Hooplah and hurrahs greeted the grand opening of the new Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. It’s a no-tech, elegant space with opportunities for both activity and quiet play. Here, giggly fun mixes in with the satisfaction of digging in the dirt. Kids can climb on a bear, get sprayed by whales, and hear dragons roar. Imagination takes flight through reading, and discovery leads to learning. There’s one surprise after another, a trademark of the designer, landscape architect Herb Schaal of AECOM, Inc.

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