Press Release | For Immediate Release
Western Maine Garden Tour to Showcase Nine Distinctive Gardens on August 1, 2026
Discover Extraordinary Gardens in Maine’s Hidden Gem
A Self-Guided Tour of Nine Distinctive Gardens Throughout Western Maine
PARIS, NORWAY, AND HISTORIC PARIS HILL, MAINE (June 17, 2026) – Celebrate the height of Maine’s gardening season at the Western Maine Private Garden Tour, a self-guided tour featuring nine distinctive garden sites across Paris, Norway, and Historic Paris Hill on Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This special one-day event invites visitors to spend the first day of August immersed in the beauty of Western Maine’s diverse garden landscapes. Guests will begin and conclude the tour at McLaughlin Garden & Homestead, which serves as both the tour hub and one of the featured garden sites. From there, visitors will explore a rare collection of private gardens not normally open to the public, each offering its own expression of creativity, horticultural passion, and seasonal beauty.
Tour highlights include cottage gardens with brick pathways and stone walls, historic farmsteads with centuries-old trees and restored structures, serene woodland gardens filled with shade-loving perennials and expansive hosta collections, and vibrant displays of annuals, tropical plantings, and artistic container arrangements. Pollinator-friendly gardens alive with bees and butterflies further showcase the region’s commitment to ecological stewardship and natural beauty.
Together, these nine gardens reflect the extraordinary range of gardening styles found throughout Western Maine – from deeply historic landscapes shaped over generations to bold, ever-changing seasonal designs.
A Garden Tour Social Reception will follow from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at McLaughlin Garden and Homestead, offering attendees an opportunity to gather and celebrate the day’s experience. The social is a complimentary event for Western Maine Garden Tour attendees.
Western Maine Garden Tour tickets are $40 per person and proceeds benefit McLaughlin Garden and Homestead, supporting its mission of horticultural education, preservation, and community engagement.
Tickets and information are available at https://mclaughlingarden.org/, or by calling 207.743.8820.
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ABOUT MCLAUGHLIN GARDEN AND HOMESTEAD
The McLaughlin Garden is home to one of the largest collections of lilacs in New England, with 125 varieties on more than 200 trees. The garden collection also includes an impressive array of hostas, daylilies, astilbes, iris, phlox, wildflowers and ferns. Each year, the McLaughlin Garden welcomes nearly 10,000 visitors who come to enjoy the garden as well as our special programs and events. Now over 80 years old, the landmark two-acre garden, historic barn, and home are under the stewardship of the McLaughlin Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kimberly J. Poland
(401) 743-7272
kimberly@polandmediagroup.com
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