Two Lights Terrace, Cape Elizabeth
History: The gardens were developed over the last 20 or more years from a yard dominated by lawn, rugosa rose, wild blackberry, and invasive honeysuckle. A swimming pool on the property was filled and stones were removed to make way for the addition of retaining walls, patios, a grape arbor, a firepit, gates, metalwork, and sculptures. Plants were sourced from Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon Nursery, Wild Seed Project, Maine Audubon, Fedco Trees, and other nurseries.
Themes: A series of terraced gardens and seating areas on a hillside overlooking the ocean, divided into rooms by stone walls, steps, winding paths, and art pieces. The diverse plantings are mostly native to North America and provide food for wildlife and people. Plants in every niche cover the landscape and include a multitude of pollinator- and bird-friendly perennials, as well as unusual trees such as American elm, tupelo, and yellowwood.
Features:
- Raised vegetable beds and garden overlook
- Patio with honey locust shade trees
- Grape arbor
- Cascading rock retaining wall
- Metal sculptures, a wave fence, and blue gates
- Succession planting for continuous highlights —no peak season
- Use of groundcovers and woodland ephemerals
- Raspberries, blueberries, and fruit trees
In Bloom:
- Tall phlox
- Butterfly milkweed
- Borage
- Calendula
- California poppy
- Purple coneflower
- Blazing star (Liatris sp.)
- Goldenrod
- Elderberry
- Yellow wild indigo
- Tickseed (Coreopsis sp.)
- Rattlesnake master
- Scarlet beebalm
- Snowberry
- Lavender
- Black cohosh
- Trumpet honeysuckle
- Drumstick allium