Top honors for the prestigious 2021 America in Bloom awards were announced on Wednesday, September 29, and the City of Venice was awarded the “Eye Popping Pots – Best Use of Containers in the Landscape” special award.

Thanks to Venice Area Beautification Inc. (VABI) and its Venice in Bloom volunteers, since 2013 the city has gone from no flower displays to well over a hundred in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The initial efforts were to use ceramic pots at corners and crosswalks; after a few years, multi-tier fountains were added for flower displays. The installations were initially placed at crosswalks but later expanded to parks and highly visible entry locations. VABI plants year-round, so the plants are continuously changing.