The idea to bring back the Silver Bay Garden Club took root at Salon Haven, where stylists Lacey Shoen and Kristi Thompson often talked about what the town used to look like while working with clients. They are now restarting the group, which first formed in 1952, before the city was even incorporated. It has been inactive for nearly ten years.
“Originally, the club was all these women who had moved here from different parts of the country,” said Thompson. “There was a way for them to socialize.”
Shoen and Thompson hope the revived club will restore that chance to connect with others in town while they work to bring back some of the color and care they remember from the earlier group.
“I think it’s a social thing and taking pride in being from Silver Bay and loving the town that we grew up in,” said Shoen.
Both women grew up in Silver Bay and describe themselves as “Mariners” and “Blue Diehards.” Interest in the club has spread quickly, with about forty people already signed up to help. Volunteers range from teenagers to residents in their eighties. The city has also backed the effort.
“The city’s very supportive and appreciative of this,” said Thompson. “They’re very happy about it.”
The timing aligns with a milestone year. Silver Bay turns seventy this summer, and the club hopes to have its first projects in place before Bay Days. Planting begins Memorial Day, and the list of sites is long.
The group has started with the Welcome to Silver Bay sign, which has not had flowers in years. They plan to rebuild the bed, improve the soil, and plant a mix of perennials, shrubs, and ornamental grasses. They will also take on the church sign on Outer Drive, the liquor store bed, and the new Trailhead Center near Black Beach. Additional work is planned at the city campground and other public spaces as the season progresses.
The Silver Bay Public Library, which is serving as the club’s fiscal sponsor, is also undergoing a landscaping project. Shoen and Thompson say the club will help plant there as well.
The pair expects the work to grow each year. They hope to expand to more corners of town as membership increases and as they learn what each site needs. Some areas will require rebuilding beds or adding soil. Others will be suited for low‑maintenance perennials that can handle the North Shore climate.
“We have a lot of ideas,” Shoen said. “We’d love to add more things as we go. We’re starting from the bottom.”
The club is open to anyone, regardless of gardening experience. Some volunteers have already admitted they do not know how to grow a plant, but want to be involved. Shoen and Thompson say there is room for everyone.
“If you can carry a watering can and water some things, go for it,” Shoen said.
The group is fundraising to support its first season. Donations can be dropped off at North Shore Federal Credit Union, where the Friends of the Library maintains an account for the club. Checks should be made out to “Friends of the Silver Bay Public Library,” with “Garden Club” in the memo. A GoFundMe page under “Support Silver Bay Garden Club“ is also available, and the club maintains a Facebook page for updates.
Shoen and Thompson say the work is about more than flowers. It is about restoring a sense of care and connection in the town they grew up in.
“We’re just going to beautify this town,” Shoen said. “We want to make it look even better than it does today.”
Reach out to sbgardenclub26@gmail.com with any questions about the garden club or for ways to help.
