Greenest Block in Brooklyn 2021 - Brooklyn Botanic Garden
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Greenest Block in Brooklyn 2021

Greenest Block in Brooklyn 2021

Greenest Block In Brooklyn

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“The contest has caused a resurgence of pride, friendship, and cooperation among the residents.” —2017 Participant

#GreenestBlockInBrooklyn

Learn More About the Contest

Although we were unable to host our usual Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest this year due to the pandemic, going another growing season without this beloved gardening tradition was not an option. Using the small but mighty window box, Brooklyn’s gardeners reshaped a “socially distant” contest into one that was incredibly intimate.

2021 Residential Participants

View all the residential blocks that participated in the 2021 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. Click the map points to see the names of the registered block associations.

Best Overall Window Box–Residential

1st Place Tie Window box with a variety of plants
Althea Joseph, Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
1st Place Tie Window box with a variety of different flowers
Carol Wilson, 300 East 25th Street Block Association
East 25th Street between Avenue D and Clarendon Road
Flatbush
2nd Place Window box with plants, certain leaves are bigger than others
Michele Shelton, Lincoln Road R&B Block Association
Lincoln Road between Bedford and Rogers Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
3rd Place Tie Window bow with a variety of plants and red flowers
Grahame Hubbard, Clermont Avenue Block Association
Clermont Avenue between DeKalb and Willoughby Avenues
Fort Greene
3rd Place Tie Window box with purple flowers
Sandra Worrell , Lefferts Alliance Community Togetherness Block Association
Lefferts Avenue between Bedford and Rogers Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
Honorable Mention Window box with a variety of different flowers
Michelle Fields, 400 Bainbridge Block Association
Bainbridge Street between Howard and Saratoga Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Honorable Mention Window box with many flowers
Helen Wilson
East 53rd Street between Lenox Road and Linden Boulevard
East Flatbush

National Grid Leadership In Sustainable Practices Award

Leadership Award A window box on a step with trailing vines, upright leaves and red flowers
Jenn Chen, Lincoln Road R&B Block Association
Lincoln Road between Bedford and Rogers Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
“These window boxes were made with the help of many children from the block. They use a subirrigation technique learned at an online Greenest Block workshop this spring.”

Best Overall Window Box–Commercial

1st Place A wooden planter on a sidewalk with vivid pink dahlias and interesting grasses
Litter to Glitter: Green and Clean Initiative, Rockaway Parkway Merchant Association
Rockaway Parkway between Farragut and Glenwood Roads
Canarsie
2nd Place A wooden box on a sidewalk planted with yellow flowers and tall grasses
Litter to Glitter: Green and Clean Initiative, Rockaway Parkway Merchant Association
Rockaway Parkway between Farragut and Glenwood Roads
Canarsie
3rd Place two window boxes on the window of the store with a variety of green plants
Nagle’s Bagels
Tompkins Avenue between Jefferson and Putnam Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant

Most Window Boxes Nominated on a Single Block

1st Place Window box with a variety of flowers
Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
2nd Place Window box with pink flowers
300 East 25th Street Block Association
East 25th Street between Avenue D and Clarendon Road
Flatbush
3rd Place Window box with a variety of plants
Vanderveer Place Block Association
Vanderveer Place between East 23rd Street and Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush
4th Place Window box with pink and white flowers
200 Decatur Street/Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association
Decatur Street between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant

Best Senior’s Window Box

(planted and tended by gardeners 65 and older)

1st Place Window box with flowers that have pink elements
Cynthia Cummings, 200 Decatur Street/Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association
Decatur Street between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
2nd Place Tie Window box with a variety of plants
Robert Johnson, Vanderveer Place Block Association
Vanderveer Place between East 23rd Street and Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush
2nd Place Tie Window box with a variety of plants
Vera Toney, 300 East 25th Street Block Association
East 25th Street between Avenue D and Clarendon Road
Flatbush
3rd Place Tie Window box with a variety of plants and red flowers
Valerie Nero-Reid, Hampton, Sterling, Virginia Place & Kingston Avenue Block Association, Inc.
Virginia Place between and Park and Sterling Places
Crown Heights
3rd Place Tie Window box with a variety of different plants
Irma Reyes, Hampton, Sterling, Virginia Place & Kingston Avenue Block Association, Inc.
Hampton Place between Park and Sterling Places
Crown Heights
Honorable Mention Window box with red flowers
Gina Barros, Southside Homeowner Association, Inc.
South 5th Street between Hooper and Keap Streets
Williamsburg
Honorable Mention
Delores Washington, Fresh Creek Civic Association
East 108th Street between Avenue M and Flatlands 7 Street
Canarsie
Honorable Mention Window box with red and purple flowers
Jane Wright, 400 Bainbridge Block Association
Bainbridge Street between Howard and Saratoga Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant

