The Melanin Urban Gardener

The Melanin Urban Gardener Helping schools, families & communities grow food confidently through hands-on garden education. Fresh vegetables and products for sales

Patch to Plate programs, workshops, events & urban farming inspiration.

08/30/2026

Another episode of showing y’all the garden exactly how it looks

So remember my corn, sunflower, and bean circle? Yeahhhh… I may have gotten a little carried away with the spacing 😭 There’s a piece of corn in there fighting for its life.

BUT the plot twist is the “black okra” seeds I got from a seed swap at a farmer conference in Ohio are apparently CORN. 😂 And it’s actually growing! I’m thinking it might turn out purple, but at this point we’re just gonna wait and see what I accidentally planted. Meanwhile, the actual okra is LOVING this weather and putting out the prettiest flowers.

The sweet peppers are doing what peppers do perfect example of why I always go into the garden wearing something with pockets because something that wasn’t ready two days ago will be ready TODAY.

Big tomatoes are growing, Black Beauty and Little Finger eggplants are producing like crazy, and apparently the spiders are still setting up shop wherever they feel like it.

The ecosystem is definitely ecosysteming around here.

GARDEN GIRL EATS — EP. 1Since y’all know me for growing the food, I figured it was time I started showing y’all another ...
08/28/2026

GARDEN GIRL EATS — EP. 1

Since y’all know me for growing the food, I figured it was time I started showing y’all another side of me too because your Garden Girl is a FOODIE.

So we’re kicking off my new Friday series with a little game.

GUESS THE GOOD THING

This is something I make using veggies from the garden, and this particular batch has some HEAT. I’m not giving y’all any more clues because then I’m basically telling you the answer.

First person to correctly guess what I’m making gets a FREE jar!

Drop your guess in the comments. 👇🏾

And welcome to Garden Girl Eats, where we’re talking about what I’m growing, what I’m making, where I’m eating, and whatever else tastes good.

GardenToTable

A little fun with my assistant farm manager before school starts back.
08/28/2026

A little fun with my assistant farm manager before school starts back.

Wave Ambassador Bash Trip Photo Dump. I took over a 100 pictures so bear with me as I share them all with you.
08/23/2026

Wave Ambassador Bash Trip Photo Dump. I took over a 100 pictures so bear with me as I share them all with you.

08/21/2026

Part 4 of showing y’all the garden exactly how it looks

And THIS is why I had to remind myself that my tomatoes do not need me watering them every single day

Between me watering and all the rain we’ve been getting, some of these cherry tomatoes started cracking before I could even get to them. So now I’m letting everything dry out a little and letting their feet breathe before I start picking again.

And yes, it’s overgrown back here. 😂 I put my hair in a bun and walk through it. We’ll be fine.

We’ve got volunteer “wild spinach” growing everywhere, a little questionable foliage that probably has some type of blight, tomatoes hiding in every direction, and apparently spiders setting up residence too because I almost got took OUT trying to show y’all around 😭

At this point, the ecosystem is ecosysteming.

Some things get eaten. Some tomatoes crack. Some plants look a little rough. And somehow we still end up with plenty of food.

Welcome to a real working garden in August

08/19/2026

Part 3 of showing y’all the garden exactly how it looks

Now we’ve made it to one of my 5x5 beds and the zucchini has officially decided the entire bed belongs to her.

There’s a reason I give zucchini this much space though. I plant mine later in the season to try to miss peak squash vine borer season because me and them bugs have BEEF.

Then we have my supposed-to-be sweet pepper bed… except these plants keep producing peppers with HEAT. At this point, I don’t know what’s going on 😂 So I’m experimenting with saving seeds from some store-bought sweet peppers for next season.

Meanwhile, the tomatoes are tomato-ing, basil is growing, eggplants are doing their thing, peppers are everywhere, and the dinosaur kale has clearly been somebody’s snack.

But one thing about me—I’m not panicking over every chewed leaf. If the pests take a little and the plant is still healthy and producing, we can coexist.

The garden doesn’t have to be perfect to be productive.

