Even in the chill of November, the green thumbs of residents here on East 25th in East Flatbush are clear.

From sidewalk planters to window boxes, this block between Avenue D and Clarendon Road has won numerous awards for its landscaping. And homeowners proudly display their awards.

"We are the winningest block in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden competition. We won more times than any other block," said homeowner Grace Henry.

It's not garden pests residents here say they fear, but developers, who are rapidly buying up properties in East Flatbush and replacing them with large buildings.

"It's constant. People call, are you selling. They come knock on the door and leave flyers. We even get solicitation emails,” said resident, Alexandra Jean-Baptiste .

This block is lined with century old row houses, both brownstones and limestones, mostly one-family homes.

"We need preservation. We need to protect the culture. We need to protect the architecture in our community," said Julia Charles, Chair of the East 25th Street Landmarks Committee.

Residents are now pressuring the city to act. They formed a committee, collected petitions and asked the Landmarks Preservation Commission last month for an evaluation. City Councilwoman Farrah Louis is assisting the effort. She says if granted, East 25th Street would be the first block to be landmarked in East Flatbush.

"You'll see it in BedStuy, but not in this part of town. So our goal is to keep it the same so that generations can come and see how gorgeous Brooklyn was before it turned into what I call Legoland. There are different heights and sizes," said Brooklyn councilwoman Farrah Louis.

Zoning here allows for six stories. Residents hope the landmarks commission will move quickly before developers swoop in, buy up homes, and replace them with boxy, modern apartment houses. One block over on East 26th Street, it's already too late.

"How do they stick up for themselves against big developers with lots of money?" said Charles.

"We can't allow the developers to come in and change the thing we bought into Brooklyn for was the house," said Charles.

They say the houses, the neighborhood's character, their sense of community are all at stake. The landmarks commission says it is reviewing East 25th Street's request but that it cannot specify when it will make a decision, or what it will be.