We have mere moments until it’s officially summer, 2010, so dig out the croquet set and squeeze the lemonade.

Here’s a list of tours and events to get your gardening inspiration reved up this summer. Please check back for updates. And if you know of others, or spot any errors, please note them in the comments below. Thanks! It’s going to be a very pretty summer.

All summer – Belfast Friday Garden Tours, 10 am – 5 pm, $3 donation per garden.

All summer — Camden,  Garden Talks at Merryspring.

All summer — Boothbay, Maine Botanical Gardens Blog covers all their activities.

All summer — Garden Club Federation of Maine — Visiting Gardens & Tours.

The Belfast Open Garden Tours have already begun. Here’s a chance to visit some of the private, out of the way, gardens, not usually featured on traditional garden tours.

These are the remaining Friday tours as posted on their website:

June 18 – Anthony-Greeley Garden, 291 Hatch Road, Jackson

Sweeping panoramic views surround island beds of rare perennials and trees. Extensive shade gardens, rock gardens, rambling paths through fascinating woodland plants and a small formal garden. Iced tea will be provided. Bring a picnic and a blanket. >>>Directions:  North on Rt.7 through Brooks. In 4 miles you will pass a church at the Jackson intersection. Continue 1 more mile on Rt.7, turn on Hatch Road on the left. Drive 1.4 miles to a small, white garage on right, bear right on lane just to left of garage and up to the top of the hill.

June 25 – Banwell Garden, 133 Miller Street, Belfast

Trellis structures define gardens & meandering paths connect gardens; kitchen garden includes edible flowers, meditation garden, heather, fragrant flowers and herbs, 3-bin composting system. Bring a picnic to enjoy on a garden bench. >>>Directions: From the Belfast intersection of Main and High Streets, take High Street to Miller Street at the Public Library.  Go up Miller to the house with the trellis fence on the right. Park along the road.

July 2 – Berry Garden, 10 Edgecomb Road, Belfast

A flower garden with whimsical statues and birdhouses popping up here and there. A pond and fountains, shade garden, flowering bushes, small orchard. Places to sit and relax in the sun and the shade. Also a raised vegetable bed and grandson’s own garden. >>>Directions: Take Rt.3 west. Turn left after Perry’s Furniture on Edgecomb Road.  Third house on left.

July 9 – Please enjoy the Waldo County General Hospital’s Garden Tour.

July 16 – Rogers and Hayes Neighbors’ Gardens, 27 & 35 Church Street, Belfast

Rogers’ former 1800s carriage & sleigh for hire service barn & grounds evoke country living with stacked firewood, raised vegetable beds, heirloom raspberry patch & synthetic chemical-free lawn (with weeds). Hayes offers more manicured style. Outside, a variety of day lilies, roses, a trellis arch and flowering shrubs will catch your eye.  Step inside the glass and brick conservatory to admire the orchid collection. >>>Directions:  At Post Office Square in Belfast take Church Street to, it’s on the left.

July 23 – Durham and Cole Neighbors’ Gardens, 30 & 31 Condon Street, Belfast

Durham garden has established perennial beds and features century-old trees. The Cole garden is a work in progress, starting from scratch. This is the second year the gardener has been working to create sunny perennial gardens with flowering bushes. >>>Directions: From Post Office Square in Belfast take Church Street to Northport Avenue.

Turn left off Northport Avenue to Condon Street.  Gardens on opposite sides of street.

July 30 – Jim Rose Garden, 2 Trout Brook Lane, Searsport

Artful rock display at entrance on challenging steep embankment and “dragon tail” of stones along 100’ driveway.  Japanese Zen Garden with raked sand, unique bushes, trees and evergreens and traditional perennial garden in the California style. Slate patio with center fire pit. From patio are large steps leading to a promenade with annuals and perennials overlooking Trout Brook below. >>>Directions:  North on US Rt.1 from Belfast to Searsport. Turn left on Spruce Knoll Lane just past Searsport Automotive. Turn right on Trout Brook Lane.  First house on the left.

