Kenmore in Bloom

Helping to beautify kenmore

Kenmore in Bloom takes place June 20 - July 19, 2026

Each summer, around 40 Bloom Scouts - KVIS volunteers with a good eye and a careful clipboard - fan out across the Village, walking every block and observing more than 6,000 front gardens at home, institutions, and storefronts. That's the vast majority of the properties in Kenmore; each one gets seen and considered. Standout gardens receive a Bloom lawn sign, a small public recognition that turns individual pride into neighborhood inspiration. Thirteen properties each year receive the Garden of Distinction award, and three more earn the People's Choice Bloom, a community-voted honor that makes the celebration truly belong to everyone.

Special Thanks to our 2026 sponsors!

Kenmore in Bloom is supported by these fine businesses/organizations. Please visit them and thank them for their support!

What is Kenmore in Bloom?

Kenmore in Bloom encourages everyone in the Village - residents, businesses, churches, and organizations - to plant and care for the front of their property with gardens, flowers, trees, and living greenery.
The benefits are real and reach well beyond curb appeal:

Health. Gardening is a whole-person activity, good for the body, the mind, and the spirit. Time outdoors, hands in the soil, and the quiet satisfaction of growing something are all small acts of personal wellbeing.
Connection. Planting and tending bring neighbors into conversation. Seeds get shared. Tips get exchanged. Friendships grow right alongside the flowers.
Inspiration. Beautification is contagious. Since we started Kenmore in Bloom, we've watched the effect spread street by street: one well-tended garden inspires the next-door neighbor, then the neighbor across the way, and before long the whole block is lush and lovely.
Property values. Attractive, well-kept neighborhoods raise property values for everyone who lives there.
Pollinators and the earth. Flowering plants provide habitat and food for pollinators, which in turn supports the health of our local ecosystem and the wider environment.

How is kenmore in bloom organized?

The Village is divided into 13 zones for Kenmore in Bloom. Each zone is assigned a team of volunteer Bloom Scouts who, after training, walk their zone carefully - often multiple times across the season - and decide which properties will receive a Bloom Award.
A few rules help keep the program fair:

Scouts cannot Bloom the zone where they live. Awards are given by observers, not neighbors.
Scouts rotate zones each year. A Scout who worked Zone 5 last summer won't work Zone 5 this summer. This ensures every property has a fresh chance to be seen each year.

A limited number of Bloom Awards are given out each season. That means some genuinely lovely gardens won't receive an Award in a given year - but with Scouts rotating annually, every place has new eyes on it each season.

How does my garden get bloomed?

Bloom Scouts are trained in what to look for, and they use those criteria to make their selections.
Properties that tend to receive a Bloom Award:

Front gardens that are well-maintained, free of weeds, and have clearly defined beds
Thoughtful use of flowering plants, arranged in a way that's pleasing to the eye
Both in-ground and container gardens are eligible

A few things to know about eligibility:

Bloom Awards are given for the front garden only - gardens visible from the street.
Gardens that are unweeded or generally unmaintained will not be selected.
Gardens where decorative elements - ornaments, flags, statues, and the like - outnumber the plants or leave little room for them tend not to be selected. A beloved garden angel or a thoughtful memorial piece is welcome; the Bloom Award simply recognizes gardens where plants are the main event.
Artificial flowers in prominent places may prevent a garden from being selected. (Second-story window boxes and similar hard-to-see placements are a different matter - Scouts are realistic about what they can see from the sidewalk.)

Every year is a fresh chance. If your garden isn't selected one season, it may well be the next - different Scouts, different eyes, different timing.

Bloom Scouts Mary & Ruthie

“It’s an honor and delight to have had my garden Bloomed. Thank you for recognizing the power of beautiful gardens. They heal and soothe those who pass by. Gardeners will almost always tell you that gardening is a labor of love, and they make their caretakers stay fit and mentally healthy! Bless you for your commitment to Kenmore.” -Jeanne Bowman

Check out the photos below of some gardens that have received Bloom Awards in the past.