Best Children’s Window Box

(planted and tended by gardeners 16 and younger)

1st Place Tie window box with pink, orange, and purple flowers
Kassidy, Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
1st Place Tie Window box with a variety of different flowers
Rose, Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
2nd Place Tie Window box on the wall with a variety of different flowers
Jessie, Greener Maple 4
Maple Street between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
2nd Place Tie window box with yellow flowers hanging from a window
Sanaa & Mateo, Bridge Plaza Association
Duffield Street between Concord and Tillary Streets
Bridge Plaza
2nd Place Tie Window box with green tomatoes and pink flowers
Theo, Eighth Street Block Association (8 Ave-PPW)
8th Street between 8th Avenue and Prospect Park West
Park Slope
3rd Place Tie Window box with a variety of plants and a pink butterfly on the top
Maria’s grandchildren, Fresh Creek Nature Association
Flatlands 7th Street between East 108th Street and Fresh Creek
Canarsie
3rd Place Tie Window box with orange and purple flowers
Nora & Tess, Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights

Best Window Box in a Community Garden

1st Place Green window box with plants and purple flowers
Nebert Jackson, Serenity Community Garden
Avenue L between East 45th Street and Troy Avenue
Flatlands
2nd Place Window bow with a plant and one pink flower
Soheir Hassan, Nehemiah Ten Greenthumb Block Association Community Garden
Barbey Street between Blake and Dumont Avenues
East New York

Best Edible Plants Window Box

1st Place Window box with basil and parsley
Lori Bukiewicz, Ovington Avenue Historic District
Ovington Avenue between 3rd Avenue and Ridge Boulevard
Bay Ridge
2nd Place Green window box with a variety of plants
Burnley Duke Dame, 10th Street Block Association
10th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Park Slope
3rd Place Blue window box with red and pink flowers
Nacho Machi, From the Universe with Love
Prospect Place between Classon and Grand Avenues
Crown Heights
Honorable Mention Window box with different types of thyme
Susan DuPree, Bay Ridge Blooms
Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street and Ovington Avenue
Bay Ridge

Best Indoor Window Box

1st Place Window box with green plants
Stephen Rutsky, 12th Street Block Association
12th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Park Slope
2nd Place White window box with red and pink flowers in it
Carol Reneau, 300 East 25th Street Block Association
East 25th Street between Avenue D and Clarendon Road
Flatbush
3rd Place Window box with a variety of plants
Sheethal Shobowale, 400 State Street Block Association
State Street between 3rd Avenue and Nevins Street
Boerum Hill
Honorable Mention Glass terrarium with a variety of plants
Althea Joseph, Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights

Most Creative Window Box

1st Place
Melynda Gierard, Seed Streets Brooklyn
Starr Street between Irving and Wyckoff Avenues
Bushwick
2nd Place Tie Window box with a variety of plants and purple leaves on the right side
Perri Edwards, Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
2nd Place Tie window box with pink flowers
Shirley Stevens, 200 Decatur Street/Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association
Decatur Street between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
3rd Place Window box with purple flowers
Cindy Ajredini, Bay Ridge Blooms
Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street and Ovington Avenue
Bay Ridge

Special Commendations & Awards

Special Commendation A smiling man and woman pose in front of a brick building behind a colorful window box suspended on an iron railing.
Best Storytelling
Southside Homeowners Association
Williamsburg
Special Commendation Window box with a variety of plants
Outstanding and Neighborly Use of Drip Irrigation
Douglas Bruha, Lefferts Alliance Community Togetherness Block Association
Lefferts Avenue between Bedford and Rogers Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
Special Commendation Window box with a variety of different flowers
Best Building Superintendent
Ramesh Chand Charran, Greener Maple 4
Maple Street between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
Honoring Traditions Window box with a variety of plants
Honoring Our Family Gardening Traditions Award
Allen Judge, Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.s)
Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
Honoring Traditions Window box with pink flowers
Honoring Our Family Gardening Traditions Award
Colleen Cox & Josephine Samms, Sullivan Ludlam Stoddard Neighborhood Association
Sullivan Place between Bedford and Rogers Avenues
Lefferts Gardens

Learn More About the Contest

Support

The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is a project of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, with leadership support from Brooklyn Community Foundation.

Logo: Brooklyn BoroughLogo: Dept of Cultural Affairs

Major Sponsor, Community Greening Programs
Logo: National Grid

Image, top of page: Nina Browne