August 6 – Buron Garden, 101 Congress Street, Belfast

New England heritage plants in garden at the street and small, informal shade gardens tucked behind 1878 home. Inventive gardening on narrow, half-acre in-town lot features a woodland path invitingly leading to a sun-filled field. See if you can spot the fairy house made of stones and moss under the leaves in the shade garden.  >>>Directions: From Post Office Square, go up Main Street hill to a left on Congress Street.  House is on the right.

August 13 – Newforest Institute Gardens, 66 Monroe Hwy (Rt.139), Brooks

This educational nonprofit has 8 acres of demonstration vegetable, herb and flower gardens plus an “edible forest” including fruit & nut trees and berries. See a seedling house, cold frames, garlic berm, mushroom logs, terraced gardens that also serve as a water collection system, sheet mulched beds and a 2-position movable greenhouse. >>>Directions: From Belfast, follow Rt.7 north to Brooks. At blinking red light in center of town turn right on Rt. 139 /Monroe Hwy. Gardens are about 1 mile on left.

August 20 – Abbuhl Garden, 50 Shore Road, Northport

What was a back yard of bamboo is now a well integrated landscape design surrounding a 1690 Cape. Begins with woodbine climbing the telephone pole at the street unfolding back to the hydrangea on the rear fence of stone terraced garden. Memorial Garden features beach roses, hosta, pink granite stonework and 300 year old maple trees. >>>Directions: South on US Rt.1 to left on Saturday Cove Road in Northport. Right on Shore Road, house immediately on left.

August 27 – Biebel Garden, 242 Fisher Road, Monroe

Large organic experimental and eclectic vegetable and flower garden created lasagna- style from packing cartons, cow manure & grass clippings never needing to be plowed or rototilled. Bed of thyme around woodshed, composting system, hollyhocks.  >>>Directions: Rt.1 north from Belfast to Rt.141, travel to end at intersection of Rt.141 and Rt.139 (stop sign). Turn right on Rt.139, cross bridge and turn right on Stream Road. Travel approximately 2 miles to Fisher Road on left. House is 2 miles from intersection, across road from mailbox marked, “242”.  Park along driveway.

September 3 – Enjoy Labor Day Weekend at a Maine garden.

September 10 – Troy Howard Middle School Garden, 173 Lincolnville Ave., Belfast

Over 100 varieties of vegetables and beautiful flowers in over 1 acre of gardens designed & grown by middle school students for wholesale & retail; greenhouses, outdoor pizza oven, dome trellises for squash and cucumbers, farm stand and student-led tours 10-3:30. >>>Directions: Take Rt.52 (Lincolnville Ave.) west from Main Street in Belfast. Cross Rt.1, school on right. Park behind school near greenhouse.

It’s the perfect time to catch the spring glory of this fantastic Japanese Garden in Northeast Harbor just across the street from The Asticou Inn.

The flaming colors of azeleas are perfectly framed within this stunning landscape. And vice versa.

This 2.3 acre garden was designed by Charles K. Savage (1903-1979), who was a resident of Northeast Harbor, owner of the Asticou Inn, and designer of the gardens at Thuya Lodge.

Asticou was conceived as a way to salvage Beatrix Farrand’s plantings after she announced she would dismantle her famous garden. And was built between 1956 and 1957 on a stream that flows into the harbor. Savage was her mentor.

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. provided some of the original funds. But today the garden is owned and maintained by the Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve and a committee of volunteers.

Asticou was named one of the best Japanese Gardens in the US — 11th out of 300. You might like to visit these other Japanese Gardens in Maine.

To get the full picture of the Savage Gardens read Letitia Baldwin’s Two Island Gardens.

The Garden Preserve has a nice map and good directions on how to get there. And you can also try the Island Explorer bus.