GLDN+ Streets

Bringing beauty and sustainability to the neighborhood

This popular, annual landscaping design contest encourages buildings in the Golden Triangle neighborhood to create lush, vibrant tree box plantings for BID members and visitors to admire.

Keep scrolling for more details on this year’s theme “Happy Habitats” and helpful resources on recommended plants and how to create pollinator habitats.

Completed tree boxes were judged in June 2023 and five properties were chosen to receive the Judge’s Choice award.

2023 Winners

  • 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW | Blake Real Estate
  • 1150 Connecticut Avenue NW | Blake Real Estate
  • 1875 K Street NW | Carr
  • 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW | Blake Real Estate
  • 1615 L Street NW | Carr

1120 Connecticut Avenue NW

1150 Connecticut Avenue NW

1875 K Street NW

1025 Connecticut Avenue NW

1615 L Street NW

Theme

Once again, we are collaborating with Smithsonian Gardens to expand its horticulture program into the central business district. This year’s theme, “Happy Habitats,” is an extension of the Smithsonian Gardens’ “Habitat” exhibition, a two-year Smithsonian-wide exhibition exploring one big idea: Protecting habitats protects life. The theme encourages creative, urban interpretations around the idea of habitats.

About Golden Streets

The Golden Triangle BID hosts the Golden Streets competition each year for neighborhood property owners to showcase flowers and plants in beautifully-designed tree box displays. As the summer heat rolls in, these special boxes enhance the neighborhood with color and creativity.

In addition to bringing more beauty to the neighborhood, these displays highlight and encourage urban sustainability. Over the years, they have supported native and pollinator-friendly flowers and plants to create urban habitats for birds, bees, and butterflies in the city. Tree boxes delight passersby with vibrant blooms, lush greenery, and whimsical decorations.

The competition encourages the buildings to bring out their best landscaping ideas. Each year, the best landscaping designs are recognized through the Golden Streets awards program. Winning creations are selected by a panel of expert judges, which have included:

  • Ahmed Hassan, Certified Landscaper and former HGTV Host
  • Chuck Bell, NBC4 Meteorologist
  • Amelia Draper, NBC4 Meteorologist
  • Howard Bernstein, WUSA 9 Meteorologist
  • Alex Dencker, Horticulturalist, Smithsonian Institution
  • Bradley Evans, Horticulturalist, U.S. National Arboretum
  • Robin Nixon, Chief of Partnerships, U.S. National Park Service
  • Christopher Upton, Horticulturalist, U.S. National Arboretum
  • James Gagliardi, Supervisory Horticulturist, Smithsonian Institution
  • Bradford McKee, Editor, Landscape Architecture Magazine
  • Luis Marmol, Horticulturist, Dumbarton Oaks
  • Sarah Dickert, Lead Horticulturalist, Smithsonian Institution

Golden Triangle BID and Sustainability

Golden Streets is a part of our efforts to create a bigger conversation around the importance of sustainability, biophilic design, and urban ecologies. It connects directly to our broader environmental sustainability initiative, which also includes important projects like:

Resources

  • Find this year’s list of recommended plants here
  • Find this year’s full resource guide here