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No rattlesnakes allowed here except for rattlesnak No rattlesnakes allowed here except for rattlesnake pole beans by @reneesgardenseeds These pole beans will have a permanent place in my garden. Let me know if you’ve grown these before or what your favorite bean to grow is! 🗂️ save this for next season when you’re ready to plant pole beans & 👉Follow along @michellesgardengrows for more garden inspiration #gardeninginspiration #polebeans #beginnergardener #garden
Are you team Pole or Bush when it comes to green b Are you team Pole or Bush when it comes to green beans? I’m definitely both and I love succession sowing them in my garden. #gardentok #beans #growyourfood #beginnergardener
Turns out gardening helped me grow more than plan Turns out gardening helped me grow more than plants⬇️ It’s helped me grow Garden Friends like @lexiskitchengarden & @happyheartgardens and others listed below⬇️ Back in 2021, @lexiskitchengarden invited me into a gardener group chat with 12+ other women (I tagged the group individually below to see if you know any of them ). We started by sharing gardens, but it became so much more. We’ve became a little gardening community because of Instagram! Birthdays are remembered & When life gets hard, we show up for each other too in the group chat. ❤️ We garden in different zones. Lexi and Rebecca have a few years ahead of me on gardening. I’ve learned so much from them & the others. What works, what doesn’t in our own respective gardens. We’ve also cheered each other on in content creation & in real life stuff too. This year, the friendships went in “real life” 🚗 from Virginia ➡️Maine to ➡️ Alabama 📍 Maine: finally took the trip we’d talked about for years, and got to see Lexi’s garden (and her gorgeous Airbnb @thistlepondcottage ) as well as her husband, Hamish and her two Great Danes, Atlas and Leah in person! 📍 Alabama: my husband’s conference in Pensacola turned into a lunch date and a mini tour of Mobile with Rebecca @happyheartgardens Social media gets a bad reputation. But it gave me garden friends from all over 🎉 I hope you also get to GROW together with people who’ll encourage & inspire you too. 🌿 And if these ladies have encouraged you in anyway, let them know in the comments💚 It was so nice to finally meet Alexia and Rebecca in person. It’s so fun to GROW TOGETHER! 💚Michelle @michellesgardengrows @sheilas_kitchen_garden @hilltop.hygge.homestead @mywestcoastgarden @juliadimakos @prosperous_living @humblehippiehomestead @brick_house_blooms @where_she_blooms @hellomarigoldcollective #gardenfriends #growtogether #foundmypeople #gardeningcommunity
🍕 Patty Pan Squash Pizzas! 🍕 If your garden is gi 🍕 Patty Pan Squash Pizzas! 🍕 If your garden is giving you more pattypan squash than you know what to do with, turn them into these little veggie pizzas! They’re easy, delicious, and a fun way to use up your harvest. 🌱 🍕 Recipe Ingredients: • 4–6 small pattypan squash • 1–2 Tbsp olive oil • Salt + pepper • ½ cup pizza sauce or marinara • 1–1½ cups shredded mozzarella • Your favorite pizza toppings • Italian seasoning or oregano • Optional: Parmesan, fresh basil & red pepper flakes On the Blackstone/grill: 1️⃣ Slice squash into about ½-inch rounds (or halve very small squash). 2️⃣ Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. 3️⃣ Grill over medium heat for about 3–5 minutes per side, until tender and browned but still firm. 4️⃣ Add pizza sauce, mozzarella and your favorite toppings. 5️⃣ Place them back on the grill and cover if possible. Cook another 3–5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and toppings are heated through. 6️⃣ Finish with fresh basil, Parmesan or Italian seasoning. 🔥 Oven option: Roast at 425°F for about 10–15 minutes, flip, and continue until tender and lightly browned. Add toppings and return to the oven for another 5–8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garden-to-table tip: Keep those squash slices thick enough to hold the toppings they’re your little “pizza crusts”! 🍕🌱 Would you try these with your garden squash? 👇 #pattypan #squash #gardenrecipes #eatwhatyougrow #kitchengardening
Need a quick birdbath setup? Look no further🐤 I n Need a quick birdbath setup? Look no further🐤 I needed to add a water source to my garden to help meet the requirements for a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. 🐦💦 So I added this birdbath! It gives the birds a place to drink. I hope they use it. Even if they don’t, it adds a really nice touch to the garden. FYI: I did buy the solar pump separately. If you’re looking for something similar, comment BIRD and I’ll send the link straight to your DMs! Happy Garddning 💚Michelle #birdbath #waterfeature #gardenforwildlife #backyardgardener
Did you know this about fennel? 🐛 Are you growing Did you know this about fennel? 🐛 Are you growing fennel? If so, have you ever had black swallotail butterfly caterpillars visit? #fennel #growingherbs #blackswallowtailcaterpillar #habitatgardening
When cucumber vines take off, a little guidance go When cucumber vines take off, a little guidance goes a long way. 🥒🌿 Keeping those fast-growing vines supported helps: ✨ Prevent vines from becoming tangled or weighed down ✨ Keep growth more manageable ✨ Improve airflow around the plant ✨ Make harvesting easier A few minutes of tending now can save you a lot of frustration later. 🌱 📌 Save this for your next cucumber check! 🫱 Follow for more 5 minutes in the garden simple garden tips. #fiveminutesinthegarden #cucumbers #gardeningtipsandtricks #beginnergardening
