The most significant part of my life story.
I’ve been at this plant selling thing a long time and if You’ve Read My Story You Know That.
But I want people to know . . .
When I started I was scared.
How do you know you can sell what you grow? That’s always the million dollar question. The answer is simple. If you grow nice plants, people will buy them. When Our Members Experience that for the First Time they are giddy with excitement. It’s why I do what I do.
When I made the decision to quit field growing which was the traditional way of growing plants, and only grow plants in small containers and sell them for $4.00 each, that was a bonafide crazy idea!!! Nobody had ever done that before because it was just plain “stupid”.
I didn’t believe that.
So armed with a tiny bit of experience selling a few plants at $4.00 each I changed my entire operation. From that moment on every single one of my plants would sell for $4.00. It was a crazy thing to do.
But, I knew that if I rooted the cutting, my only cost was a pot and soil. Less than 35 cents at the time. There was plenty of profit to be had. In fact, more than 400% profit! Not a business on the plant has those kinds of margins except us little growers.
It worked. I sold a ton of plants at $4.00.
So I raised the price to $4.97. I held My Last Plant Sale at this Location, in four weeks time we sold more than $25,000 worth of plants at only $4.97 each! And that was 2003!
Today I am struggling desperately to get back to one price for everything in the nursery. That’s my “Unique Selling Proposition”, every plant in the joint, only $5.97 each. I can’t wait to get back to that!
Because of that decision to do something that the rest of the plant growing world thought “Stupid”, today I have an amazing life. I’ve Been Building My New Nursery Since 2010 and I’ve loved every second of it. I can’t wait until once again, every single plant in the place is $5.97! I foolishly took a different route when I started at the new place, but I truly don’t like it.
Miniature Donkeys Running for President.
Today I have Miniature Donkeys that I Love to Death.
They are awesome! And . . . they The Donkeys are Running for President!
The Pepsi bottles? Yeah. It’s actually a difficult story to tell, but it’s important to who I am and how I arrived here, today. You Can Read that Story Here.
Magic will Happen!
Growing small plants has completely changed my life just as it has So Many of Our Members. You don’t have to grow thousands like I do, start out with 20, magic will happen.
Do not look at Pam’s hair!
This is my wife Pam, working diligently making$5.97 plants. She’s not happy that I took this photo because her hair wasn’t “done”. She’s spends a great deal of time with me at the nursery, keeping me organized, making sure the plants look great for our plant sales. She’s awesome!
Questions or comments? Post them below!
Jeff says
September 7, 2016 at 9:44 pmTwo questions can you easily propagate convex leaf Holly? And what videos do you have on giving some plants in containers some protection this winter thanks for all you do!
Mike says
September 8, 2016 at 8:53 amJeff,
Japanese Hollies are fairly easy from cuttings, but they are an evergreen and much slower to root than other things. But I’ve stuck them in a bed of sand in the winter and had them root. I’d try some now, in the shade, keep them watered until they go dormant. If you had this system, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/, they would be easy to do now, but they will root without it. See this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
Winter cuttings; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
Over wintering potted plants; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/11/over-wintering-protecting-plants-for-the-winter/
Willie Singleton says
August 24, 2016 at 8:57 pmHi Mikes I just ran across your website.,I am trying to start sell small pots next year. I am very interest in joining your garden club I love flowers. And learn how to root them. I buy small flowers and watch them grow
Mike says
August 25, 2016 at 7:07 pmWillie,
Stay tuned, make sure you sign up for our mailing list on this site, we’ll be accepting new members some time in the fall. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
Kevin says
June 1, 2016 at 10:10 amCan you do a video about crape myrtle propagation? Crape myrtles are very popular where i live, and i am going to make them my specialized tree. or just explain to me how its done. Some of the CM have some kind of fungus at the top section of the new growth. I don’t know what that is!
Mike says
June 1, 2016 at 6:32 pmKevin, If you follow instructions for softwood cuttings I think you’ll have great success. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
Donna Davison says
May 3, 2016 at 2:40 pmHi Mike,
I’m a newbie and just received my first two shipments of rooted cuttings. You have provided so much wonderful info that I’m overwhelmed and don’t know what to do first. I need to buy the right size pots from you, but don’t know where to go to do that. The Business Center products tab doesn’t work. I don’t know how to label them, although I did read quite a bit about labeling in the BC. Do I put a couple of each in my yard for future cuttings? Can I put some in plastic pots I’ve accumulated from years of gardening until I get the right size from you? Do I need to put some in sand? I don’t want to kill my new babies. Thanks
Mike says
May 4, 2016 at 8:14 amDonna,
The members area opens up again June 1st, I highly suggest you take the test drive, http://backyardgrowers.com/join. Our pots are here, http://backyardgrowers.com/plastic-nursery-pots/. You can use any pot you have for now. If you want to plant some in bed for cuttings later that’s a great idea. Sand is for rooting cuttings which starts in June, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/.
Lewis Meyer says
April 18, 2016 at 11:12 pmHey Mike,
I’ve been following you for a few years now and reading your articles. I do stump grinding and things are quickly moving into landscaping… The skid loader opens all kinds of opportunities. I have never rooted clippings or anything like that, I’ve just been sending people your way.
