Exemplary curbside appeal

Neighbors warned Bruce K. Smith not to plant colorful flowers when he first moved to 1630 Santa Barbara Ave. because the deer would devour them, but he grew violet impatiens anyway.

Planting colorful flowers turned out to be an award-winning decision for Smith when he and another Glendale resident, Laurann Cordero, received awards for their homes’ curbside appeal Monday.

The two property owners were selected as recipients of the Gem Property Maintenance Award. The award recognizes Glendale homeowners for their civic pride and was created by Neighborhood Services and the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale.

Joan Zierhut, a member of the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale, presented the certificates and lawn signs to both property owners at their homes Monday morning. Zierhut also conducted the on-camera interviews for GTV6, Glendale’s government access channel, which will broadcast the segment in June.

Residents were nominated by neighbors and passersby, said Sandra Rodriguez, program director for Glendale Neighborhood Services.

Smith and Cordero were chosen from more than 50 nominees.

Anyone can nominate potential award winners, and the only stipulation to the award is that there are no self-nominations, Rodriguez said.

“A lot of people know about the award, and we get a lot of nominations constantly,” she said.

“We make sure there aren’t any code violations on the property that we can’t see.”

The Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale visits gardens to view the property and votes based on what the neighborhood standards are. Inspectors check for peeling and flaking paint, dead lawn, dead plants and overgrown vegetation — which are typical code violations, she said.

Mainly, the group chooses the property with the best curbside appeal.

“We want to make sure that in the neighborhood, [the property] sets itself apart and is an example for others in the neighborhood,” Rodriguez said.

Smith, owner of the Bruce K. Smith Salon in La Cañada Flintridge, is proud of the ivory calla lilies and budding hydrangeas in his front yard, which are colorful flowers that differentiate his garden from others in the neighborhood, he said.

“If you see a lot of yards around here, most of them are green with a lot of shrubs,” Smith said.

Smith enjoys adding color to his front yard, and gardening is something he simply likes to do.

“It’s pride of ownership, you know,” Smith said. “Why buy something if you’re not going to maintain it?”

Cordero could not be reached for comment Monday.