By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–The Helena Beautification Board has announced two award winners for the November Helena Beautification Award after an overwhelming number of nominations.

The award was given to a Helena residence, as well as an award for a Helena business.

This month’s residential award goes to Alexia and John Furr at 160 Rowntree Path.

Driving by, one is treated to a mixture of all things that make this time of year so special. From rocking chairs on the front porch to hand decorated pumpkins mingling in with the fall annuals, there are great uses of both hard and soft scape found at the blink of an eye.

Moving to Helena two years ago from North Carolina, Alexia, who is a landscape designer, quickly realized that just because the zones for North Carolina and Alabama were the same didn’t mean the same plants would take hold. The front of the home is graced with a mixture of pansies, ornamental cabbage and sky blue violas.

“One of the best ways I have found to optimize color with annuals is to mingle both summer annuals and fall annuals together until the first frost,” Alexia said.

The beautification award for the Helena business was awarded to Mayer Insurance located at 4094 Helena Road.

As the temperatures drop, Laura and Brandon Mayer at Mayer Insurance have been heating up Old Town with their festive fall displays. This month’s beautification award winner includes fall themed items surrounding a beautiful garden bench that catch the eye of all who pass by in Old Town.

The Mayer family has called Helena home for the last 13 years and has made a name for themselves with their ability to keep the storefront looking beautiful on the main commercial stretch of Helena.

Brandon is quick to point out that “all of the hard work keeping the Mayer Insurance building looking as beautiful as it does is all Laura.”

Whether you are walking through Old Town or stopped at the train tracks, be sure to look over and take in all of the great fall colors at Mayer Insurance.

The Beautification Award for December will be two categories: The Most Elegant Decorated Home and the Most Over-the-Top Decorated Home.

Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 15, with the winner being selected and notified by Dec. 23. The winner will be able to proudly display a yard sign for the month, have their picture and house published on the Helena Beautification website, Helena Beautiful Facebook page and in the Helena Reporter.

To nominate a home to receive the Helena Beautification Award on Dec. 23, go to Helenabeautiful.com/award.html and submit the address.

The Helena Beautification Board is an appointed board of the Helena City Council. The board believes that people and places are profoundly connected and thriving communities are rooted in individual responsibility and action.

They host a variety of opportunities for the community to come together and serve each year. Events are posted on the Helena Beautiful Facebook page and announced via Twitter at @TweetHomeHelena.

For more pictures and a list of plants used at Mayer Insurance and the Furr home, visit Helenabeautiful.com/award.html.