The Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor, Maine, United States, is a popular visitor attraction. It was created by lifelong resident of the village, Charles Kenneth Savage, in 1956. Much of the initial plant collection originated at Reef Point Estate in nearby Bar Harbor, the summer residence of renowned landscape architect Beatrix Farrand. The collection was moved with the financial assistance of John D. Rockefeller Jr., including the weeping hemlock, just north of the main bridge.
Located at the intersection of Route 198 and Route 3 (Peabody Drive), the garden and its pond are open to the public during daylight hours from May 1 to October 31. It features a selection of rhododendrons and azaleas, including the Rhododendron canadense, Maine's native azalea.Asticou Azalea Garden at Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve Styled after a Japanese stroll garden, the fine-gravel paths are raked regularly in a manner that suggests flowing water. There is also a sand garden, where this effect is repeated but with the addition of stones, which are meant to represent islands."History of the Asticou Azalea Garden" - Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve
Savage was also the owner of the Asticou Inn, which is located on the opposite side of Peabody Drive."History of the Asticou Inn" - Asticou Inn website Prior to the establishment of the garden, the Savage children and grandchildren had made a treehouse and rope swing in the white pine still standing today. The present-day pond was formerly surrounded by an alder swamp.Interview: Rick Savage, Asticou – Coastal Walk Project, 2017
Group photographs for weddings at the inn are often taken in the Garden.
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References Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve. "Asticou Azalea Garden"
External links Asticou Azalea Garden at the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve's website The New York Times review of the Garden