I enjoy your articles. Your testimony of how you started is similar to mine. Difficulties can sure give an individual perspective! God bless you, Mike.
Lewis Meyer
Lancaster, PA
Mike says
April 19, 2016 at 7:31 amLewis,
Wishing you the best of success in your business. I spent many, many years landscaping and truly enjoyed it. And I do miss it. It’s a great way to make a living.
patricia scott says
April 18, 2016 at 8:29 pmhi mike i want to ask you somyhing what kind of pestaside do you use on your plants please help me ive got about 150 cuttings done potted up and something is trying to eat on the leaves thank you your friend patricia
Mike says
April 19, 2016 at 7:43 amPatricia,
I rarely, if ever use insecticides in my nursery. But any general insecticide should do the trick if you think you need it.
Rupa says
April 9, 2016 at 7:47 pmThanks for responding so quickly. My other question is can you do the same to trees? My parents have witch hazel and cherry tree that I’m interested in clipping branches.
Rupa says
April 9, 2016 at 8:15 pmI wish I lived closer to go to your plant sale
Mike says
April 10, 2016 at 9:10 amRupa,
I wish you did too!
Mike says
April 10, 2016 at 9:10 amRupa,
You can try, but many trees grow best from seed. More refined varities are budded or grafted onto those seedlings.
Anonymous says
April 8, 2016 at 7:01 pmWhat plants propagate well from branches?
Mike says
April 8, 2016 at 9:34 pmNot branches, but 5″ cuttings. Here’s a list, 21 Plants that are Easy to Grow and Sell Like Crazy
The following 21 plants are really easy to grow and they sell like hot cakes. They always have been really good sellers and they always will be really good sellers. And this list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to plants that you can grow and sell that people want to buy.
1. Forsythia
2. Red Weigela
3. Varigated Weigela
4. Pink Flowering Weigela
5. Red Twig Dogwood
6. Fragrant Viburnums
7. All Flowering Viburnums
8. Potentilla
9. Dappled Willow
10. Pussy Willow
11. Daylillies
12. Hosta
13. Huchera
14. All kinds of Perennials
15. Armeria
16. Boxwood
17. Japanese Hollies
18. English Hollies
19. Rhododendrons
20. PJM Dwarf Rhododendron
21. Hydrangeas
22. Rose of Sharon
23. Dwarf Alberta Spruce
24. White Dogwood trees
25. Chinese Dogwoods
26. Blue Rug Juniper
27. Gold Flame Spirea
28. Gold Mound Spirea
29. Ornamental Grasses of all kinds
30. Crimson Pygmy Barberry
31. Rosy Glow Barberry
Okay, that’s 31 and I could go on forever.
Here are some plants for warmer zones, 8,9, and 10
Fragrant Tea Olive,
Gardenia,
Camellia,
Azalea,
Jasmines
Palm trees
Tropical Hibiscus
Burgundy Chinese Fringe Flower
Bogainvilla
Owari & Hamlin Oranges
Satsuma
Kumquat
Azalea (out the wazoo down here)
Crepe Myrtle (ditto)
Lilies
Camelias
amaryllis
hybrids such as Blossom Peacock and Papillo
Japanese Pieris
Satsuma’s
Star gazer lilies
Crape Myrtles of all kinds
Gardenia varieties-evergreen
Azalea varieties-evergreen & deciduous(native)
Camellia varieties-evergreen
Fragrant Tea Olive-evergreen
Nandina varieties-evergreen
Loropetalum/Chinese fringe flowers
Chase Tree
Abelia -so many new exciting varieties -good for zones 6-10!
Viburnums
Daphne
Cleyera-evergreen
Burning Bush/ Euonymus varieties…
Spirea -especially Bridalwreath, Little Princess, Goldmound…
Butterfly Bushes
Jasmines (vines-Carolina, Confederate)
Confederate Rose
Lady Banks Rose
Anise (check out Florida Sunshine)
Holly-Soft Touch/Sky Pencil/Youpon/Burfordii….
Crape Myrtles
Japanese Magnolias(Saucer, Betty, Royal Star…)
Southern Magnolias
Dogwoods
Red Buds
Japanese Maples
Evergreen hedge trees/shrubs
Leyland Cypress
Murray/Arborvitae
Japanese Cedar(cryptomeria)
false cypress(Chamaecyparis…)
Junipers-Blue Rug, Sargentii, Blue Point,…
Trees:
Chinense Pistache
Fruitless Mulberry
Weeping Willow
Live oak
Red oak
Catalpa
Vitex (or Chaste Tree)
Desert Willow
Shrub:
Nellie R Stevens
Wax Myrtle
Red Tip Photinia
Korean Boxwood
Radicans Gardenia
Loropetalum
Yaupon Holly
Perennials:
Salvias
Sedums
Butterfly Bush
Reeves Spiraea
Van Houtti Spiraea
Vines:
Honeysuckle (coral)
Crossvine
Star Jasmine