Sioux Falls Beautiful honors best-looking places

Who doesn’t want a more beautiful city?

That’s what Sioux Falls Beautiful is all about – serving as an advocate and resource for those trying to beautify the city.

The organization also coordinates a grant program to help support projects through a matching challenge.

And it gives away the annual Beautification Awards.

Here’s a look at who made Sioux Falls shine in 2020:

Augustana Outdoor Classroom Beautification Award

Augustana’s outdoor classroom is nestled among mature tress, the campus green and university buildings. A series of hand-laid stones crafted by staff and students create a small amphitheater.

“It has been well-utilized during concerns about exposure to the recent pandemic and has become a celebrated space for many,” Sioux Falls Beautiful said in presenting the award.

“This feature proves that the beauty of a place is not limited to only flowers and plants but can also be created by an element that is designed to be part of the land and make a special home for an important function.”

Dr. Craig and Dr. Suzanne Spencer Residence Beautification Award

Homeowners Dr. Craig Spencer, a biology professor and ecologist, and Dr. Suzanne Spencer, a retired physician, began converting their Kentucky bluegrass lawn to South Dakota’s drought-tolerant, native prairie grasses and flowering plants a decade ago.

They did so to eliminate demand for mowing, high water use ad the herbicide and pesticide applications that might run off to the river.

They now give away hundreds of plants a year.

“It is gorgeous all year round with color, texture and added benefit of wildlife as goldfinches feed from the stems.

“There is a steady progression of forbs, flowering plants like pasque, prairie smoke, butterfly weed, purple coneflowers and fall blue gentian, against a backdrop of spectacular tall grasses, big and little bluestem and Indian grass,” according to Sioux Falls Beautiful. “The Spencers hope to inspire others with their yard of natural beauty.”

Augustana Froiland Science Complex Beautification Award

Located at the southeast corner of Augustana University, Froiland Science Complex is a primary public gateway to campus.

Administration, faculty and facilities staff were closely involved in the design process with a goal of creating an outdoor laboratory with prairie-, oak savannah- and woodland-themed gardens to support biology research and classes. A diverse selection of native trees, shrubs, grasses and forms provides an educational feature that previously was not available on this central Sioux Falls campus.

A crushed stone pathway provides access to enjoy and study the plantings as well as an alternative pedestrian route to the public sidewalk, which is located adjacent to a busy city street. A courtyard between the existing science center and new addition includes flexible space large enough to hold outdoor classes and event receptions. Private study spaces were created within the courtyard through the placement of bermed planting beds and quartzite stone boulders.

Winners are chosen through a nomination process. Sioux Falls Beautiful will be watching this year for exceptional projects and yards. And you can nominate yourself, a friend or neighbor too. Click here to get connected.