🥒 Cucumber pollination 101 🌼 Female flower: tiny 🥒 Cucumber pollination 101 🌼 Female flower: tiny cucumber-shaped ovary behind the flower 🌼 Male flower: pollen-producing flower without the swollen ovary 🐝 Normally, bees transfer pollen between them, but when pollination is incomplete, that tiny cucumber may yellow, shrivel, and drop. 🖌️ Hand-pollination is simply giving the female flower a little help by transferring pollen from the male flower to the female flower’s stigma. 💡 Tip: Try it in the morning when both flowers are freshly open. 📌 Save this for future reference! 👉 follow along to watch these cucumbers grow #cucumberplant #handpollination #gardeningtipsandtricks #beginnergardener
One of my favorite things about growing bush beans One of my favorite things about growing bush beans? They’re just so easy. 🌱💚 I succession sow them throughout the summer, which means I can keep coming back for fresh harvests instead of getting one big crop all at once. And having them growing in my GreenStalk vertical planter on the deck makes it even better. I’m just a few steps from my back door, so when it’s time to harvest, I can grab my basket and go. 🧺 These Blue Lake Bush Beans from @botanical_interests have been such a productive addition to the garden! Easy to grow + easy to harvest + right outside the back door = a win in my garden. 🌿 #packetplantharvest #verticalplanter #bushbeansarethebest
🌱 August is NOT too late to start your fall garden 🌱 August is NOT too late to start your fall garden! I’m gardening in Zone 7B in Southwest Virginia, with a first frost around October 27 & there’s still plenty of time to get a fall garden growing. 🍂 Here’s what I’m planting right now: 🥕 Direct sowing
• Radishes
• Beets 🫘 Succession sowing
• Green beans 🌱 Starting in seed trays
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Bok choy
• Lettuce ⏳ Waiting a little longer
• Snap peas; I’ll sow these toward the end of August when temperatures are cooler The key to fall gardening is knowing your first frost date and working backward from there. Your planting dates may look different from mine, but you may have more time than you think! 📌 Save this for your fall garden planning and tell me below: What are you planting for fall? #fallgarden #growyourownfood #seeds
There’s something so rewarding about watching a to There’s something so rewarding about watching a tomato slowly transform from green to its full, beautiful color. 🍅 I’ve been checking on this Beefy Purple 👀I’m a tomato stalker😂 I’ve been watching this Beefy Purple Bush Tomato every day, just waiting for the perfect moment to harvest it. This determinate variety from @botanical_interests /Botanical Interests is a wonderful choice for raised beds and containers. The mahogany-colored fruit is stunning in the garden, and it’s known for its rich, deep tomato flavor with a smoky finish. I have a feeling this one is destined for a fresh summer BLT. 🥪🌿 Have you grown Beefy Purple Bush Tomato before? Or what’s one tomato variety you’ll never skip planting? 💚Michelle #tomatoes #harvesting #vegetablegardening #gardeninspiration #summergarden
Fresh green beans are one of the easiest and most Fresh green beans are one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow in a raised bed garden. To keep our harvest going from June until our first frost in October, I focus on three simple strategies: 🌿 I grow pole beans on cattle fence trellises to take advantage of vertical growing space. 🌿 I plant bush beans along the edges of my raised beds to make every inch of the garden productive. 🌿 I succession plant throughout the season so fresh plants continue producing as earlier ones begin to slow down. These small changes have made a big difference in how long we enjoy homegrown green beans each summer. If you’re growing green beans this year or planning next year’s garden. I hope these ideas are helpful! 💚 Save this post so you can come back to it when you’re planning your garden, and share it with a friend who loves growing vegetables. I’d love to hear from you: Do you grow bush beans, pole beans, or both? #gardeningtipsandtricks #growingbeans #greenbeans #summergarden #beginnergardener
Welcome Home Harvest! it’s always nice to come b Welcome Home Harvest! it’s always nice to come back home to fresh garden produce from our summer garden. I didn’t show the pruning I had to do in this video, but I did have to prune some of the patty pan squash because a squash vine borer got to one. These @farmersdefense (Farmers Defense) garden sleeves come in very helpful for when I have to reach into places, especially the Pattypan squash! 🌱Comment “Garden Sleeves” for a link & discount code for my sleeves to be sent to your DMs (10% off) What are you harvesting these days? #welcomehome #harvest #veggiegardening #summergarden
Happy July! Maine’s state fruit is having its mome Happy July! Maine’s state fruit is having its moment! I’ve been growing these Blueberry Bushes in Coast of Maine’s @coastofmaineorganic acid-loving soil and Berry Fertilizer, and the results speak for themselves & there’s tons more coming! 🫐 Bonus: we just got back from our first-ever trip to Maine, so this harvest hits a little different this year. Full circle moment 💙 Growing my own food with a little taste of Maine, right here in my own backyard. 🗂️Save this for when you need a reminder to tend your blueberry bushes with organic products, and👉 follow along @michellesgardengrows for more organic gardening inspiration. 💚Michelle @coastofmaineorganic #blueberrybushes #organicgardening #julygarden #growingyourownfood #michellesgardengrows
