Flowers from Celia Thaxter's Appledore Island garden, where the shoalsmarinelab is located, are on display at prescottparknh in nearby #PortsmouthNH. "What lured the finest Boston-area writers, musicians, and artists to Appledore each summer? Speedy trains, healthy salt air, abundant meals, and breathtaking scenery each played a role. But it was Celia Thaxter, most of all, with her passion for the arts and the natural world, who drew such prominent figures as painter Childe Hassam, violinist Ole Bull, and actor Edwin Booth. Famous writers including Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Greenleaf Whittier, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, and James Russell Lowell, among others, gathered in her parlor, perfumed with freshly cut flowers. Impromptu concerts echoed within walls covered in paintings. "She was the best of good company," one visitor wrote. Celia's parlor, surrounded by the sea, yet within sight of three New England states, became a rich cultural salon that inspired creative people to relax and sha...