Last year when Mechanic Falls Transfer Station attendant Kathryn Oaks decided to make the “dump” look not so much like one, she started something that has taken on a life of its own.

“Residents who come in are tickled by it all and often bring us stuff they think would look good in one of our gardens,” she said.

Plates, mugs, chairs and a variety of glass creatively placed make up the various gardens. “It’s an exercise on some level of creativity at a workplace,” said the energetic attendant. She and coworker and master gardener Lydia Fisher have brought beauty to an area often stigmatized by its sights and smells.

Mixed amongst the various “treasures” rescued before being thrown away are a variety of flowers. Some are wildflowers transplanted from the fields surrounding the dump, but many are specimens from Fisher’s garden.

“It’s gotten to a point where we don’t want to add any more as it is a chore to do all the weeding and upkeep needed to keep it looking good. We do most of it when it is slow on Thursday afternoons,” Oaks said.

They are in the process of having T-shirts made up that will proclaim: Mechanic Falls Transfer Station, the prettiest dump in Maine.