The
Giles Rhododendron Garden is located a third of a mile from the central gardens and features more than a thousand rhododendrons and related shrubs as well as a spring bulb display. Garden designed by landscape architect Bruce John Riddell. The
Haney Hillside Garden opened in 2006, but the Patriot's Day Storm of 2007 brought down dozens of mature evergreens. The garden was completely renovated in 2010–11. Six thousand native plants were installed in the upper areas while the lower areas near the shoreline rely primarily on editing of the natural vegetation. Haney Hillside Garden was designed by landscape architect Bruce John Riddell Designed by landscape architect Herb Schaal, it's less than an acre in size with winding paths and changing elevation. The paths circle around and through five distinct regions designed to emphasize each of the senses. The garden also features several designs to facilitate its use by physically challenged guests, including brick paving with continuous striker stone bordering the path to help the visually impaired navigate the garden, while providing a smooth, hard surface and gentle slope for wheeled mobility aids. In July 2010, the '''Bibby and Harold Alfond Children's Garden''' opened. It encompasses two acres of woods, ponds, and theme gardens inspired by well-known children's books by Maine authors, including
Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee (Chris Van Dusen),
Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man and
Blueberries for Sal (
Robert McCloskey),
Charlotte’s Web (
E.B. White), and
The Stone Wall Dragon (Rochelle Draper), among others. Designed by Maclay Architects of
Waitsfield, Vermont, and Scott Simons Architects of Portland, Maine. The
Great Lawn was inspired by the nineteenth-century landscape parks. One of its most distinctive features is Whale Rock, a massive formation of Bucksport schist that rises out of the grass at the southern edge of the lawn. This area also features Founders Grove, a planting of seven narrow pin oaks, blueberries, and grasses commissioned to honor the founders of the Gardens. It is the first Dambo exhibit to open in New England, and features five trolls with a theme of biodiversity and sustainability. Each troll has its own Danish name — Roskva, Birk, Gro, Lilja, Søren — and represents a different part of a tree. The tallest of the group is about 28 feet high. These trolls continue the story from Thomas Dambo's trolls around the world, from China to Puerto Rico. ==Expansion controversy==