The French Bee Nursery: Grown in Love
In the spring, everyone becomes a gardener. Something wakes up in all of us, from the budding green thumb to the lifelong landscaper, as the earth shakes off its winter sleep and the trees unfurl new leaves. Michelle Machado has dedicated much of her life to nurturing and growing things – her family, her garden and her local community – and recently, The French Bee Nursery, where people come from far and wide to bring home some of the beauty she curates to their own gardens.
For nearly two decades Michelle dedicated her life to raising her children, but in her limited windows of spare time, she was always in the garden. “I’ve gardened my whole life,” she said. “I come from a history of gardening. When I was a child, my mother was an avid gardener, and her grandmother was an avid gardener.” She fondly remembers visiting nurseries on the weekends with her mother, playing among the rows of flower and vegetable seedlings with her brother. Her genetic green thumb continued to grow as she did. Michelle vividly remembers knocking on her neighbor’s door to ask if she could rescue some red geraniums they’d thrown out in their refuse heap. Her neighbors agreed, and she replanted them herself. “They all survived,” she said. “And they were beautiful in our yard for a long time after that.”
Michelle gifted a similar childhood experience to her own three boys, incorporating them wherever she could in her gardening tasks and adding child-friendly characteristics such as a drinking fountain and a strawberry patch, so they learned that children belonged in the garden too. When her eldest son graduated from high school, she entered the work force as a newspaper editor and eventually became a staff writer in the business department at the Stockton Record. While she enjoyed writing and built a successful career, the demands of the industry kept her from gardening as much as she would’ve liked. When she retired, one of the first things she did was walk into a garden center. Immediately, a feeling of peace washed over her. “I’m back home,” she said.
Like all flourishing things, Michelle’s love of gardening began to outgrow its containers. Whether propagating cuttings or repotting volunteer plants, she soon had more than she could handle. “I’ve always had a problem with collecting plants,” she said with a laugh. She donated what she could to her friends and local garden clubs, but still often found herself with a surplus. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, interest in gardening piqued but new gardeners had limited access to seedlings and starters. Michelle decided to create a self-serve stand by their driveway, where people could come purchase their own plants and leave their contact information if they were interested in future sales. “It was very community oriented,” Michelle said. “The community in general has been very supportive and generous.” Soon a new idea began to take root; why not start a garden center of her own? And so, The French Bee Nursery was born. The process was a long one, more than two years from start to finish, but worthwhile in the end. “There were so many points in time when it potentially couldn’t have happened,” Michelle said as she described the different stages, from getting the proper permits to constructing. But in October 2024, the doors of The French Bee Nursery opened to the public. Its name is a reference to her French heritage. “I’ve always felt very aligned with that ethos,” she said.
She described the French ethos as “eclectic and meaningful,” an intentional combination of antique and modern; The French Bee Nursery typifies it perfectly. Intricate wrought iron work and rustic antique pieces from France decorate both the nursery and the gift shop. Statuary nestles in the nooks of the garden; flowers bloom under the gentle gaze of the Virgin Mary or the mischievous grin of a winged cherub.
They are a perfect example of what sets The French Bee Nursery apart. Michelle works closely with a statuary manufacturer in North Carolina and often makes special orders for her customers to create exactly what they want. Very few garden centers offer special orders, but Michelle prioritizes being able to find the perfect items for her customers. Whether they’re looking for a specific size fruit tree or garden statue, she will work together with her vendors to meet her customers’ requests. “I love my customers,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but at the same time it’s so fun and it brings together so many things that I love.” Her gift shop is a beautiful complement to the nursery; soap and honey from France perfume the air and unique curios such as handblown glass figurines line the shelves along with garden tools and antique stationery.
French Bee Nursery is a beautiful example of the welcoming nature of the gardening community. “Even though I have a lifetime of gardening experience, I learn so much from my customers,” Michelle said. The French Bee Nursery opens its gates to gardeners of all varieties and skill levels, offering a haven from the busy pace of life that invites all to stop by and smell the roses—and maybe take home a few, too.
Visit The French Bee Nursery at 3730 Duncan Rd, Linden, California, call (209) 323-0526 or thefrenchbeenursery.com.
