Carl and Dorothy Bennett Community Garden


Sculpture inscription: This sculpture, with its two gleaming steel spires, rising out of the distressed footprint, represents the indestructible American spirit, which cannot be extinguished. We honor the memory of those heroic Americans who perished on September 11, 2001, a date that is forever etched in our hearts and minds.

(9/1/09) - Decades of research have shown that the hospital environment affects patient outcomes and that patients benefit from views of nature and from private, refreshing spaces. Studies have has also shown that incorporating greenery, flowers and water into a hospital or clinic environment encourages stress reduction, elevates positive feelings and reduces negative emotions.

In 2006 Greenwich Hospital concluded ten years of construction with dedication of its 2.5 acre Carl and Dorothy Bennett Community Garden. The garden, which incorporates seasonal plantings with natural native settings, is located at the south end of the Hospital’s main campus on the corner of Lake Avenue and Perryridge Road.

Focal points of the garden include a 9/11 memorial sculpture by Silas Seandel, dedicated to area residents who lost their lives in New York in 2001, a fountain, bluestone terrace and a brick walkway that is paved with bricks donated by the community.

The look of the garden changes constantly with the seasons. The cycle starts in the spring with tulips then annuals are planted late spring for summer color. Perennials are also blooming throughout the spring into the fall season. In autumn certain annuals are replaced with mums, cabbages and kale. During the winter holiday season an evergreen tree with white lights highlight the garden.

Ground management staff at the hospital have created rain gardens to filter runoff, selected more native plants in their landscaping plans, and have raised lawn mowers to leave grass blades three inches long, a practice that is known to reduce plant stress and help avoid droughts.

This month the Bennett Garden is featured in the Fall issue of Audubon Greenwich “In Flight” publication for the hospital’s decision to go “green” by switching to 100 percent organic practices on all their grounds, eliminating the use of chemicals.