And yes… there’s STILL more garden to show y’all.

08/19/2026

Part 2 of me showing y’all my garden in ALL its states

I’ve actually never given y’all a FULL garden tour, so today we’re in the back half.

Over here I’ve got the high tunnel, eight 5x5 beds, two 4-foot round beds, and a whole lot of “we’ll see what happens” going on.

I plant in waves, so everything isn’t always at the same stage. Some things are established, some are trying to catch up, and yes… I still have plants that I’m probably gonna throw in the ground and let them fight for their lives 😭 If it has a leaf, it still has a chance around here!

My Anise Noir tomatoes are catching up, my favorite shovel is apparently part of the garden decor now, AND my Dollar Tree flower tower decided to collapse. 🙃

Luckily, I overbought and have extras in the high tunnel. See… sometimes being an overbuyer pays off 😂

And we STILL haven’t made it to the front of the garden yet.

08/19/2026

Why I’m Not Afraid to Show My Garden in Any State

Apparently gardeners get real quiet this time of year because they’re scared to show what their gardens actually look like.

Listen… I have never been afraid to show y’all the garden exactly how it looks.

Is it aesthetic? Sometimes.
Is it organized? We’ll discuss that.
Is there stuff growing EVERYWHERE? Absolutely.

My garden just gets big FAST, so half the time when you see me posting something that looks small, it’s probably because I’m behind on showing y’all what’s actually happening.

Prime example: these potatoes. I started some in May and some in June, and they’re STILL sitting here because I like to let those tops die back before I harvest. I want ALL my potatoes.

Then there’s the grow bags… and the plants… and the general garden chaos happening everywhere.

This is what a productive garden looks like sometimes. It doesn’t have to look perfect to be growing good food.

So yes, I’m showing y’all the garden in ALL its stages. The pretty, the messy, the overgrown, and the “girl, you need to get out here” stages. 😂

Do you show your garden as-is, or do you wait until it’s looking cute?

Alfredo warrior but with broccoli out the garden 😂
08/16/2026

Alfredo warrior but with broccoli out the garden 😂

MARGARITA’S & FLOWERS IS BACK FOR YEAR 9! Nine years of flowers, good food, beautiful vibes, and bringing people togethe...
08/10/2026

MARGARITA’S & FLOWERS IS BACK FOR YEAR 9!

Nine years of flowers, good food, beautiful vibes, and bringing people together — and this summer, we’re returning for the 2nd Annual Garden Tea Party.

On Saturday, August 29, the garden transforms for an intimate evening of tea party chic, curated dining, fresh flowers, cocktails, music, and summertime magic.

🎟️ Your $120 ticket is ALL-INCLUSIVE. That means your curated dinner, floral bouquet bar, signature margarita & lemon drop bar, entertainment, and whimsical surprises throughout the evening are all included. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options will be available, so you can enjoy the full experience either way. 🍹

And because you’re spending the evening in an actual garden…I added something new this year. 👀

For just $10 more, add our Pick the Garden experience. We’ll provide your picking bag, and you can head into the garden and pick your own fresh vegetables to take home. If it fits in your bag, it goes home with you.

Saturday, August 29 • 5 PM
🎟️ $120 — ALL-INCLUSIVE
🌿 Pick the Garden add-on — $10
💳 Klarna + Afterpay available

⏰ Ticket sales close August 23 at MIDNIGHT. No last-minute tickets — everything from dinner to cocktails to flowers is being prepared specifically for our guests.

Pull out the flowy dresses, florals, fascinators, cute hats and tea party looks because the garden is waiting for you. 🌸🥂

Year 9 of Margarita’s & Flowers. Year 2 in the garden. And we’re making this one beautiful. 💐

Address

P. O. Box 18867
Milwaukee, WI
53218

Opening Hours

Tuesday 6:30pm - 9pm
Wednesday 6:30pm - 9pm
Thursday 6:30pm - 9pm
Friday 6:30pm - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 9pm
Sunday 10am - 7pm

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+12487220770

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