This year’s residential winners support environmental health and biodiversity through sustainable practices like native plants, permeable pavements, no-mow lawns, no pesticides or invasives, and more.
Many of the winners have committed to re-wilding their yard and have taken measures that beautify their property while creating a native landscape that is both pleasing to the eye and a happy place for pollinators to visit.
Congrats to these nine residential winners from across Alexandria:
205 LaVerne Avenue
This lovely duplex property has a small, no-mow yard with tons of colorful native and introduced plants of varying heights that bloom in all seasons and attract everything from monarchs and sparrows to bees and other pollinators. The driveway supports sustainability by incorporating spaced pavers to accommodate stormwater runoff.
4619 Strathblane Place
This home has a beautifully designed, whimsical front garden including native dogwoods, pachysandra, dwarf and bunny figurines, glass balls and decorative stepping stones.
503 Fontaine Street
A captivating garden that includes many native plants for pollinators, raised beds for vegetables & herbs, unusual evergreens for four-season interest, a fountain for birds, a quaint sculpture, and a sitting area for two. The yard is a great refuge for birds, bees, and butterflies as well as neighbors who stop to look, chat, and ask questions about gardening.
118 East Raymond Avenue
These homeowners committed to “re-wilding” and beautifying their yard while creating a native landscape for pollinators to visit. They removed their lawn and do not use pesticides. They hope to inspire others to adopt sustainable practices, just as their neighbors motivated them.
500 Virginia Avenue
When the current residents bought their home, the landscaping was bare and non-descript, with a larger lawn and plenty of non-native ornamentals. The homeowners planted mostly natives in the front and a natural woodland garden in the side lot. The gardens now attract goldfinches, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. They use a vinegar spray instead of pesticides.
719 and 721 N. Overlook Drive
These well-maintained properties were selected for their use of sustainable practices and native plants.
719 S. Royal Street
The previous owner had a very manicured front yard with an invasive Japanese barberry bush. The homeowners wanted a more natural aesthetic, so they replaced the barberry with a large herb garden and roses. They also kept the native cascading redbud and added gorgeous window boxes graced with Picasso petunias.
112 Cameron Street
This garden is all about curb appeal given its location on a busy street with a lot of pedestrian traffic in the heart of Old Town. Most of the plants are native and provide passersby with a colorful glimpse of what a local garden might have looked like 300 years ago. Creating it required the removal of non-native species.
636 North Alfred Street
This property was awarded for its use of colorful and abundant natives, setting a great example for others in the neighborhood.
About Us
The Alexandria Beautification Commission, inspiring and celebrating beautification through its annual awards program, plays a pivotal role in the community. The Commission promotes and educates about environmentally sustainable best practices and projects. Whether you're planting flowers in your backyard, helping at a community garden, or designing the next architectural marvel, remember that you too can play a part in keeping Alexandria beautiful for generations to come! For additional information on the Beautification Commission and its annual awards program, visit alexandriava.gov/Beautification.
Follow us on social media to see more award winners and other beauty in our area (Instagram & Facebook).
If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Oscar.Mendoza@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4667, Virginia Relay 711.