Tribute to Gayle Gussett Greenhill

It is with great sadness that OvS reflects on the passing of a great, client, mentor, and friend: Gayle Greenhill. OvS worked closely with Gayle and her husband Bob on three significant gardens. I worked with her at their main residence in Greenwich, CT and my partner Sheila Brady led OvS’ efforts at the Pine Island, SC and Nantucket, MA residences. At each of these locations, Gayle actively participated as a member of the design team, which made for a completely engaging, positive, and most importantly fun process. Her sense of style, warm personality, and understanding of design lead to a series of gardens that transcend time and place. She introduced OvS to some of the great architects and interior designers of our time: William McDonough, Ira Grandberg, Ellie Cullman, and Lyman Perry. With each of these collaborations, Gayle ensured that the Greenhill personality was blended with the architecture and vernacular of each location.

When you add the personalities of our founding partners Wolfgang Oehme and Jim van Sweden into the Greenhill collaborative, you wind up with some truly fascinating and memorable meetings. It was a wild ride, to say the least.

It was the Greenhill Garden in Greenwich, CT that we selected for the cover of our book, The Artful Garden: Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design.

The last time I saw Gayle was with my children, who were young. She had a stash of candy in her kitchen. At least a dozen different types of seemingly endless candy was on display in what amounted to a lazy susan. My boys, granted carte blanche to this candy cornucopia, thought they were in heaven. I can only imagine that she was a hell of a grandmother.

On a personal note, Gayle and I shared a family friend in her nephew Jim Wallace of Des Moines, IA. Jim relayed his fondness for his aunt and her dedication to her family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim, Bob, and the entire Greenhill family.

Gayle: I miss you and thank you for amazing gardens and amazing memories.

Your friend and Landscape Architect,

Eric