FARMINGTON — The Farmington Downtown Association on Wednesday recognized four businesses for beautifying the downtown area this summer.

It also recognized attorney Paul Mills on the 100th anniversary of his family firm, Mills & Mills. Thanking him for all he’s done for downtown Farmington, Michael Blanchet congratulated Mills and wished him well in the years ahead.

Businesses honored for floral displays included the Better Living Center, Mooseville, The Chickadee’s Nest, and Up Front & Pleasant Gourmet.

For more than 10 years, Molly Thorkildsen has tended plots of flowers in front of the Better Living Center. Presenting awards to her for the Better Living Center and Corey Ellis, owner of Mooseville, was Town Manager Richard Davis, a member of the association’s Design Committee. He said the efforts make Farmington “one of the most attractive downtowns in the state.”

Owners of the other two businesses were unable to attend the meeting.

“The town has done a good job,” Thorkildsen said about efforts to beautify the area with plants and flowers. “When I moved here in 1974 there were no flowers anywhere.”

She encouraged other businesses to provide customers with a layout of their floral display, one that lists varieties of plants used and where they were purchased for customers. She did that this year and customers appreciate it, she said.

The owner of the health food store endorses customer service and buying locally, Thorkildsen said, mentioning plants bought locally from Robin’s Flower Pot and compost provided by Tony Ramey.

“It’s a great feeling,” she said, when customers acknowledge the beauty of the plants. “That’s why we keep doing it.

Thorkildsen voiced appreciation of the summer flower pots high up on downtown street lamps, a project supported by the association. She had one question for the group: “Who waters the plants? They are never dry.”

Members of the town’s Public Works Department water them early in the morning, Davis said.

Also at the meeting, it was announced that the association will host the annual meeting of the Maine Downtown Center in May 2012.

A program of the Maine Development Foundation, the Maine Downtown Center was established in 1999. The center’s mission is to advance preservation-based economic development in Maine downtowns, according to it’s website.

Representatives from downtowns across Maine will visit Farmington on May 18 for conferences and workshops, Gloria McGraw announced to the group.

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