As October winds down, the gardens get ready for winter.

October 2020 Town Office Clean Up Crew

Early this week, a dozen garden club volunteers gathered in front of Harpswell’s Town Office to cut back perennials and get the bed in shape for the cold weather to come. And on October 29, again volunteers worked to end the gardening season. At Harpswell Historic Park Gardens, the club’s members cut back peonies, phlox and irises. They raked many of the fallen leaves, and put away plant supports and hoses. As the beds were finished, the group gathered in front of the dedication plaque for Anne Frances Hodgkins.

On October 29, 1970, this garden had been dedicated to honor the spirit and dedication of Miss Hodgkins. After serving as the club’s president from 1948-1950, she spearheaded the Civic Committee’ efforts to restore the Union Church (553 Harpswell Neck Road.) Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the church building is still maintained by our club. And in 1968, Anne Frances Hodgkins forged a partnership with the United States Navy (the only one of its kind in the country!) to design and install a garden on the Brunswick Naval Air Station to remember those Navy personnel who lost their lives in service to the United States. The Memorial Garden and the Friendship Garden at the current Brunswick Naval Museum are still under the care of the Harpswell Garden Club.

After addressing the group with a few remarks to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the garden’s dedication to Miss Hodgkins, club president Becky Gallery read “Prayer for a Garden.”

We need peace, so we come to the garden for quiet. We need joy, so we come to the garden for our senses.

We need to let things go, so we come to the garden for rest. We need to let people go, so we come to the garden to remember them.

We need hope, so we come to the garden to watch things grow, reminding ourselves to be planters and to enjoy what others have planted.

We also need a small piece of earth, we need to get our hands dirty.

We need community, so we come to this garden to give and receive a shared blessing.

Amen.