Celia Thaxter's Island Garden

08/15/2026

Great opportunities still to visit Appledore in 26!

A reminder that the Public Programs are happening all of August! There is a variety of subjects they center on such as art, birding or culinary. Take a look at the programs we offer and register using the link below!

Link to the Public Programs: https://www.shoalsmarinelaboratory.org/public-programs

08/14/2026

07/13/2026

A few shots of Celia’s garden and the island.

07/13/2026

Here’s a few pics from the garden this past weekend. I think Celia would be happy with it.

06/29/2026

A very special evening, Celia’s Cereus Cactus decided to bloom just a day before her 191st Birthday! The plant is loaded with buds and the blooms opened in an hour or less this evening.

06/16/2026

Tours of Celia Thaxter's Garden run throughout the summer. Register now to learn about the history of the island and see the beauty of the garden.

Terry Cook, our garden steward, has worked diligently to recreated the garden based on Celia Thaxter's book, "An Island Garden".

Step back in time and experience the unique beauty of Celia Thaxter's Appledore Island!

05/21/2026

Today was another exceptional day in Celia's Garden. The plants were successfully transported to Appledore in the Kingsbury and settled into their summer home. We extend our gratitude to our outstanding volunteer group, Amanda, Tamara, Janis, and Beth.

05/17/2026

What a glorious Volunteer Weekend at Shoal’s Marine Lab. A group of super supporters spent their weekend helping us get the island in top shape for the summer. From painting, to beach cleanup, lab organization and many other tasks we achieved. Primary in Celia’s world preparing the garden for planting this coming week. Thank you each and everyone who made it happen. Here’s a pic of the primary garden crew sans one or two.

04/24/2026

Terry Cook, our garden steward, is working with an Intro to Growing Class growing seedlings at the UNH Greenhouse to be used to plant Celia’s Garden this year. It a great opportunity for two schools within UNH to work together. During the UNH Greenhouse Open House last weekend they were all on display!

Photos by Kate Wilcox

04/18/2026

I was blown away by the Greenhouse Open House at UNH today, where I saw the fantastic plants that Becky Sideman's Intro to Growing Class have been cultivating for Celia's Garden, showcasing exceptional teamwork and expertise, and I'm confident they'll discover a perfect island home for the summer.