Garden for Wildlife kindly sent me their Shady San Garden for Wildlife kindly sent me their Shady Sanctuaries Collection to try, and today I’m sharing what’s inside! 🌿 Don’t overlook the shady spots in your yard they can become some of the most valuable habitat for wildlife! The Shady Sanctuaries Collection is a curated selection of native perennials designed for part-shade to full-shade gardens, offering blooms from spring through fall for butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and birds. 🌱 Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) – Red and yellow spring blooms that are a favorite of hummingbirds. 🌱 Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) – Tall summer blooms that provide nectar for pollinators and seeds for birds in the fall. 🌱 Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) – Lavender-blue late-season flowers that provide an important nectar source for bees and butterflies. What I love about this collection is that it’s designed with ecology in mind. These native plants are low maintenance once established, deer resistant, and grown non-GMO without harmful neonicotinoids to help create a healthier space for pollinators. Garden for Wildlife’s mission is: To make it easier for homeowners to add native plants that provide food, water, cover, and places for wildlife to raise their young. Their work grew out of the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program, which has helped inspire hundreds of thousands of wildlife habitats across the country. They’ve also supported monarch conservation by providing more than 50,000 native milkweed plantts I especially appreciate that they stand behind their plants with a full 1-year replacement guarantee, so you can plant with confidence. 🌿 Explore Garden for Wildlife here with my affiliate link: https://gardenforwildlife.com/?sca_ref=9192306.v022x2wN1vUnto4b (I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through this link, at no additional cost to you.) 🗂️💚 Save this post for when you’re ready to transform a shady area into a thriving wildlife garden. 👉follow along @michellesgardengrows for more native plant inspiration and practical gardening tips. #nativeplants #nativeplantgarden #ecologicalgardening #backyardhabitat #gardenforwildlife
What a difference from the spring to the summer ga What a difference from the spring to the summer garden! From freshly planted… to overflowing with pattypan squash! 🌿💛 This spring, we replaced our old 4×4 wooden raised beds with these 29-inch-tall round metal beds from @epicgardening and I’ve been so happy with the change. The extra height has made gardening so much more comfortable. There’s less bending and kneeling, and pruning my squash plants has been so much easier because everything is right at a comfortable working height. It’s been a game changer for harvesting, checking for pests, and keeping the plants healthy. If you have back pain, limited mobility, or simply want easier access to your garden, taller raised beds are definitely worth considering. Watching this bed go from freshly planted to absolutely bursting with pattypan squash has been so rewarding! 🌼🥒 Comment “BED” and I’ll send you: • My Epic Gardening Link for these beds (5% off)👇 •The patty pan squash seed variety I used to grow these. 🗂️Save this for your next raised bed garden project! 👉 follow @michellesgardengrows for more practical gardening tips and backyard harvest inspiration! 💚Michelle #raisedgardenbeds #gardentransformation #pattypan #summergarden #growingfood
🐝 A little more life is coming to the garden! But 🐝 A little more life is coming to the garden! But, first! Remember, a healthy pollinator garden starts with flowers, habitat, and thoughtful gardening practices. This leafcutter bee house is just an extra way to create space to learn about and enjoy these gentle, solitary pollinators. This pollinator house was gifted by @kindbeefarms & this my third year adding these bees to my garden space. Leafcutter bees are fascinating garden helpers. Instead of living in a hive, each female creates her own nest, using tiny pieces of leaves to build chambers for the next generation. 🌿 This all-in-one kit includes:
🐝 Bee home
🌱 Bee cocoons
🏡 Nesting tube box No hive setup or extra equipment needed just provide a sunny spot and plenty of flowers for them to visit! A few placement and set up tips: 🌡️Recommended minimum temperature 70F (2OC). 🌸Have plenty of flowers for your bees. Garden should be ready to be pollinated. ☀️Morning sun is ideal
🏡 Mount your bee house securely about waist height (or use the built-in bracket on a flat surface)
💧 Keep it away from sprinklers and areas that stay wet 🏠The bee house is designed with a protective roof, a front porch area for the bees, and a loft where the cocoon box rests as they emerge and move into their new home. This is my third year adding a leafcutter bee house, and I love watching this process unfold in my backyard. Want to add a Leafcutter Bee Pollinator House to your garden? 
