BY KEITH CALAYAG
Published on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 | 5:40 am
Pasadena Beautiful Foundation will award outstanding front yard gardens in the city as part of its annual Golden Arrow Awards on Wednesday, a competition which acknowledges residents who contribute to the beautification of Pasadena through their efforts in enhancing and maintaining their front yards.
The ceremony is set to take place at the Western Justice Center, located at 55 South Grand Avenue.
The event starts at 4:30 p.m., beginning with a short reception, followed by a slideshow of the winners and the presentation of certificates and Golden Arrow signs to the homeowners.
For the competition, the Pasadena Beautiful Foundation has divided the city into nine areas. For the initial phase, the organization selected six outstanding gardens from each of the nine areas and for the final phase, only three will be selected, for a total of 27 winners.
The competition accepts nominations for one’s own garden or those of neighbors. Those who have won the award in the last five years are not eligible.
“Because of the drought and the horrible dry conditions that we had prior to this winter. We’ve been looking at yards that are water wise, that encourage natives to grow,” Pasadena Beautiful Foundation President Greg King said.
At the ceremony, the awards will be presented to 27 single-family homeowners for their achievements in creating front yard gardens that contribute to the aesthetic appeal of their streets and neighborhoods.
“They’ll talk about the project and how they went about transforming their yard, and what sort of thought process they went through. And occasionally, they’ll have their landscape architects with them, and they’re most excited to share their stories,” said King.
Pasadena Beautiful Foundation has organized the Golden Arrow Awards annually to encourage people to contribute to the beautification of Pasadena.
“Our organization was formed in 1960 and there were parts of Pasadena, especially along Colorado Boulevard, that were just not terribly nice,” said King.
“And so the founders of Pasadena Beautiful decided that they would put together an event like the Golden Arrows to encourage pride of neighborhood and many years later, it shows how successful this particular event has been in beautifying Pasadena.”
Aside from the annual Golden Arrow Award, the nonprofit also preserves and protects the Street Tree Canopy. It also funds and revitalizes public gardens for the public to enjoy.
For more information about the Golden Arrow Awards, visit: https://www.pasadenabeautiful.org/what-we-do/golden-arrow-awards/