Heirloom Old Garden Roses

Gardens, Botanical Fiber Arts Show featured at Searsport Shores Campground

There are 40-plus gardens at Searsport Shores Campground; rows of raised beds for vegetables, swaths of ornamental shrubs and perennials, a waterfall garden, an orchard started from deer droppings, and individual campsite gardens which add privacy, color, and edibles to the camping experience.

Cilantro, mint, and cherry tomatoes can be found in beds close to the campsites, amongst perennial flowers and bulbs, decorative shrubs and trees. Many of the campsite gardens were planted by the guests themselves, a perk for a summer-long stay.

This unique campground encompasses 40 acres along the shores of Penobscot Bay in Searsport. Steven and Astrig Tanguay have been revitalizing and working with the land there for 18 years.

“Searsport Shores is an extension of what we enjoy most; gardening and fiber arts, a place we can give classes and meet people,” said Steven, with a smile.

Today they have built their dream into a successful agri-tourism business, drawing guests from Belfast to Japan and all around the world. Though the Tanguays now grow their own produce to eat year-round, much of the soil did not start out as optimal garden space.

At the center of the property Steven bends down, puts his hand in a puddle and comes up slimy with hard pack blue clay. “This whole area of the property is completely clay, the result of bad clear cutting,” he said. “These are my floating gardens.” Raised beds “float” on the mucky soil, separated by 10-12 layers of cardboard and woodchips.

The beds themselves are now growing strong, healthy plants in rich soil created with compost and mulch made on-site from seaweed, worm castings from food scraps as well as leaves, needles and tree debris (28-30 dumptruck loads a year are cleared from campsites which sit beneath impressive ancient oak and pine trees).

“No one thought he could reclaim that terrible soil. If anyone could though, it is Steven,” said Astrig. Those raised beds are flush with garlic, potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, beans, peas and brassicas. There is also a special lemon balm garden for teas and for the garden’s prized honeybees whose two hives can house 60,000 bees each.

Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes are robust, and a salad garden grows 25 varieties of herbs and lettuce. The campground also boasts 600 feet of shoreline walking on a boardwalk raised above the ocean water. Along the embankment salt-resistant, low water-use perennials such as iris, yarrow, lupine, Russian sage, creeping juniper, and soapwort do an excellent job holding up the retaining wall beneath stately 250-year-old oak trees.

Old Garden Rose Preserves | OWB Flutter-Blog

Spring brings me a delicate flurry of butterflies and welcomes roses first blooms.

When I’m not tending to my butterfly obsession, I tend to my old garden roses which are blooming especially profusely this year. I wanted to make use of my heavenly scented old garden roses, something that would last all year long, something I could share with friends

I decided to make one of my favorite treats, Rose preserves.  To make this heavenly rose treat, be sure to use organically grown, heavily scented Old Garden, Antique, English or Heirloom Roses for the most divine rose fragrance and flavor. I use a combination of Gertrud Jekyll, Zepherine Drouhin and Reine des Violettes.

Pulse petals in the food processor and slowly add the sugar and lemon. Add more sugar or lemon if needed.

The preserves are so flavorful and gorgeous, they will take your breath away! Spread on biscuits, scones, crescent rolls, shortcake and cookies, dab on vanilla ice cream, cheesecake or cream brulee.  Rose preserves makes a wonderful filling for donuts too!

Heirloom old garden roses, 1996

Roses for dummies

Modern roses 11

Encyclopedia of rose science

Easy-care roses, low maintenance charmers