Roger and Venice are Long Time Members of Our Backyard Growers Business Center which is why his nursery is being featured here.
My name is Roger Higgins. Owner, propagator, and head weed puller here at Roger’s Backyard Nursery. Located smack dab in the middle of downtown Cranesville, Pennsylvania. Don’t be afraid, we’re a 1 blinker light town. Tucked away in the southwest corner of Erie County, we’re convenient and easy to get to from Crawford County and also Ashtabula County, Ohio.
We sell young perennials, shrubs, and trees. Most of our plants are just $5.98 each. You heard me right, $5.98. If you’re looking for the large, instant gratification plants, keep looking and save up your money. We’re your friendly, knowledgeable plant adoption agency.
These plants are started and grown right here in our backyard. They’re our plant kids. The inventory is always changing. Sometimes we sell out of popular varieties. Don’t worry, we make more.
The season opens at the end of April or early May. We wait for Old Man Winter to wrap up. During the Spring months, we pack the front yard full of plants to sell. We leave walking space, some anyways. Parking is a premium so please carpool with friends, neighbors, and family. Don’t fret about not having room for all the plants you buy. I have delivery options available for buyers.
During Summer, the plants are returned to the backyard and we sell right from the nursery. How cool is that! You can see where the plants come from. No hidden areas here, there isn’t any room. We use just about every square foot of our half-acre property. Wanna see what a plant looks like in action? We can show you just about every plant because it is growing in our yard. Don’t be afraid to ask.
We are open from 9-5 on the weekends but 10-5 during the week. We are closed on Mondays so we can recover from hectic weekend sales, plus it lets the grass grow. Contact us if you need a special time to shop.
My wife, Venice, handles sales and most questions during the week while I’m at work. If there’s something you really need help with, it’s best to come in the late afternoon and weekends when I’m home, or get ahold of us by phone, email through our website, https://rogersbackyardnursery.com/ or on Facebook at Roger’s Backyard Nursery Facebook Page.
So what do we sell, you ask. How about over 10 different Weigelas. More than 10 kinds of Spireas in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes. Potentillas have choices as well. Willows, Coneflowers, Spiderworts (nicer than their name), Viburnums, Cotoneasters, Coral Bells, Turtleheads (cute), and much more.
About a couple dozen different varieties of Hostas here as well. I like Hostas and grow over 100 different varieties in the yard. Believe you me, they aren’t all green or green and white.
I almost forgot Hydrangeas. I try to keep a few of those pink and/or blue ones here, but in our area, they are real fussy with winter. If we have a bad winter (is there a good one?), they don’t make flowers. I don’t know about you, but I want flowers. That’s why we carry Hydrangeas that laugh in the face of Winter. They bloom every year regardless. They only bloom in whites though. PG, Phantom, and Annabelle are the faves.
Dawn Redwood, Redbud, Maple, Dogwood, Willow, and maybe some other trees here. They go early in the season and go quickly. You may also find some Japanese Maples here. I can’t graft as good as some, so I bring in some for sales. Lookout, they disappear in a hurry.
Like evergreens? You can find several Junipers, Arborvitaes, Spruces, and False Cypress hanging around here. People like to grab the Emerald Green and Green Giant Arborvitaes by the armload. Something about nosey neighbors and privacy gets mentioned a lot. No big Arbs here, these are small and young, remember?
Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, and grape plants get gobbled up fast in the Spring. We also carry Dewberry plants. These were the favorites before Blackberries stole the show. Old-timers like me know about ’em.
I wasn’t raised or schooled as a plant person. Many find that hard to believe, but it’s true. I owe most of my plant nerdiness to Mike McGroarty and other fellow Backyard Growers from around the country. Mike started this group and I have been a member since 2011. We all share tips, insights, and goofs along the way to help our success. I feel honored because Mike and many other members have wanted to come to my little nursery for visits and guidance from me, just a guy with dirty hands.
Stop by for a visit at 10393 Crane Street, Cranesville, PA.
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