Retrospect: Couple provided floral advice

A Michigan couple visited Portland 25 years ago this week to offer advice about an effort to beautify the city.

Ellery and Sue Sabin spoke to local volunteers on April 21, 1993, about their project that involved planting 60,000 petunias in their community of Ludington, Michigan.

The couple started the project after returning to Ludington in the 1980s and deciding the community of about 10,000 needed a boost.

“I feel that the government does too much for us,” said Ellery Sabin.

The result was 5 miles worth of petunia beds that were tended to by hundreds of volunteers. Since then, the Sabins had helped 16 other small communities start similar projects.

The presentation in Portland was part of a local effort to plant petunias near a “Welcome to Portland” sign as well as encouraging the adoption of a color scheme for flowers planed in front of local businesses.