About The French Bee

Michelle Machado founded The French Bee Nursery in her imagination some years ago, dreaming of serving those in Linden and beyond by providing a welcoming atmosphere in which to buy high-quality plants and garden-related items. That dream was actualized with the nursery's opening in October 2024.With more than four decades as a gardener, Michelle's passions include garden design; plant cultivation and propagation; and searching out unique items for the home and garden.

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PRODUCTS

A curated selection of shrubs, topiaries, perennials, bulbs, herbs, annuals, seasonal vegetables & houseplantsPre-planted seasonal containersEB Stone Organics soils and fertilizersArber: Organic plant care products using biologicalsGarden statuary, including historical reproductions from Unique StoneAntique & vintage finds from France and elsewhere

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SERVICES

- Plant selection advice- Special orders of plants & statuary- Custom-planted containers for the landscape, home or as gifts- Educational classes

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Plant Gallery

Step into our Plant Gallery and discover a vibrant collection of lush greenery, from hardy houseplants to stunning seasonal blooms. Whether you're looking for the perfect statement piece for your home or an easy-to-care-for companion, we have a variety of plants to suit every space and skill level.

LET’S GROW TOGETHER!

We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions about our plants, need gardening advice, or want to place a special order, we’re here to help. Reach out to us using the email form bellow
or call us at (209) 323-0526

Late October 2025

Happy fall!
The cooler days, longer nights -- and even some rain – are with us as autumn deepens. But the soil is still warm, which means that it’s prime planting time for another month or so.For gardeners (and nursery owners), it can be a somewhat frustrating time of year as wholesale nurseries substantially cut their production, and many varieties of perennials, in particular, become unavailable.This challenge provides an important opportunity: Fall becomes prime season to improve the garden’s “bones”: the trees and shrubs that provide the framework for all the other plants. Fortunately, most of these foundation plants are available year-round.First, assess what worked and didn’t work in your landscape last year, and do some strategic planning for fall and beyond. Remove or relocate plants as needed, creating space for additions that will evolve the garden. Do a bit of cleanup, including pruning dead and dying branches while plants are still green and deadwood can readily be seen.As you go through this process, consider which plants bring you the most joy and which are “garden bullies” that reseed everywhere, require constant pruning because they are too large for their location or are just plain ugly. Life is too short to put up with such nonsense! Find a replacement that elevates the space. Move those that are getting too much or too little sun to more ideal locations.Then – with your new, clean palette -- see where you might want to add trees and/or shrubs this fall, leaving spaces for perennials to be planted in the spring when they are most abundant. Balance deciduous and evergreen plants so that your garden is not entirely dormant in the winter.Find some winter bloomers like camellias, hellebores or mahonia, all of which are evergreen. Think about plant height, texture, and color, including both foliage and flowers. Repeat varieties and colors for a more unified appearance. Use different forms of the same plant – perhaps several shrubs and a showy standard (tree form). Groupings of the same plant make a stronger statement than an individual specimen: think odd numbers. Brighten a dark corner with a variegated leaved shrub, or one with white blooms. Add statuary, obelisks or pots to create interest.
Overwhelmed? Take one section at a time, focusing first on the most bothersome area. Bring a picture of the space and measurements to the nursery. Create a rough drawing, noting proposed plant locations and spacing to determine the number needed. Put the plants in place, making adjustments as you go, before digging any holes. When you’re pleased with the result, get ‘em in the ground using a starter fertilizer!
Then move onto the next closest section, carrying some of the elements from the first forward to avoid a “choppy” appearance. Gradually, see if you might add some groundcover; spring blooming bulbs; or seasonal color such as pansies/violas, Iceland poppies, calendula, ornamental kale/cabbage, snapdragons or cyclamen.Come spring, you’ll be ready to fill in from the plentitude of freshly grown perennials.
Enjoy!
Michelle

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