Darien Seeks To Refurbish Several Gardens In Town

DARIEN, CT — The Darien Representative Town Meeting this week overwhelmingly approved the creation of the Darien Blooms Gift Fund, an important step the Darien Beautification Commission needs to refurbish several gardens in town.

Through donations from the community and fundraising efforts, the Beautification Commission will restore gardens under the Darien Blooms program, a reimagined version of the Adopt a Garden initiative.

The program offers traffic islands, land alongside I-95 ramps and well-traveled intersections to landscapers, businesses and other organizations to plant and tend.

The Darien Beautification Commission has a goal to receive more than $25,000 in gifts. Any gifts over $12,500 must be approved by the RTM.

"Gifts will be deposited into the fund, expenditures will be authorized consistent with existing town fund controls and procedures," said RTM Finance and Budget Committee Chair Jack Davis during the RTM's meeting on Monday. The meeting is available to watch on demand on Darien TV79.

"The establishment of the Darien Blooms Gift Fund will allow for better control of the donations and those expenditures being made for the established purpose of this fund," Davis added.

In an effort to refurbish the gardens, the Beautification Commission has worked to reimagine Adopt a Garden into Darien Blooms for the past three years.

The Beautification Commission brought a landscaping firm in to develop a replanting and maintenance plan for most of the 17 gardens the commission was maintaining, according to Adele Conniff, chair of the RTM Parks and Recreation Committee, who spoke briefly during the RTM's meeting on Monday.

But the cumulative cost for refurbishment plus maintenance for three years was over $150,000, Conniff said.

"After consulting with local businesses, the commission concluded the costs were too high for the businesses to cover as in the Adopt a Garden model," Conniff said.

Gardens were then prioritized into a list of seven, and ultimately four with revised planting plans, mowing and watering costs as part of phase 1, Conniff said.

The four gardens that will be refurbished first are located at Nearwater Lane at the Post Road, Noroton Heights Train Station southbound tracks near the entrance, the "Welcome to Darien" sign at Exit 11 southbound, and the Post Road across from the intersection of Mansfield Avenue near the Darien Fire Station.

Funding for these gardens will come from the Beautification Commission's current budget of approximately $10,000, with further funding coming from individual and business donations, plus other fundraising efforts, Conniff said.

The Beautification Commission is also planning a brick fundraiser to restore the paving area in the garden at the intersection of Mansfield Avenue near the Darien Fire Station.

Residents will be able to purchase engraved bricks potentially at $200 or $325, depending on the size which is to be determined, Conniff said.

Seasons Too has also offered to contribute a bench to the garden, Conniff noted.

Phase 2 of the refurbishment project could include Tokeneke Road at Five Mile River Road, and the "Welcome to Darien" sign at Exit 13.

Gardens not renovated will be kept tidy or grassed over, according to Conniff.

The full RTM meeting can be viewed on demand on Darien TV79.