By Kerri Williams

WESTPORT – There’s something about being in a garden that brings me peace. Perhaps it’s the scents, the colorful blooms, or the chance of encountering a butterfly or bird.

It’s no wonder that gardens are sometimes used to memorialize those who have made a difference in our lives.

My next two columns are dedicated to these gardens. This week, I will highlight where to find some memorial gardens right in Westport. Next week, I will share how to create a memorial garden in your own space.

In Westport, there are several public memorial gardens to discover – from the one on Sherwood Island dedicated to those who passed away on 9/11, to another at the Westport/Weston YMCA honoring a former employee, to a handful across the town that are maintained by the Westport Garden Club.

Nathalie Fonteyne, who heads up the civic activities of the Westport Garden Club, says that memorial gardens are mostly about “trying to keep the spirit of the person alive.”

Take your own tour of the town’s memorial gardens

Garden club members maintain a few memorial gardens in town. Two are dedicated to founding members of the club – The Nevada Hitchcock Garden and the Grace K. Salmon Park gardens. The third is Cam’s Garden, named for the son of a garden club member who passed away during his freshman year of college.

The Nevada Hitchcock Garden, which was established in 1941 on the corner of Weston Road at Cross Highway, is filled with plants that bloom at different times throughout the summer. The garden was renovated in 2022 to include more native plants that attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. While planting for pollinators was not customary in Nevada’s time, the garden is very much in her spirit because she was always on the cutting edge, according to Nathalie.

As the location can be difficult to access, members wanted to fill Nevada’s garden with bigger plants that can have an impact when seen from the road. Some of the native plants there include insomnia and Joe Pye Weed. In the spring, daffodils provide a spark of yellow.

Next time you walk your dog or take a hike at the popular Grace K. Salmon Park on Imperial Avenue, take a little time to check out the gardens there dedicated to another founding member of the club.

In the beginning of the 20^th Century, garden club members were very active and influential in town, according to Nathalie. “Most women were not involved professionally, and this is how they would make their mark,” Nathalie said. “They were forces to be reckoned with.”

The gardens at the park are unique because they are on the site of a former landfill. Early attempts at the Grace K. Salmon gardens failed because of gas trapped underneath them, according to Nathalie. Once pipes were installed to let the gas out, the gardens were viable and have won environmental awards.

In 2024, several women who served as presidents of the club dedicated and installed a sundial at Grace K. Salmon Park to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the club.

Special gardens for special memories

Another garden that is maintained by the club honors Cameron Bruce, son of garden club member Linda Bruce. “Cam’s Garden” was designed by Cameron’s mom Linda, a member of the garden club, with the help of Greenscape Design in Fairfield. The garden includes bluestone paths and features a cherry tree and many shrubs, perennials and bulbs.

Linda started with a small garden patch in her yard to commemorate her son, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 18. Later, she decided to install a larger garden at the end of her street that everyone in town can enjoy.

Cam was an avid swimmer who also loved music, according to Nathalie. “He was a beautiful soul, and the garden perpetuates that beauty,” Nathalie said.

The Westport/Weston Family YMCA is the home to another memorial garden that honors a former member, who was also on the staff. The Maura Finneran Marden Memorial Garden was spearheaded by Maura’s mom Margaret.

Maura was a swimmer and dedicated “Water Rat” parent. The garden includes a bench inscribed with the words “No Surrender XOXO,” which she was known for saying.

Another memorial that everyone should visit is the contemplative space on Sherwood Island State Park designed by Connecticut landscape architect Shavaun Towers as the state’s official memorial to the victims of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

In addition to a large, engraved stone, the memorial includes a bed of flowering shrubs, four large trees, and four benches to sit and reflect. The twin towers had been visible from Sherwood Island, and billowing smoke from the buildings could be seen from the location following Sept. 11.

So, take some time to experience the public areas of beauty around town that are dedicated to many people who made a difference and some whose lives ended far too soon.

Kerri Williams

^{_{Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.}}