Greenwich Green & Clean is accepting nominations for its annual Beautification Awards through Monday, September 15, as the nonprofit marks 40 years of greening the town. Residents can nominate any garden, storefront planting, or streetscape project visible from the street.
The awards ceremony will take place Thursday, October 15, at Sam Bridge Nursery and Greenhouses, 437 North St., with an early evening cocktail reception open to the public.
Anyone in the community can submit a candidate. Send photos of the project, taken in any season, along with identifying information to [email protected] by September 15. Eligible projects include floral or native plantings, streetscape work, and landscaping that enhances a property and can be seen by passersby.
The Beautification Awards Committee overseeing nominations includes Sally Davies, Mark and Carrie Greenwald, and Executive Director Kanako MacLennan, according to the organization's announcement in the Greenwich Free Press on July 16.
Founded in 1986 by Peter Malkin and the late Harry Keleshian, Greenwich Green & Clean coordinates volunteer projects on public spaces that fall outside Town or State budgets. The organization is headquartered at 113 Pemberwick Rd.
One of its most recognizable contributions: the 100 hanging flower baskets on downtown Greenwich lampposts. This year, the baskets feature red begonias with white and blue scaevola in recognition of the nation's 250th anniversary. Sam Bridge Nursery, in business since 1930, is a longtime partner on the basket project.
Nearly 140 people attended the nonprofit's 40th anniversary gala, "Toast to 40 Years," at The Field Club on Sunday, May 17. At that event, co-founder Peter Malkin credited the organization's leadership continuity for its longevity, praising board chair JoAnn Messina and MacLennan, who took over as executive director in 2024 after Mary Hull retired from the role she held for 37 years.
Upcoming Greenwich community events
- Saturday, July 19 — Summer Concert Series, Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, 100 Arch St., 7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 19 — Bruce Museum Family Day: Dinosaur Discovery, 10:15 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 29 — ADA 36th Anniversary Ceremony, Greenwich Avenue in front of Restoration Hardware, noon.
- Thursday, July 30 — Tour de Veggie, self-guided vegetable garden tour hosted by Greenwich Land Trust and Greenwich Community Gardens, rain or shine.
- Thursday, October 15 — Greenwich Green & Clean Beautification Awards, Sam Bridge Nursery and Greenhouses, 437 North St., early evening.