Comment BEES and I’ll send you: -My Kind Bee Farm link! 🐝 (save 10%) 🗓️Next Shipping Dates (you’ll choose one when you order) July 20, 2026 July 27, 2026 August 3, 2026 August 10, 2026 
🗂️Save this for future reference and 👉follow along @michellesgardengrows for more backyard home gardening inspiration. #leafcutterbees #pollinators #beehouse #beelover #gardeninginspiration
One of the best investments I’ve made for my veget One of the best investments I’ve made for my vegetable garden and growing my own food a garden tool, it was my compost bin. I bought this @aerobincomposter right after I started gardening about six years ago I wanted composting to be easy and simple because I had a learning curve with being a new gardener at the time. This composer did not disappoint! No turning. No fuss. Just add a mix of kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, garden trimmings, grass clippings, dry leaves, and other compostable materials, then let nature do the rest. The insulated, self-aerating design helps everything break down quickly while keeping odors to a minimum. Because it’s completely enclosed, it’s also rodent resistant, and it even collects nutrient-rich liquid that can be diluted and used to feed your plants. What I love most is how easy it makes composting. Instead of throwing away food scraps and garden waste, I’m turning them into rich compost that goes right back into my garden to nourish the next season’s vegetables. I’ve been really happy with this system, and it’s one of the garden tools I’d purchase again without hesitation. If you’re curious about the compost bin I use, just comment COMPOST below, and I’ll send the link straight to your DMs! 🌱 🗂️Save this for your future compost needs! 👉Follow @michellesgardengrows for more garden insights & inspo✨ #aerobin #composter #suburbangardener #easycomposting #growfood
This cheerful yellow patty pan squash has quickly This cheerful yellow patty pan squash has quickly become one of my favorite summer varieties! 💛 Its bright cheerful color & shape makes it just as beautiful in the garden as it is on the plate. For the most tender texture and best flavor, harvest the squash when they’re about 2–4 inches across. They can cgrow much larger, but as they size up the seeds become tougher. If you leave them on the vine long enough, they’ll turn a deep orange and make a gorgeous fall decoration! We like to eat them roasted or in our favorite recipe, Pattypan squash personal pizzas. Stay tuned for an upcoming video on that recipe. If you’d like to grow this heirloom variety in your own garden, you can find it at Botanical Interests. 🌱 Save 5% on any Botanical Interests order with my code: MICHELLE 👉 Follow along @michellesgardengrows so you don’t miss the upcoming Pattypan squash pizza video & for more garden fun!!! 💚Michelle #packetvsplant #pattypan #plant #growfood #vegetablegardening
I planted these onions from one tiny bunch of sets I planted these onions from one tiny bunch of sets that I got at my local farm cooperative @rockcoopgc Growing onions taught me something this season: every crop is a chance to learn. For years, I skipped bulb onions for some reason but they’re actually a great crop for home gardeners. One lesson I’ll take into next season is to pay even closer attention to variety selection and spacing to see if I can grow even larger bulbs. After harvesting, your supposed to cure in a warm, dry place with good airflow for a couple of weeks. Once the necks are completely dry and the outer skins become papery, they’ll store much longer, but honestly since I have so few, I’ll probably just use them up in the next few weeks lol! Comment “Basket” and I'll send you: 🧺My @botanical_interests link for this basket (5% off) Have you grown onions before? I’d love to know: 🧅 Do you plant onion sets, transplants, or seeds? 🗂️Save this as a reminder to grow more onions next year. 👉Follow along @michellesgardengrows for more garden harvest fun! 💚Michelle #Onions #growingonions #vegetablegardening #harvest #homegardener

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