Republished from the Courier-Gazette March 10, 2023
Congratulations to Camden Garden Club
Originally published March 14, 2015 online by the Courier-Gazette
The year 2015 marks the Camden Garden Club’s Centennial and gives our community an opportunity to celebrate their 100th anniversary as an important, steadfast, and creative organization which is fundamental to our community’s aesthetic sense and appearance. This milestone anniversary is a time for recalling the Camden Garden Club’s long-term commitment to Camden and the surrounding area, acknowledging and honoring the many past and present Garden Club members who have contributed a range of supportive services to Camden and nearby communities over this extended time period. They have led the way in recognizing the town’s visual beauty and the importance of our public streetscapes and parks.
The Town of Camden especially owes a deep debt of gratitude to the Camden Garden Club for its ongoing and energetic commitment to annual beautification projects. The yearly placement of red ivy geranium planter baskets on the downtown lampposts and bridge, and on the Camden-Rockport “arch”, is a signature element of downtown Camden’s summertime appearance. Those same lampposts are adorned with tastefully lighted wreaths during the holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. The bright floral plantings in the downtown traffic islands are a delight for residents and visitors alike during the summer months.
The Garden Club’s continued maintenance of the plantings on the interior border of the Village Green helps beautify and distinguish this beloved center of downtown Camden, and the creation of the Children’s Amphitheater at Laite Beach Park has added yet another dimension to that important public park and its landscape.
The annual House and Garden Tour, the Club’s yearly fundraiser in support of its projects and programs, has achieved wide recognition as one of the premier summertime events in Maine. In addition to the funds it raises for the Garden Club, it brings great recognition to Camden and the surrounding area as a place of great natural beauty,of memorable homes, and of outstanding landscapes.
Anticipating the future, over the past 31 years the Club has provided annual scholarships to Camden Hills Regional High School students, supporting college careers in botany and landscape design.
Camden is truly proud and grateful for the many past and present contributions of the Garden Club and looks forward to many more decades of Garden Club successes.
Written by Roger Moody, Camden Town Manager 1991-2002