The donkeys are all excited! This Saturday, September 14th, 2013 we are having a big plant sale and a St. Patrick’s Day party here at Mike’s Plant Farm in Perry, Ohio.
Pam made the donkeys personalized scarves.
A St. Patrick’s Day party in September? Yeah, that was the donkeys idea. Since they are Irish (because we gave them Irish names) and because my late father was an Irish immigrant and his birthday was in September, they thought we should have a St. Patrick’s Day party in September when the weather is nice. Unlike March in Ohio.
Pam decided the donkeys needed to look their best so she made them personalized scarves.
Fergus trying on his new scarf.
If you remember, I asked all of you to help us pick out Irish names for these guys and you overwhelmed us this suggestions. Thank you! We settled on Fergus and Finnegan. Fergus is the little dark brown donkey and Finnegan is the lighter colored one.
About the party and the plant sale. All of the details are posted on my nursery website, Mike’s Plant Farm. Actually what you see there is the copy from the actual newspaper ad that runs this Friday. That in and of itself is instructional.
Finnegan gets fitted for his new scarf.
Saturday should be a rockin good time. We had two plant sales this spring and the place was packed with plant buying customers, so a fall sale should be pretty good as well.
Finnegan is like; “Hey Dude, check me out!
We are going to have a plant sale the following Saturday as well but I suspect the donkeys will be a little under the weather for that one because the vet comes out next week to do a little work on their “boy parts”. Anybody who knows anything at all about Miniature Donkeys tells me that having them gelded is an absolute must if you want them to act right. So that goes down next week.
Whaddya think Gabby? How do we look?
Kinda puts the donkeys size in perspective. Gabby is only three years old.
Ally, how come you don’t have a scarf?
Take my picture please!
How about a profile view?
I hope you enjoy seeing these pictures as much as we love these donkeys. You really should make the trip and come to our plant sale on Saturday September 14th and meet the donkeys in person. We have Shindigs for our customers a couple times a year where backyard growers get together to discuss the business of growing and selling small plants. We had one in August and we’re doing another in October.
How I Got Started in the Plant Business.
Questions? Comments? Post them below.
Happy Early St. Patrick’s Day , Mike ! And to the Donkeys too !
Thanks Frank! My father was born and raised in Ireland so St. Patty’s Day is special to me. Somewhere we’ve got photos and videos of the donkeys dressed up for St. Patty’s Day. maybe here? http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/11/mike-and-pam-mcgroarty-with-their-miniature-donkeys-finnegan-and-fergus/
love the minis
I love the donkeys! I’ve bought your DVD on grafting maples, ordered an acer palmatum atropurpureum and am going to try grafting. I so wish I could live near you (I’m in Poland) and visit you and the donkeys while learning about selling plants for a living!
Dear Mike,
Love your donkeys, Our donkeys have a cross on their back, ever since Jesus
rode on a donkey. It is also traditional here to give them a Biblical name, we
had a young female donkey, as I only remembered the bad girls in the
Bible, I had to borrow one to find a good girl, I can assure you Hannah is
the first good girl in the Bible.
We celebrate St.Patrick’s day on the 17th March in Australia, we then drink
gallons of Guinness stout,
regards Peter
Hi Mike,
It was SO NICE meeting you and your family Saturday at your St Patricks Day Party/Plant Sale! We had to go meet you…you have given us SO MUCH information and could not pass the opportunity to come say “HI” in person. It was a haul since we came from IL but well worth it!!
Thanks Mike,
Shar
Sharon,
You have no idea what it means to me when somebody travels as far as you did to meet me, or just to visit my place. Wishing you the best and by all means stay in touch. We’re doing another sale this coming weekend then we’ll pretty much wrap it up for the year and concentrate on making more plants. It was so nice to meet you, your husband and your aunt. -Mike McGroarty
Love those pictures of the donkeys! Wish I could be there for the party on Saturday.
