Ask any Member, without a doubt, Our Backyard Growers Group are like family and to many, closer and more important than family.
A teaching moment with Roger Higgins at Our Summer Shindig.
Our Backyard Growers Group is a group of like minded people who are dedicated to helping one another. For years and years I’ve been holding a Backyard Growers Shindig at my nursery here in Perry, Ohio. People travel great distances to be a part of this fun and educational event.
A plant swap meet?
At our Summer Shindig I’ve always let our members who have some plants that they’d like sell to set up shop and sell small plants. In a way that’s kinda crazy because we have thousands of our plants we hope to sell at this event. So I do reserve the right to change this policy in the future, we’ll see.
Tom Weidman and his wife Kathy (below) are members and great friends.
When I started doing all of this gardening stuff online in 1999 I had no idea that I would touch lives and make friends all over the country and in other countries as well. Tom and Kathy have a nursery in Pennsylvania and they have been, in their words, not mine, “students of mine for a long time”. I will tell you this, they have done an incredible job! Their nursery is in Amish Country, kind of out in the sticks and they do an incredible amount of business!
Backyard Grower Kathy from Pennsylvania.
Tim and Bettie Shawler checking out the plants and enjoying the other members.
Is it any wonder They are Successful Members? They are both taking notes. Congratulations you two on your success and thanks for being awesome friends!
Sorry, as hard as I try I can’t remember everybody, but I certainly do appreciate you coming to Our Shindig and having you as members!
Did you read the sign behind them? I just put those signs up and they are probably going to get me beat up!
You guessed it. I remember speaking with them, taking the photo, but I just can’t recall their names.
That’s what I get! We held this event in early August and I’m just now getting around to posting the photos. Sorry folks, I sure hope to do better in the future.
30 Cathy and Neal Klabunde, members, friends, great Backyard Growers.
Did you read Neal’s shirt? How’s that for a nursery name? Dirty Finger Nails Nursery! Neal is a regular contributor in Our Members Area and he also sells some plants in the Buy/Sell Area which is Part of a Backyard Growers Membership.
How much are plants in Our Members Area?
You won’t believe the prices.
Japanese Red Maples, $2.00 each
Lilacs $2.30 each
Just this morning I saw somebody mention Green Giant Arborvitae for 85 cents each! and Emerald Green Arborvitae for 75 cents each! Isn’t that crazy? But as a member you get to take advantage of deals like that.
Barb Dombrosky is a member and grower from Pennsylvania.0
Can you tell that Barbie is from Pennsylvania. She wore a Steelers shirt to an event in Cleveland Browns territory! As if Cleveland Browns fans aren’t already miserable enough! For the record they just wrapped up their 2017 season with a record of “0 and 16”. Didn’t win a single game so the fans had a zero and 16 parade and I think it was about 5 degrees F. that day. So okay Barb, we’ll see you next year!
But aside from that, thanks for coming to the Shindig, you and I finally got to meet after all of this time!
Jason and Kim Haddix.
Plant shopping from the trunk of a car!
Steve Dahm, in the black shirt is a regular contributor and he also regularly offers Plants for Sale in the Members Area. Sorry, I can place the other two folks in this photo.
My wife Pam with another Backyard Growers.
I know the face but for the life of me I can’t recall her name. Somebody help me and I’ll fix it. Sorry!
Mike Snead enjoying the day, meeting fellow Backyard Growers.
Jerry Wingard? Did I spell that right?
We really try to have more than one of these events a year because it gives Our Members a Chance to Meet One Another in person and many people who attend are just starting out and are looking for all of the information they can get. Other members have been at it a long time and just like to come and meet old friends and I guess that includes Pam and I.
Duston McGroarty and Fred Dinger chill’n in the barn.
Fred and his wife Maureen loading the car! Plants, plants and more plants.
In 2017 we had two events. Our annual Backyard Growers Shindig, that’s where all of these photos were taken and then Labor Day weekend a bunch of us got together and Toured Brotzman’s Nursery here in Madison, Ohio. Brotzman’s is an old school, wholesale nursery. That was an awesome day! Tim Brotzman couldn’t have been more gracious and their nursery is spectacular!
Pam McGroarty rockin her nursery lady hat.
Can you tell that she didn’t want me to take this photo? She’s going to kill me if she see’s it online.
I’m doing post on February 1st, 2018 and Pam and I just got back from Atlanta, Georgia where we met a Ton of Our Members from the south. I’ll share those photos in another post. But it was a great event and the members treated us like royalty! Since it was just a few days after my birthday they even got me a great big birthday cake.
You folks are awesome we so appreciate having you in our lives! Thank you for all of the kindness you shower upon us.
Right now, at the time of this writing, We Are Accepting New Members to Our Backyard Growers Group. I am inviting you to join our awesome family of people who love one another and always have the back of a member in need. You’ve never experienced anything like it. Take the test drive to day.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond appropriately.
Barbie Dombroski says
February 3, 2018 at 11:29 pmMike it was a real pleasure meeting you also finally ????, I’m sure we will make another one! Meeting and putting a face with a name was awsome too! Met alot of great people feeling like I knew them for years! It was also a pleasure meeting Pam and your Duston too, oh and can’t forget the Donkeys, I am a animal lover too! Plants and animals yep that’s me…
pnil says
February 3, 2018 at 3:30 pmYou said there were Japanese red maple for $2 in the members area.
My question is : Are they realy “red” orr are they green and I’d have to graft a red one on to it ?????
Mike says
February 3, 2018 at 4:35 pmPnil,
Of course you are not going to get a named variety like Bloodgood, Emporer 1 or Oshi Beni for $2.00 but I do see these in the members area, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, from time to time for under $15.00. The seedlings are being sold as red so I would expect most of them to have decent red color and you can always ask the seller before you order. It has a lot to do with where the seeds came from.
Dom De Bellis says
February 3, 2018 at 6:13 amMike, you’ve been my hero for years. I’ve even praised you in the Preface to my forthcoming book, GROW FRESH ORGANIC FOOD TO FEED YOUR FAMILY AND SELL FOR PROFIT, and I’d like you to have a free copy of the book and the year-long group coaching program as my gift.
Thank you for the inspiration and vision you helped form in me. I will never forget you.
Regards,
Dom
Mike says
February 3, 2018 at 9:37 amDom,
Thank you, I appreciate that and I just sent you an Email.
Cherrie Alfonso says
February 1, 2018 at 2:45 pmAs a member of this group I can attest to your statement about this group being family. Not only family but a group of gardeners who want to learn as much as they want to help you learn. With Mike as the “ring leader” we can all be assured we are getting the most updated information and the THRUTH concerning all our gardening questions and concerns.
Never have I been affiliated with a group such as this! I have never been sorry for joining the Backyard Growers Group and feel very blessed that I found them!
Backyard Growers member,
Cherrie
Mike says
February 1, 2018 at 5:58 pmThanks Cherrie, as you well know, we have an awesome group of people!
Teresa says
February 2, 2018 at 3:26 pmWow! Is that really Fred’s wife? She looks young enough to be his daughter 🙂 Good job, Fred!
Mike says
February 3, 2018 at 9:43 amI hope it’s his wife and I didn’t mess that up!
Fred Dinger says
February 13, 2018 at 10:38 pmYes everyone, that is my lovely wife Maureen
Mike says
February 14, 2018 at 6:23 pmThanks Fred, I got it fixed for you!