Later this month, September 2022, I have invited our members to my place for an event that we call The Backyard Growers Shindig. We’ve been doing this for so long, gathering together once a year to meet new members and catch up with old members. It truly is an amazing event. Nothing fancy, just a bunch of people who are passionate about growing and selling small plants from home getting together and just enjoy the company of one another.
When did we start doing this? Honestly I cannot remember. But I do know that the first few were at This House, and we moved out of there in 2005. So it was long before that.
The purpose of this post is to say thank you to all of you, members and non members for years and years of support. I first started doing what I do online in 1999 and it has been one crazy ride. I have met so many people who are passionate about plants and passionate about helping one an other that sometimes just stop and think back to those early days. The one thing that has never changed is the kindness that you folks have shown to Pam and I.
So from the bottom of my heart, Thank You!
About this year’s shindig.
- We are going to start the day by visiting one of the large wholesale nurseries in this area for an even that our local association holds every year. I suspect that there will be tours of the nursery, all kinds of demonstrations, and there will be vendors.
- When I say vendors, there will be companies that sell equipment, companies that sell buld potting soil, and nursery that sell small plants at amazing low prices.
- And there will be experts in the trade and I mean hundreds and hundreds of experts, all gathered in one place to share what they know.
- Later in the day we will meet at my nursery where we can gather and catch up on old times and meet many of our new members. Some of the folks that are coming have been coming for years, for some this will be there first time.
- It’s amazing but people travel great distances just to experience this day. We are located in Ohio and for sure I know that we have a member traveling from California. And she has been here before so it pleases me to know that she places such a high value on the experience to make that expensive trip again.
- We will have members selling plants to and from one another. We have a couple from North Carolina that will be here with plants to sell. I’m not sure exactly what they are bringing but I do know that they specialize in Japanese maples and just recently I bought 20 Geisha Gone Wild Japanese maples from them for $12 or $15 each. Can you believe that? Geisha Gone Wild is an extremely rare Japanese maple and to think that I got 20 of them for less than $15 each is crazy.
- We have another member that lives in the area and I hope to have him here with Weeping Redbuds and other really interesting plants that he sells.
Anyway, The Backyard Growers Shindig of 2022 is about to happen. All the details are in Our Members Area.
But once again, thank you so much to each and every one of you that have supported me for over 20 years doing the only thing I know how to do.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond. Until then, by any and all means stay inspired!
Hi mike. Im interested in joining the backyard nursery members area however do not have the funds to pay the 500$ up front. Im still in high school and very motivated to source more plants for my backyard nursery through the buy/sell option, Im also exited to hear more about how growers in my state (Washington) go about over wintering there cuttings as I have quite a few of them. Im wondering if you have an alternative to paying the 500$ up front, If not I understand and thank you the time spent reading this long message.
Thanks mike
-kyle
Kyle,
You can get access to the members area for a full 30 days for just $7. See this, ask your parents before you join. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
And you can always contact Duston if you need help. [email protected] or [email protected]
YOU HAVE SENT US ALL ALOT OF INFO ON PLANTS, LAWN ETC.. WE APPRECIATE IT. GOD BLESS YOU.
Mike
Please send me an email about when the SHINDIG will be.I live in Virginia but my oldest grandson and Greatgrandchildren have moved to Ohio. I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Pardón the terrible pun!
John,
All of that info is in the members area, right on the first page of the discussion board. http://backyardgrowers.com/join
Thank you so much for all your help and inspiration. Greatly appreciated! Take care and stay safe!
When I first read your ad about getting free plants I was hooked. That was back in 2011. I have not had great success selling plants, but that’s on me. However, I am still addicted to making baby plants. I mostly do it now for myself, my church and my family. I have learned so much from you and the people you have inspired. So thank you back!
You’re welcome Wendy!
Mike Tk you for helping me to learn so many things with plants. I call them my babies. I still new snd learning many things from your books. Tk you so much for your honest kindness . I live in Tennessee and won’t get to attend the shindig this year but maybe next year. I look forward to meet you in person. God bless you and keep you.for many years to come.
Phedelama,
I sincerely hope we get to meet soon. Take care.
Mike, you and your family have started me on a new carreer in my 60’s. I have a small (and I do mean small) garden center. I have my Arkansas nursery license and I also grow lots of cactus, succulents and other house plants. My nursery stock is growing and folks around here know me, I’ve been in the area over 30 years. I plan on opening a community center here and offering free lunches once a week to veterans and Seniors, and homeless, using local produce and farm products. I hope someday to get by to see you, my family is in PA so if I get a chance to get there I will be by. Thanks again, love and light for all you do.
Leslie,
I hope you make it up this way one day. Email ahead to make sure I’m around. Once of these days it would be nice to have a shindig in your area. We’ll see.
my gardening is limited now that i am age 85. whenever i have a gardening delima i refer to your ideas. love the way you share the ideas. love the donkeys too
Thank you Marty.
I bought a Chicago Hearty fig tree around April of this year and am happy to say that in the past week I have been able to eat a few figs.; so nice to get a reward so quickly and to be able to learn/share from Mike’ Backyard Nursery. Thank you.
