This Garden Is North BK's Only Shot At A 'Greenest Block' Award

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — A hundred or so spots in the borough have been nominated for the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens annual "Greenest Block" contest, but only one from the borough's northernmost neighborhoods.

The Red Shed Community Garden on Skillman Avenue was the only nominee to make this year's nominee list from Williamsburg or Greenpoint. It was one of only two nominees, joining Weirfield Street in Bushwick, that made the list from Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick.

The garden is in the running for the community garden streetscape category of the awards, which will be announced in August. Nominations for the contest closed last weekend. It is part of the city's Parks and Recreation Department's GreenThumb initiative, which supports more than 550 community gardens throughout the city.

East Williamsburg's Red Shed garden is found on the corner of Skillman and Kingsland avenues and is run by members who maintain the space and keep up their own plots.

The contest, in its 25th year, gives out prizes for community gardens and several other green-themed categories, including best overall residential block, overall commercial block, window box, street tree beds and greenest storefront.

They also will give one block or community garden a special National Grid Leadership in Sustainable Practices award, which recognizes ecological practices such as rainwater capture, community composting or gardening for pollinators and wildlife.

Aside from bragging rights, each spot that wins will get a cash prize ranging from $100 to $200 for most categories and a $300 check for the top residential and commercial block winner.

Contest participants who attend the fall recognition ceremony, held in August at the winning residential bloc, will also receive a gift bag of fall bulbs and a certificate of recognition for their participation.

This wouldn't be the Red Shed's first win if it were to earn one of the top spots for the community garden award. The garden got second place in the category back in 2015.

For a full list of nominees in this year's contest, look here.