Enter For The Title Of Greenest Block In Brooklyn 2014

This year’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is already rolling, but luckily for all you gardeners, registration is open until June 1! The competition evaluates by residential and commercial entries across the borough on the way they’ve employed cooperative cleaning, greening, and sustainable practices near their homes and businesses.

In addition to the Greenest Block prize, categories this year include Best Window Box, Greenest Storefront, Best Street Tree Beds, Best Community Garden Streetscape, and the National Grid Leadership in Sustainable Practices Award, and Best Children’s Gardening Project. Entries are judged on a number of criteria including color and variety of plants and citizen participation–so even if you don’t live on a block with lots of grass and mature trees, all you need is some effort and neighborly collaboration to win.

The site says entrants must be part of an association or organization, but if you don’t have one yet, don’t let that put you off. As neighbor Maria Newsom-Fahey, whose block has participated multiple times, says, “The ‘worse’ block you have, the better… You technically have to register as a block association, but don’t get stumped by that, because this block certainly didn’t have one… There’s no paperwork, there’s nothing you have to do except call yourself that.”

Prizes include cash and gardening supplies to keep your block going strong–plus the glory of winning and the reward of getting to know your neighbors a bit better–so be sure to sign up before June 1.