The Brooklyn Botanic Garden debuted an installation about the community-building contest and will host a free block party in July.
Part of the installation at Brooklyn Botanic Garden last week. Photo by Susan De Vries
by To celebrate 30 years of greening efforts from borough residents and the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has launched two special installations and plans a summer party.
Visitors who stroll through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will spy some whimsical planters and mini stoops installed as part of Block by Block: Streetscapes. The installation, which is already in place and runs through October 25, was organized with the assistance of past winners of the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. Gardeners lent planters, signs, and other features to give a glimpse of their block’s personality.
Some local gardeners also participated in Brooklyn’s Greening Heroes, a portrait and oral history project by Zachary Schulman. The resulting photographs and stories are displayed in the garden through October 25. The material will also be available online later this year.
The winners of the 2026 contest won’t be announced until August, but the partying will start in July with a special block party on Thursday, July 30. Admission will be free all day for lawn games, crafts, food, and drinks. A DJ will also be on hand with, appropriately, 1990s music. There will be a greening info table for attendees who have the urge to galvanize their blocks into action.
Panels in the exhibit include photos and oral histories by Zachary Schulman
While Brooklynites have brought plants and trees to the streets, yards, and parks of the borough for centuries, the Greenest Block contest dates to the 1990s. Aiming to bring communities together to make Brooklyn a cleaner and greener place, the contest provides workshops and other educational opportunities to participants. Each year, residential and commercial blocks as well as community gardens in the borough are encouraged to apply.
Winners of the 2025 contest, the Crown Heights Keepers
Information on all the celebratory events can be found online at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden website. While the deadline for the 2026 Greenest Block contest entry passed, attendees can check out past winners to find inspiration for the 2027 contest.
[Photos by Susan De Vries]
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