You’re welcome Ed.
Trying to learn how to bonsai and hoping to get it to work problem is trimming and keeping them alive again that’s to all you have done and look forward to getting more info on plants were both 76 and very limited space to grow why trying bonsai
Love you guys so much and thank you so much for all you do
Thanks James!
THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE
have been in and out of Backyard growers over the years.
have traded, sold and given away plants under your tutelage. Personally, the best part is giving them to people that nurture and grow them.
the reason you are rich and successful is because you are an honest, hard working informative entrepreneur. when I say “rich” I’m not referring to money, but to lifestyle.
you have taught me more to feed my passion about plants than you can know.
God bless.
Thanks Cliff, I appreciate that.
Love your posts and look forward to reading them… I have learned so much from you and appreciate
it…. If I wasn’t 82 and not well enough to start a business…. I would certainly get into your member circle.. That would have been a dream back years ago …
Thank you and keep em growing!!
your friend
Dot Foster
Thank you for all the many years of great free advice. I have been tempted many times to become a member mostly to thank you but, knowing my ability and the situation in which I live, I knew I would never follow through on growing plants for sale. I have done that in the past as a vendor at our local Farmer’s market and I did well. I grew old fashion flowers for bouquets and sold the bouquets for $10. I grew Hollyhock plants & sold them as 2nd-year plants and purple Datura. I did that for 9 years until my health prevented me from continuing. So many thanks to you for your kind & generous information.
I’ve learned so much from these tips on the web site. We stopped by last Saturday, 8/27/22 but found you were closed. Love visiting the area, so many nurseries to visit and everyone is so friendly.
Sorry I missed you Rick. We’re taking a little time off these days. Gearing up for spring.
I enjoy reading your articles.
Someday some I hope to get back in your business department.
I have changed my email.
New is the one that I am sending from.
Many thanks for keeping us updated on topics we know nothing about, I have learned so much from your videos etc.
Thank You Mike for all your inspiration. I love all you videos and information, You are a very Special person God Bless happy Gardening! Straight from Newfoundland Canada
Thank you Betty.
You have been a great help to me…….your so much appreciated…….
thank you for willing to help all of us………We are the lucky ones……
Thanks again,
You work so hard explaing what we should do. I am constantly sharing your ideas with my friends. WE ALL THANK YOU
Mike, thank YOU for all the knowledge, pictures, fun you have provided to all of us over the years. I know you have been doing your Backyard Nursery posts for quite a while (I found you in 2001 when I retired) and have saved so many of them for future reference. I know you are extremely busy which makes your taking the time to post all the more special. THANK YOU. Maggie
Thanks Mike , it’s been a pleasure all these years I am inspired by your site ” Have a wonderful day ‘ 🙃🙂 and Thanks for sharing your recipes and donkeys with us all ‘ …Your a awesome inspiration ” …
Thank you for what you and all your help does making this a great site to learn from. thank you
I have looked forward to your reports for a long time. I live in SE Oregon and began to get help with starting shrubs and vegetable gardens. Our growing season outside is very short. I have had three greenhouses but the environment has taken its toll. 2023 I will be capturing a portion of a former residence next to our home to begin year around gardening inside. I will still move some plants outside just to enjoy the grow to ripening . Thank you for your help over the years.
Mike you are the best and I for one appreciate your website above all others.
I live in Canada so I’m probably not going to be making it to your shindig this year.
Take care… Stay well & healthy.
All the best to you and yours
Tara
Happy Labor Day weekend to Mike, Pam, and all of you! I expect to be gardening all weekend. It’s a Labor of Love! (Get it? Lol)
The THANK YOU , goes to you and Pam for your dedication and plant expertise as well as your willingness to lead us plant heads in the right direction of propagating our yards with great plantings and how to care for them. Again, Thank You and Pam for helping us help ourselves🌻🌼
Dear Mike,
The thank you is all on this side! I have followed you for decades and
have learned so much.
If it were not for being in Canada I would have become a member long ago.
Even as it is, I sold $500 worth of tomato plants this spring from my new location
in the heart of the village..
Not a lot, but next year I will be better organised and have a small selection of perennials to divide and sell. Facebook makes it easy.
I am having a blast making my 50×100 lot of just sand into a place of abundance.. Nowhere near done, and I do have to hire help to create the gardening infrastructure, but the project is taking shape.
There are waist high raised beds to make gardening possible for a gimpy geezer.
Permanent trellises so I can just plant peas in spring and don’t have to fiddle with poles and netting.
In a world going crazy and scary, gardening is my sanity, and my. contribution to
the community.
I don’t know what I would be without it. I suspect just old and depressed.
Instead I am aiming to make my eighties, coming up next year, a productive decade.
Anyway, thank you for all the tips and inspiration.
.
Thank you and good for you! Keep gardening.
SORRY I MEAN TO SAY THANK YOU FOR SHARING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
NO MIKE YOU FOR SHARING YOUR INFORMATION WITH US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU STAY SAFE AGAIN THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!