A quick reminder that the deadline to enter or nominate a friend’s garden for the 2019 Natalie Belmonte Great Yards Award Contest is April 11, 2019. The Award was created in memory of Natalie Belmonte, a well-known resident, business woman and nature-lover, who tragically lost her life in July of 2011. Previously, five Pembroke Pines yards were selected as winners, one from each City Commission District and one overall winner. With an increase in participation in the last few years, the contest has been extended to educational institutions and commercial properties. There will be a total of seven winners -- one residential property from each district, one overall residential winner, one institutional winner, and one commercial property winner for the City as a whole.
Yards will be judged by the Environmental Advisory Board on five components including Butterfly (the preservation of all stages of a butterfly’s life), Design and Function, Maintenance, Florida Friendly Value and Use of Hardscapes. Details of each component and applications are available at the Planning and Economic Development Department in City Hall, or by downloading the application from the City’s website by visiting www.ppines.com search keyword ‘Natalie Belmonte’.
Applicants must also provide a brief description of their property, its landscaping, and how it meets the goals of the contest. Ten photos of the yard, which will not be returned, must be included. For more information, please contact city landscape staff at 954-392-2100 or email to kjensen@ppines.com. While application email submittal is preferred, hard copies may be sent to: Planning and Economic Development Department, 601 City Center Way, 3rd Floor, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33025