One Yard at a Time: Shore Blooms and the Pollinator Garden Tour

LSLT’s Ella Samis and Brooke Orr work with Fenix Youth Group volunteers to plant native species through the Shore Blooms program.

This spring marked the exciting launch of Shore Blooms, a collaborative initiative bringing together organizations across the Lower Eastern Shore to expand pollinator habitat through public education, community engagement, and the visibility of pollinator demonstration sites throughout our region.

The effort was catalyzed by a $20,000 grant from Sustainable Maryland awarded to the City of Salisbury’s Sustainability Advisory Committee (Green Team). Through this support and a growing network of community partners, Shore Blooms is helping residents envision how even small spaces can become vibrant habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.

Elise Trelegan in her very own Shore Blooms certified garden. PC: Elise Trelegan

Already this season, several exciting projects have taken root across Salisbury:

• 714 Grace Street features both a traditional pollinator meadow and a mini pollinator pocket meadow, demonstrating how native habitat can be scaled for different property sizes.

• 812 Mersey Lane transformed an HOA front yard garden into a thriving pollinator oasis filled with native plants and seasonal color.

• 1011 Monitor Court underwent a front yard renovation in partnership with Fenix Youth Project’s Next Ground program, creating a beautiful new habitat space while engaging local youth in hands-on environmental stewardship.

One especially exciting feature of the Monitor Court project is its location next door to one of the sites featured on our 2026 Pollinator Garden Tour. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to see a mature pollinator garden and a newly installed garden side-by-side — offering inspiration for gardeners at every stage.

Beth Sheppard & Volunteers at the SBY Zoo native planting. PC: Beth Sheppard

Beyond residential landscapes, Shore Blooms also partnered with the Salisbury Zoo to install native plantings in three locations throughout the zoo grounds, complementing the Zoo’s longstanding commitment to supporting pollinator habitat and biodiversity.

And there is more to come. Several additional Shore Blooms will implement several more projects in fall 2026. Community members can stay updated by following GreenSBY on Facebook and Instagram.

The upcoming Pollinator Garden Tour will provide a wonderful opportunity for residents looking to add pollinator habitat to their own yards. This year’s tour features gardens that are both achievable and aspirational, showcasing a wide range of approaches, scales, and styles. Members of the Shore Blooms team will be present at every tour site to answer questions, share ideas, and help residents learn how to get their own yards “on the map.”

Church Street native planting. PC: Beth Sheppard

Adding even a small patch of native plants can make a meaningful difference. Together, we can build a growing network of pollinator-friendly spaces that strengthen biodiversity, support wildlife, and beautify our region — one yard at a time.

Shore Blooms is made possible through partnerships with Assateague Coastal Trust, City of Salisbury, Fenix Youth Project, Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, Lower Shore Land Trust, Salisbury Zoo, Youth Environmental Action, and Wicomico Public Library.