Beautification, education and community participation have all been staples of the Boothbay Region Garden Club since it began in 1931. Whether it’s maintaining the gardens at the Civil War Memorial Monument in Boothbay, the armillary in Boothbay Harbor, or the planted window boxes at one of the region’s five post offices, the local landscape has definitely been brightened by the club’s efforts over the past 85 years.

The club celebrated its past achievements during its anniversary party, a July 13 ceremony at Saint Columba’s Episcopal Church. More than 80 members of other local garden clubs attended the celebration, according to club officials. 

The club’s future will likely be a lot like its past: beautifying and preserving the local community and environment. Each year, its 117 members beautify the local landscape by tending to public gardens and sponsoring holiday decorating events. The club also provides educational programs for its membership and college scholarships.

While the BRGC is a local organization, it’s also a member of both state and national organizations. Maine garden clubs lobbied the Legislature decades ago to ban billboards. And in 2010, the national organization spearheaded the movement toward creating Blue Star Memorials in club members’ communities to honor past, present and future veterans.

The BRGC maintains the Blue Star Memorial Garden on Townsend Avenue across the street from the Boothbay Harbor Rite-Aid. The Boothbay Harbor Blue Star Memorial is one of 29 in Maine. According to BRGC President Mimi O’Neil, Maine has the most of any New England state.

The local garden club also carries on the tradition of looking after the community’s aesthetic look. The billboard ban was led by a Maine garden club member in the 1950s who was “appalled” by  the structures’ appearance.

O”Neil said the BRGC’s goal is to preserve the community’s natural beauty. She believes year-round residents and tourists alike don’t want their view spoiled by man-made objects.

“We have the same concerns today whether it’s billboards or some zoning change,” O’Neil said. “Landscaping and beautification has always been the club’s number one cause. People come to Maine to see flowers, trees and the beautiful countryside. So we watch closely what is going on.”

The club’s beautification efforts don’t stop during the winter. The club sponsors “The Festival of Trees” during the first weekend of each December at the Boothbay Harbor Opera House. The event is part of the community’s annual Harbor Lights celebration.

The club, along with local businesses and community members, decorate Christmas trees in the Boothbay region. Businesses decorate trees to advertise their products. Shops sell various items to raise money for the event. Among the items sold locally are cakes and candies, table arrangements, bird houses and wreaths, small table top trees, and miscellaneous assorted gift items.

The club also holds a silent auction which is a major fundraiser for its gardening and community outreach programs. The club solicits bid items from local businesses.

“All the proceeds help us fund the year round horticulture projects, youth garden programs and garden therapy. It’s all for fun, but the businesses try to create something really special during the festival,” said BRGC director Kathleen Marty.

The club also participates in another holiday event, “The Giving Tree,” each December. The event provides needy children with “a little something extra at Christmas,” said Marty. The club assists in decorating and donating more than 30 Christmas trees.

The club also provides municipal offices with a wreath during the winter holidays.

Each summer, the club’s home and garden tour is the major fundraiser. Each July, the tour includes six homes on the Boothbay Peninsula. Club members say each home has a “unique and interesting history” with a beautiful waterfront view of their gardens. This year’s tour was on July 22. This is the tour’s fifth season and the club sold all the tickets.

Other Maine garden clubs have complimented the local organization’s commitment to community projects, according to O’Neil.

“We are remarkably community-oriented and focused on giving back to the community. Those projects are a big part of what we do,” she said.

The club is open to all gardeners regardless of ability. The organization’s purpose is enhancing members’ gardening skills and providing community service.

BRGC historian Margaret Holden first joined the organization in 1984. At the time, she wasn’t much of a gardener and had little interest in becoming a member. One day she received a phone call from a club member at her business. The member offered to sponsor her membership.

Holden declined the offer, to the astonishment of her customers.

“I’m glad these people changed my mind. I learned a lot about the natural world, gardens, and how working in a group brings such wonderful results to the community,” Holden said.

The BRGC no longer requires a sponsorship for members. The club now requires an application and $25 membership fee.

Educating its membership and local community about gardening is another important aspect of the club’s work. The club sponsors a college scholarship for Boothbay Region High School graduates pursuing a career in environmental studies, botany or horticulture. Club officials described it as a “substantial scholarship” providing student aid during the recipient’s four-year college studies.

The club also sponsors “camperships” so children can attend Boothbay Region YMCA’s summer programs at Camp Knickerbocker. During the school year, the club maintains a garden at Boothbay Region Elementary School along with the students.

“It’s a good way to teach them where food comes from,” Marty said. “It reinforces that food doesn’t come from a truck at Hannafords.”

Club members also learn personal gardening tips and improve their botanical skills through a series of monthly meetings. The club meets 10 times a year. Future topics include “Gardening for the Five Senses,” “Tai Chi for Gardeners,” and fun topics such as “The Crazy Container Challenge.” The topics aren’t just limited to gardening. On Aug. 10, the speaker is local author Lea Waite.

The club also sponsors an educational program for the Saint Andrews Gregory Wing residents. The club’s program improves the residents’ gardening awareness and improves their dexterity.

One thing the club didn’t have 85 years ago was a website. The club recently changed its website address to www.boothbayregiongardenclub.org.