Southwest Harbor -- Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden

Object Details

General: Charlotte Rhoades Park is a charming small park that borders on an inlet of Frenchman's Bay and is located in the "back yard" of a small New England farmhouse that once belonged to its namesake. There is a modest visitors' parking area, a green lawn with picnic facilities, benches, and swings on the left side, and a butterfly garden on the right side. The butterfly garden was established in 1998 to promote conservation, education, and gardening instruction in the community. Volunteers work throughout the season with schoolchildren and adults to learn about butterfly habitat and observation. The garden layout, designed by Bar Harbor landscape architect Bruce John Riddell, is suggestive of butterfly wings. Gravel paths wander down toward the shore around garden beds packed with plants that have been carefully chosen because of their attractiveness to butterflies.; Persons associated with the garden include Bruce John Riddell (landscape architect, 1995 to date) and Robert Breeden (sculptor, 2008).

Place: Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden (Southwest Harbor, Maine); United States of America -- Maine -- Hancock County -- Southwest Harbor

See more items in: The Garden Club of America collection; The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Maine

Sponsor: A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Custodial History: The Garden Club of Mount Desert facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation.

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Collection Rights: Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Bibliography: Garden has been featured in Eleanor Dwight, "A Garden Takes Wing," Victoria, August 2002, pp. 24-25. Garden has been featured in James A. Baggett, "Noah's Garden," Perennials (Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication), Summer 2006, pp. 56-63.

Scope and Contents: The folders include worksheets, site plans (including one with plant names), copies of a brochure and articles about the garden, and additional information.

Collection Restrictions: Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Related Materials: Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden related holdings consist of 2 folders (15 35 mm. slides (photographs))