Life in Full Bloom: Three Friends Dedicated to Gardening
A celebration of friendship, purpose and the joy of tending to a shared garden where each season brings something new to grow.
Beverly Smith spent years cultivating expansive gardens at her Greenwich home. When she moved to Edgehill, she did not leave that passion behind. Instead, she found new ways to nurture it within a community located just a stone’s throw from Binney Park and Perrot Library in Old Greenwich.
Today, Beverly leads the Edgehill Grounds Committee, helping shape the landscapes residents enjoy each day. Alongside her husband Mike and their golden lab Sandy, she spends afternoons tending to the gardens and her own balcony plantings. Known to many as “Bev,” she also remains active with the Riverside Garden Club and has welcomed members to tour the gardens at Edgehill.
Bev, along with friends and fellow residents Jean May and Laura Godown, has helped establish and maintain the gardens throughout Edgehill. Set across a 32-acre campus on the Stamford and Greenwich border, Edgehill is home to four distinctive gardens. From vibrant pollinator meadows and rooftop herb gardens to a serene koi pond, each space reflects the creativity and care of the residents who bring it to life.
A Meadow Designed for Pollinators
When Edgehill resident Jean May, originally from New York City, first read about the concept of pollinator pathways in a gardening magazine, she immediately saw the possibilities. “We have this amazing property that is so
beautiful,” says Jean, former chair of the Edgehill Grounds Committee. “A magazine dropped in my lap that talked about the pollinator pathway, and I thought, ‘What a great idea.”
Jean and fellow resident Laura Godown, a member of the Riverside Garden Club and originally from Stamford, helped transform an area once overtaken by invasive mugwort into a colorful meadow filled with native plants, including butterfly weed, bee balm, daisies, black-eyed Susans and asters.
“The whole idea of a pollinator pathway is to create a chemical-free zone where native insects and bees can feed and propagate,” says Laura. “When we watered the asclepias, it was swarmed by bees. Recently, I’ve even started to see monarchs—that’s what the effort is about.”
A Garden Reimagined: The South Wing Gardens
The South Wing Gardens show how resident vision can transform a space. What was once a blank canvas is now a flourishing mix of sunny and shaded beds.
For Jean, who spent years volunteering at The Conservatory Garden in New York City, helping shape the gardens has been especially rewarding. “It’s exciting to hear comments from people who see it and appreciate it,” she says of the South Wing Gardens. “It’s been a wonderful project for those of us involved.”
Rooftop Gardens with a Culinary Connection
The Rooftop Gardens are one of the most popular gathering places at Edgehill, where residents spend time among seasonal blooms to play bocce, enjoy lunch with friends, attend a party or simply take in the view.
Tucked among the flowers is an herb garden cared for by the resident-run Grounds Committee. Basil, rosemary, mint and other fresh herbs often make their way into dishes prepared by Executive Chef Anthony and his culinary team.
Chef Anthony shares, “Producing delicious meals is actually a simple process. I use fresh, high-quality ingredients and classic techniques in order to yield exceptional products.”
A Serene Welcome: The Koi Pond Garden
Caption: A moment of stillness by the koi pond, where nature and thoughtful design come together in perfect balance.
The Koi Pond Garden by the front entrance welcomes residents and offers a peaceful place to pause. Benches tucked among flowering trees overlook seasonal blooms, including redbud and pink dogwood trees, yellow magnolia, viburnum, Japanese maple and fragrant white lilacs in spring. Recently refreshed with new plantings, the garden remains a favorite spot for residents to gather, walk their dogs or simply enjoy a quiet moment outdoors.
More Than Gardens
Edgehill’s four gardens reflect both longtime passions and interests that residents have discovered more recently. Through their dedication, residents like Beverly, Jean and Laura have transformed the landscape into something both meaningful and shared. It is this spirit of involvement and purpose that continues to shape life at our community, where every day offers the opportunity to cultivate not only the grounds, but a deeper sense of belonging.