Butterflies fluttered among vivid blooms just steps from the steady stream of traffic on Eastern Parkway on Tuesday. It is an unlikely oasis now crowned the winner of Brooklyn's friendliest flower fight.

Eastern Parkway between Bedford and Franklin avenues has been named the Greenest Block in Brooklyn for 2025, breaking tradition in a competition long dominated by sleepy residential blocks.

"This is the very first time that a block composed entirely of apartment buildings with multiple units has won the contest," said Adrian Benepe, president of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. "In the past 29 years, [it] has been smaller residential blocks, one- to four-family homes. So this is a groundbreaking time."

All hail the Crown Heights Keepers!

The winners, a local group of green-thumbed neighbors known as the Crown Heights Keepers, transformed their shared sidewalks into lush gardens bursting with trees, flowers, herbs, and community pride.

"This kind of energy around really greening the block, taking care of each other, taking care of the environment, it's really blossomed," said Kara Lesondak, one of the Keepers.

Their design includes a standout feature: community herb gardens spaced along the street, available for anyone to harvest.

"We settled on this idea of a real big variety of herbs, culinary herbs... And we have people coming from other blocks to harvest," said Debra Sweet, a fellow gardener.

Beyond the greenery, neighbors sit at sidewalk tables beneath shaded tree canopies to connect.

"Trying to create a welcoming space for all, the tables and chairs for everybody to come have drinks in the morning. Everyone has their coffee, read the paper, read a book outside. That's what we were trying to do along with the gardening," said Ana DeLeon, another member of the Keepers.

A once-bland construction fence now bursts with color, adorned with a hand-painted mural offering inspiring messages of unity.

What to know about the Greenest Block contest

This annual contest, hosted by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, encourages not just beautification but mentorship between gardeners citywide.

"We came and we spoke to them on how to get their tree beds done," said Althea Joseph, a gardener from P.L.A.N.T, the 2024 Greenest Block winner.

That spirit of collaboration helped MULCH, a first-time competitor from Ocean Hill, take home this year's bronze prize.

"It's more than just planting, it's knowing your neighbors, it's looking out for one another and is loving each other the way God wanted us to do. This is how are we supposed to live," said Geneva Collins, of MULCH.

As Benepe noted, the competition is seeding more than flowers.

"We've created an army of community members who know how to make greener communities. They're working to help save the planet one block at a time," Benepe said.

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