By Tara Fischer
Staff Writer
This week, Berlin residents and visitors will have the opportunity to explore the town’s private pollinator gardens, talk to hosts, and learn about how to create spaces that attract the creatures necessary to ensure a healthy ecosystem.
The Lower Shore Land Trust, an environmental group covering Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties and dedicated to preserving the area’s natural beauty and health, prepares for its fifth annual pollinator garden tour on Saturday, June 7. This year, the event will feature nine properties in the Town of Berlin that contain plantings to attract pollinating insects.
Attendees can explore the gardens on a self-guided tour, talk to the properties’ hosts, and get inspiration for their yards. The event will kick off on Saturday at 8 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Participants can check in to the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum, where they will receive a pin to wear on their shirts for entry into the gardens, and a booklet with garden addresses and other pertinent information.
Tickets to the tour can be purchased for $30 ahead of the event at https://lower-shore-land-trust.networkforgood.com/events/84313-2025-pollinator-garden-tour-town-of-berlin. Entry slips can also be purchased the day of for $35. The tour will welcome residents and visitors to the town as they scope out the nine gardens, each with distinct character.
“The gardens are private residences, and each has their unique flavor, style, and plantings,” said LSLT’s executive administrator Margot Resto. “Some are very small, some are farms, and everything in between.”
Resto continued, noting that on the tour, participants can expect to walk through each garden and see different ways of planting in smaller spaces, as the designated spots are private residences.
“It’s kind of our theme, the small spaces have a big impact,” the executive administrator said.
The flora is mostly native, with some variety. The space’s primary goal is to attract pollinating insects, providing them with habitat, food, safety, and water. This will increase the number of these creatures and thus improve the quality of air, water, and our Earth.
According to the National Park Service, pollinators play a vital role in the natural environment. The insects are necessary for the movement of pollen among plants to produce fruits, seeds, and new plants that create food for humans and animals, stabilize soil, clean our air, supply oxygen, and support wildlife.
Resto maintained that even individuals can make a difference in retaining the pollinator population.
“If all you have is a front porch with a container, you are providing something for pollinators,” she said. “Everybody’s containers, giant yards, and small backyard gardens are one big backyard for our pollinators. They have multiple places to come to. We can make a difference. It may be small, but each of us can.”
Resto said the tour’s goal is to inspire others to get involved and encourage a relaxing weekend.
“We are inviting people into people’s private gardens to get inspired, get ideas, get tips, talk to other people with the same interests,” Resto added. “It’s also just a wonderful way to spend a Saturday, even if you’re not a gardener, even if you don’t plan on gardening, it’s fun.”
The garden tour will also have something for artists and artist connoisseurs. On the event day, a plein air painter will be on-site at each property creating a piece depicting the landscape.
“When you visit the garden, you can observe the artist in the act of creating art,” Resto said. “They’ll pick a spot where they love, and they will begin painting.”
The artwork will then be displayed and available for purchase on Friday, June 27, at the Bishop’s Stock Gallery in Snow Hill. According to Resto, the artists are primarily local to the Eastern Shore.
The garden tour will also cater to the younger crowd with activities designed for children. Resto said that there will be a kids plein air art project in the Taylor House, where attendees will go to check in. From around 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., instructors and materials will be available for painting, drawing, and sketching in the space.
Furthermore, the youngsters can participate in a scavenger hunt. Sheets will be available, one for kids six and under and one for those older, to search around Berlin for natural features. Resto said the items will not be found in the gardens themselves but throughout town.
The garden tour is self-guided. Each property owner will speak about their gardens and volunteers will be on-site to assist with the presentations.
Resto assured that proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the LSLT in its mission to preserve the shore. Money will also be raised the night before, Friday, June 6, at a pre-tour event at Sisters Wine Bar from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Entry to the Berlin bar is free, and beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages will be for sale. There will also be free appetizers, music by Rob Bailey, and raffles.
“We just want to invite people to come out and have fun and know that if they purchase anything there that night, the proceeds will help the Lower Shore Land Trust,” Resto said.
According to Resto, in the past, the garden tour was held over two days and spaced out across one county or a few counties. This is the first year the event is scheduled for one day and localized to a specific town. The executive administrator said that the previous setup was difficult to secure volunteers and put a strain on hosts, who were required to have their homes open for two straight days.
By having it in a more condensed area, the tour becomes walkable and easier to manage for organizers.
“We’re experimenting to see what works best with everybody involved,” Resto said.
Those interested in participating are encouraged to purchase a ticket ahead of time. Entry slips are available online and at the Sisters Wine Bar event. They can also be picked up the day of for an additional $5.
“Anyone who would like to see beauty and be inspired, even if they are not a green thumb, even if they don’t plan on planting anything, should come and have a peaceful day, if that’s something they need,” Resto said. “It’s like nature therapy, is how I would describe it. You soak in all the beauty and get all that fresh oxygen. You might see some birds, butterflies, creatures, and quirky items in people’s gardens. Come and be prepared to be inspired, surprised, and delighted.”