I’d like to think that my garden is a reflection of my life… busy, chaotic, sometimes messy, but always deeply rooted. In this magical ecosystem, things are always changing. With shifting seasons, wild little hands and muddy paws playing, nothing stays the same.

But that is the beauty of life, right? Here are ten things that I am loving about my pollinator garden this summer, and I thought I’d share them with you!

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1) Sprouted Seedling

For some reason, one of my biggest fears when it came to gardening was sowing seeds, never mind collecting them from the actual plant. Something about it felt intimidating and time-consuming. However, this past spring, my husband inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and try planting seeds right from the food we eat! And surprisingly, it worked… now I have a bunch of these seedlings beginning to sprout. I even found it in me to collect the seeds from the spent flowers in my garden!

2) Endless Flowers (And the pollinators they bring)

Wildflowers are one of the best things to plant in your garden. Not only do they attract pollinators to help your other plants, but they can be planted anywhere… from abandoned plant pots on your back patio to open fields. Plus, the seeds are incredibly easy to harvest, so you can replant them year after year. They are a budget-friendly way to add some color and love to your space. I can’t wait to plant thousands more!

3) The Beginnings of the Mini Pumpkin Towers

My garden is no stranger to my need to experiment, but the mini pumpkin tower experiment is the one I am most excited about at the moment. I will be sharing in detail in a different post ,but I can’t help but give a sneak peak. It is a bit of a Frankenstein of ideas that I found online. If all goes well, we will see cute little pumpkins come Halloween.

4) Sprouting Playground Milkweed

Tucked beneath my children’s playground lie the tiniest plants, growing in fervor to provide a home and nutrients to one very important pollinator that depends on the leaves and petals of the milkweed plant. The monarch butterfly is one of the oldest and most iconic butterflies to exist. Over generations, its youth have evolved to rely solely on the milkweed flower.

Unfortunately, access to the flower has become scarce, and the butterfly population has plummeted. While I have milkweed growing in other parts of my garden, this place is particularly important. It’s the place where my children helped me move the grass, till and lay the dirt, and sow the seeds. They care for them as often as they remember… and boy, do they remember.

“Save the pollinators!” they shout.

5) Compost Basil

Last year, I planted a basil plant in one of my planters in the backyard, and like every year, in the winter, it died. So I pulled it out, disposed of it by my compost bin, and planted a sprig of mint in its place.

As the seasons went on, something surprising happened. Basil began to grow all over my yard, among the flowers, with the mint, and beside the compost! (And yes, I let some of my basil bolt! The pollinators love it!)

6) The Fort Made of Morning Glories

A long time ago, in one of the endless rabbit holes I find myself in on Pinterest late at night, I found a woman who made a fort out of vines that she had in her backyard.

When I moved in, I was graced (or cursed — depending on how you look at it) with these beautiful morning glory plants, so I decided to recreate this idea using the things I had lying around and the endless vines that take over my yard.

7) Laundry Potatoes

Like usual, TikTok is the biggest inspiration for this experiment. I’ll go more in-depth on the Laundry Potato Tower in a later blog post because there’s a twist.

For now, let’s just be excited that it’s sprouting!

8) The Garden Rearrangers

Every garden needs its furry friends… even if they have a habit of rearranging it!

9) Kids Artisan Garden Décor

From Mother’s Day to birthday gifts, my kids are always so thoughtful when making me presents! And let’s be honest, handmade garden art is the best décor.

10) The Hummingbirds

Sometimes, certain moments make you stop and hold your breath. That’s exactly how I feel every time a hummingbird comes to feed from the flowers in my garden. What a treat!

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Love and Abundance,

Shay