Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is the honorary chair of "Antiques in the Garden," the July 17 Maine Antique Dealers Assoc. show at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Stewart is scheduled to attend the Preview Party on July 16.

"Antiques in the Gardens" is an exciting, new collaboration between Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and the Maine Antiques Dealers Association. Exceptional gardens, fine antiques, and the coast of Maine in mid-summer are the unbeatable combination visitors will find at the new and innovative MADA show at the Gardens on Thursday, July 17. But there's more: Martha Stewart has accepted the role of honorary chair for this event. She will attend the Preview Gala at the Gardens on Wednesday evening, July 16.

More than 45 exhibitors - a select group of MADA members - will have their merchandise on view and for sale, both at the Preview Party and from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on the 17th. With its diversity of dealers' specialties and the high quality of the antiques, "Antiques in the Gardens" will offer opportunities for established and new collectors to discover appealing and valuable items, as well as some rare finds.

For "Antiques in the Gardens" and Preview Party tickets, or to learn more, call the Gardens' office at (207) 633-4333 or visit www.mainegardens.org .

The Preview Gala on Wednesday, July 16, is an opportunity to be one of the first to see and purchase the exciting antiques in the show, as well as enjoy fine food, drink and live music.

While her celebrity reaches around the world, it is Stewart's love of fine gardens, antiques, and food and their significant role in her career, as well as her deep connection to Maine, that make her the perfect honorary chair for "Antiques in the Gardens." Through the years, she has extolled the joys of collecting vintage objects and incorporating these items into her everyday lifestyle. Her gardens are passionately planted and tended to maintain harmony and beauty in all seasons, and she has creatively communicated these ideals to the public in her award-winning magazine, Martha Stewart Living , online at www.marthastewart.com , on The Martha Stewart Show and other television programs such as the "Martha Stewart's Outdoor Living" special airing on Fine Living Network in May 2008. Her personal vision has often precipitated trends in the world of fine and decorative arts.

There are two ticket prices for the Gala. Those who purchase the $100 Patrons' Ticket may arrive at 5 p.m. to be the very first to see and purchase the antiques. They will start the evening with a glass of bubbly, accompanied by flavorful hors d'oeuvres. Guests at the $45 ticket level may attend beginning at 6 p.m. and will enjoy wine and the gourmet hors d'oeuvres. The party will conclude at 8 p.m.

Proceeds from sales of Gala tickets benefit the non-profit Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and a portion of the ticket price is tax deductible.

The "Antiques in the Gardens" show itself, on Thursday, July 17, will feature display "rooms" under six large tents. These will house a near-limitless variety of merchandise for sale. Admissions purchased before the day of the show are $15 each, which includes entry to both the show and the Gardens grounds. On July 17, tickets for the show alone are $10; the fee for both the show and Gardens is $17.

Snacks and lunches prepared in the Gardens' own Kitchen Garden Café will be available in the show area throughout the day, and the café and gift shop in the Gardens' Visitor Center will be open.

Plentiful free parking will be available at the Boothbay Region High School. A free shuttle will travel between BRHS and the Gardens beginning at 8:30 a.m. It will run continuously throughout the day. The last shuttle bus will leave the Gardens at 5:00 p.m.

Because of the show's setting, not to mention the popularity of garden-related antiques, there will, of course, be garden ornaments, fountains, urns, benches and accessories. Other specialties among the antiques dealers represented are folk art and country primitives; decoys; stoneware; fine botanical books, prints, and art; sterling silver; fine estate jewelry; and American, English and French Country furniture and accessories. There will also be barometers; fine porcelain, pottery and glass; early textiles; hooked and oriental rugs; nautical pieces, and American Indian antiques.

The Maine Antiques Dealers Association is the nation's oldest organization devoted to antiques, according to President Bev Reynolds. Impressively, the 79-year-old organization was the first to put together an annual antiques show, and these shows continue to this day. The majority of MADA members are from Maine, but about 25 percent are "from away," in fact from as far away as Tennessee and Illinois. "Antiques in the Gardens" is MADA's first-ever partnership with another organization.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is the show's official co-sponsor. The Gardens, located off Barters Island Road in Boothbay, about 10 miles from coastal Route 1, will make a splendid backdrop for the antiques and associated events. Maine's first and only botanical garden opened in spring, 2007 and attracted 40,000 visitors between May and December. With spectacular ornamental gardens; breathtaking stonework and sculpture; a shingle-style visitor center featuring a gift shop, a café, and art exhibits; and miles of trails on its 248 waterfront acres, it's no wonder the Gardens are being hailed as one of Maine's top attractions.