Program head strives to ‘Keep Bangor Beautiful’

Judi Perkins has a garden-variety personality. But nothing could please her more. The skilled green thumb she cherishes is part of her heritage.

Pumpkins, peas, corn, strawberries and tulips are but a few of the things sold at market by Perkins’ grandparents. This once-working farm, complete with dairy cattle, has remained in the family for generations.

“The 14-room Cape [Cod-style house] was designed on the back of an envelope by my grandmother and was constructed with hand tools by a carpenter who traveled to work by horse and wagon,” recalled Perkins, 60. After raising two children, Perkins and her husband moved into the homestead to be with her mother, Etta, 90.

“Mom’s cooking is still the best,” she said. “And the family still gathers at the farm to make new memories, to mingle with the old. I am currently working to re-establish the gardens around the place that need to be refreshed or redone. I found some daylilies, by surprise, on the property that had been dug up and tossed aside – but rooted and survived. I am making a memory garden for my grandmother. They were hers.”

Perkins doesn’t mind taking her work home, so to speak. The executive director of Keep Bangor Beautiful has always been interested in her surroundings and the mission of the organization. And the Bangor Garden Show is near and dear to her heart.

“The mission of KBB is to provide leadership in voluntary recycling and beautification through education and example, and the garden show is our largest fund raiser,” said Perkins. “The proceeds of the show help us accomplish our mission.”

KBB, initially named Bangor 2000, was developed in 1990 with a small grant from the city of Bangor to the Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism and events. Realizing the need to be self-sufficient, Perkins, director of Bangor 2000 at that time, and some board members “jumped in a car and went to Portland to see their garden show,” she said.

“We were just enamored with the whole idea and we all felt that the Bangor Auditorium would never be as beautiful as it would be during a garden show,” she added. “The first year we received a grant from the Junior League to hold a show, and with the help of many volunteers, the rest is history.”

Today KBB, certified with the Keep America Beautiful program, has an operating budget garnered through private and corporate donations, membership fees and the garden show. Kenduskeag Stream clean-up day, the Adopt-A-Park program, recycling advocacy and Bangor community gardens are but a few of the ways KBB keeps the Queen City looking royal, said Perkins, the organization’s only paid staff person.

“Beautification and recycling are values that should be nurtured,” said Perkins. “Entries topped 500 in last year’s The Kids Grow Too program, a schoolchildren’s gardening competition. It has been very exciting for us. We really are all about creating or maintaining beautiful surroundings and educating others on the how’s and why’s this goal is important in daily life.”

Perkins’ enthusiasm for KBB’s mission is ever blooming. She admits to having sap in her veins. After pursuing other interests through the years, she has finally taken root at KBB.

“I can’t stay away,” said Perkins. “I know a good thing when I see it.”

For more information on the Bangor Garden Show, scheduled for March 19-21, call Perkins at 990-1201, or visit www.bangorgardenshow.com.

The garden show is worth attending for the fragrance alone, said Perkins. Along with having something for everyone in the family, including beautiful and colorful exhibits, an informative lecture series and children’s programs, “just walking through the door fills your lungs with spring.”

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865 or log on www.eaa.org.