State employees honored for flower-planting work

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) – Top honors have been announced for a nearly four-decade old program that helps beautify the state’s highways.

The 2023 Wildflower Awards: Best in Bloom were announced today.

The awards recognize work done by Department of Transportation employees who keep the best flower beds in each region of the state. Officials today thanked these employees for their work keeping state roads beautiful with flowers.

“Our employees are the backbone of our efforts to keep North Carolina’s roadways beautiful,” said David Harris, NCDOT’s roadside environmental engineer. “Their hard work and attention to detail ensure that travelers and residents alike can enjoy the breathtaking scenery that North Carolina has to offer.”

The following were the individual awards and their winners:

William D. Johnson Daylily Award:
- First Place – Division 4, US 264 at Dowing Street in Wilson County
- Second Place – Division 7, I-85 at Grandover Resort in Guilford County
Best Regional Wildflower Planting, Eastern Region:
- First Place – Division 2, NC 58 at NC 24 Cape Carteret in Carteret County
- Second Place – Division 6, I-95 South in Robeson County
Best Regional Wildflower Planting, Central Region:
- First Place – Division 7, US 29 at Barnes Street in Rockingham County
- Second Place – Division 9, US 52 exit 129 Perch Road in Stokes County
Best Regional Wildflower Planting, Western Region:
- First Place – Division 12, I-40 at exit 138 Oxford School Road in Catawba County
- Second Place – Division 13, US 25/70 at South Windy Ridge Road in Madison County
Best Overall Division Wildflower Program:
- First Place – Division 9, which includes Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Rowan and Stokes County
- Second Place – Division 7, which includes Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Orange, and Rockingham County