Twelve Tours In 2025
In 2025, three Howard County Master Watershed Stewards and Master Gardeners received a Chesapeake Bay Trust Mini-Grant proposal to develop a series of native yard tours in Howard County. Kate Reilly, Nancy Klein, and Susan Tucker planned and launched the Howard County Native Landscaping Tours which consisted of twelve native tours, held on alternating weekends from April through September, highlighting native plant gardens and Bay-Wise practices.
All twelve tours involved visiting three separate residential properties demonstrating the ecological benefits of native plants and sustainable gardening. Properties included townhomes, suburban yards, and rural properties. The project’s objective was to educate and encourage local residents to incorporate native plants and ecological gardening methods (e.g., replacing invasive plants with natives, handling stormwater on homeowner property, and wildlife friendly practices) into their home landscapes. A number of the properties had rain barrels and Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as rain gardens and conservation landscapes on their properties to show the value of these practices.
Thanks to the grant from Chesapeake Bay Trust as well as funds from Howard County’s Office of Community Sustainability, tour hosts gave away a native perennial to the first 55 visitors at each property. Each yard also offered one of three lottery prizes during each tour: a free native shrub or tree from Howard County Bee City, a silky dogwood shrub from Howard Ecoworks, or a $25 gift card from Lauren’s Native Nursery.
Tours were located across Howard County, including Columbia, Ellicott City, Laurel, Elkridge, and Western Howard County. When planning the tour, the organizers mapped out Bay-Wise demonstration gardens and certified properties as well as other residential native gardens in Howard County to help them determine where tours should be held. Howard County Master Gardeners and Watershed Stewards helped guide visitors through properties and answer questions about native plants or ecological landscaping practices.
Tour hosts distributed 2,000+ native plants during the tours, along with 24 native trees or shrubs. Information sheets on each plant described plant characteristics and care. Plants distributed included Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) in spring, Threadleaf Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) in summer, and Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) in autumn.
Organizers generated a unique QR code for each home to sign in visitors. This code generated a list of attendees with pertinent information for follow-up, and enabled planners to randomly select lottery winners. 4,098 individual visits were logged at all locations, with an average attendance of 117 persons per tour. A post-tour survey showed that among those who responded to the survey:
- 88% planted their native plants, and 87% intended to add more native plants
- 76% believed their knowledge of native plants increased as a result of the tours
- 100% would recommend future tours to others