden may stay the same, and some may change, a simple truth will always remain: beauty grows here.

-Michael P. Desplaines, Executive Director

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To be announced