A 2-footed or 4-footed animal broke a branch off my beautiful, new, pink Elephant
Hibiscus. I cut off the tip, and put it in a glass of water. Will it root? Should I put it
in dirt now, or wait until little roots start to grow? Do I have a prayer? Oh! I added
a little of that flower food that came with a florist’s bouquet that someone sent me.
~~~~~~~ Grace
Grace,
You’d be much better off to cut the branch into small cuttings and stick them in soil in a shaded area and keep them watered and covered so they don’t dry out. See this http://www.freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm
Sending best wishes to you from all the way over in NorthEast Scotland for a great day there tomorrow! The lads look very handsome in their new scarves:)
Huge thanks to you for your newsletter, downloadable publications, and your web pages! My husband and I are looking for our ‘retirement with a bonus’ home – the bonus is room enough in the back garden to start a small plant nursery, and yes, your work is what is inspiring us!
Sunnie,
Thank you and you are welcome! You most certainly can do this. Wishing you the best!
I have been getting your newsletters in my e-mail for a long time. I love everything you do when it has all to do with plants and animals. I take the time to read all of your e-mails. I live in Maine and I would love to come to your place. To bad It is so far. I also love your sense of humor. You do entertain me.
Susan,
One of our members from Maine made the trip for our annual shindig summer before last. It’s amazing, we often have people drive long distances to come and meet the other members.
Finney and Fergy! Cuteness overload! That color is very becoming on them.
Love reading your newsletters and I am so ready to start a back yard growing biz!
I live in the Berwicks of Southern Maine. I can do this, yes!?
Mike,really the most adorable Donkeys i have seen in my life.
Love your Gardening suggestions,but many of them cannot be done in this part of WINNIPEG,MANITOBA CANADA.Sometimes we reach -38 beloOur summers are short and i cannot alot of the things you do.
But i enjoy reading them. THANK YOUw
The Donkeys are adorable! I’m hoping to get to meet them at your plant sale/St.Paddy’s Day party.
I shared your ad to my facebook timeline and so did my hubby..We are both hoping that we are two of the first 200 that shared so we can each get free plants 🙂
Love the article Mike! The donkeys are adorable. I wish we could come to your sale but maybe I can make the BYG Shindig next year. Have a great sale this weekend! Natalie
Oh, how I wish I lived near you… The donkeys are amazingly adorable. Thanks for sharing all your great information… I love the lifestyle you and Pam have created with the garden business… Congrats on your success.
Thanks Cindy, I appreciate that.
I love, love, love your website, Mike, and please continue to write for us.
I only have a small window garden right now, with a few vegetables, but I am devouring everything you send along and hope in the near future to have a big backyard again to start the planting business you are so encouraging about.
Fergus and Finnegan are so sweet. I can imagine how you dote on them.
Mike, I rarely read much of the stuff sent to me, however, for some reason, your newsletters are interesting. I DO like working in the garden and have used many of your tips just for my own yard, but not growing and selling. Maybe when I retire from teaching school? Love the donkeys! And your great way of explaining gardening tips, especially rootings. Thanks TONS! Mary – Lacey WA
Thanks Mary, I’m glad you appreciate what I send!
Thanks Johanna!
I am interested in your secret gardening book and other free items you mention, but I live in the UK. I assume your offers do not extend to the UK?
Patricia
Patricia, The Garden’s Secret Handbook is a digital file and can be downloaded anywhere in the world. The information is still relevant we have customers all over the world.
Is there something I can grow and make some money on up here in Mnpls., Mn.?
Here’s the quick answer. People in Minneapolis like to garden and buy plants right? You have nurseries in Minneapolis right? Of you course you can grow and sell small plants in Minneapolis or just about any where else in the world. http://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/03/how-to-make-65%C2%A2-per-square-inch-in-your-backyard/
The scarfes look great, and the donkey display them so nicely. They appear to be liking and showing off their new apparel. Thanks