I'm not sure about the crop but it's an otherwise nice photo. Who needs fire hydrants when were moving towards non-combustable plastics and steel structures. Right?
I think I get the link to the challenge, but what mars the image for me is the large white area to the top right (not sure what surface it is). Maybe a different angle would have allowed more uniform background?
Are you refering to the sprig just to the right of the hydrant? If so, I would like to know that a little more clearly because your idea is a strong one.