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You are here: Home / Archives for Mike

Gardening Tips for August

Published : August 5, 2015

2 Comments

Gardening Tips for August From the Farmer’s Almanac 5th-7th Good days for transplanting. Root crops that can be planted now will yield well. 8th-9th Any seed planted now will tend to rot. 10th-11th Plant seedbeds and flower gardens. Good days for transplanting. Most favorable days for planting beets, onions, turnips, and other root crops. 12th-16th… Click here to read more…

The Never-Fail Annabelle Hydrangea

Updated : June 17, 2024

32 Comments

Annabelle Hydrangea are the hydrangea that never fail to bloom. They bloom on current growth so the flower buds are never affected by frost or freezing temperatures.   My plants and my cuttings did just fine last winter even though it got down to -21 below zero, so they are tough as nails. The unrooted… Click here to read more…

Can Planting More Trees Prolong Your Life?

Published : August 4, 2015

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A recent study published in the journal, Scientific Reports, compiled data from multiple cities in Toronto and came to the hypothesis that adding 10 trees to your neighborhood could result in the equivalent of feeling $10,000 richer or even 7 years younger! Trees do add beauty and shade but they also remove pollutants from the… Click here to read more…

Lightweight Expandable Hose That Never Kinks

Updated : August 4, 2015

2 Comments

A few years ago the expandable pocket hose hit the infomercial scene.  Maybe you were one who called in to order not one, but TWO expandable hoses if you acted right then. It didn’t take long for the consumers to find fault in the too good to be true lightweight hose.  Consumer Reports tested the… Click here to read more…

Tips for Growing and Producing Flowers on Hydrangea

Updated : July 16, 2015

7 Comments

Hydrangea macrophylla, the pink and blue hydrangea are commonly known as Big Leaf or Mophead.  Most of these bloom in July or August  in either blue or pink, although a few varieties are white. If you have pink blooms and would like them to be blue, simply amend the soil with aluminum sulfate.  Your local… Click here to read more…

Scary Mutant Flowers Growing Near Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Published : July 31, 2015

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On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 earthquake triggered a tsunami that hit Japan and nearly destroyed the city of Fukushima. The following day, 12 March, substantial amounts of radioactive material began to be released, and resulted in a nuclear meltdown of three of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant’s 6 nuclear reactors. In the four… Click here to read more…

Syracuse Professor Creates Tree Bearing 40 Types of Fruit

Published : July 31, 2015

4 Comments

Grafting is the art of attaching a piece of one plant to another in such a way that the two pieces will bond together and become one plant. One plant is used to provide the root system and sometimes the stem, and is commonly known as the rootstock. If you are daring enough to try… Click here to read more…

Organic Grasshopper Control

Updated : June 17, 2024

1 Comment

Grasshoppers have been the bane of gardeners for centuries. These insects are responsible for consuming up to 25% of the available forage in the western half of the US each year.  That’s a lot of food that could have been available to people and livestock. A heavy grasshopper infestation can reduce a garden to stubble… Click here to read more…

When Tillers Go Bad

Updated : July 31, 2015

2 Comments

The Swedish company Husqrvana is a manufacturer of outdoor power products including robotic mowers, garden tractors, chainsaws and trimmers. This past week Husqrvana had issued a recall on about 24,000 lawn and garden tillers due to the potential hazard caused by the transmission engaging itself and going either forward or backward without warning.  So far… Click here to read more…

Are Birds Eating All of Your Fruit?

Updated : July 31, 2015

2 Comments

Nothing is more frustrating than watching all of the hard work you put into growing and nurturing your fruit or nut trees go to the birds! For years people have tried many  methods to try and deter birds and other garden moochers from eating their crops.  People have tried bird netting, sonic blasting, predator decoys… Click here to read more…

Add a Personal Touch to Your Landscape

Updated : June 17, 2024

2 Comments

Mike McGroarty began his career working in nurseries and starting his own landscaping business and has developed his own personal style of landscaping. You can hire a landscaper to design a beautiful yard for you but it doesn’t have to end there. You can add your own personal touch to your yard and even re-use… Click here to read more…

Growing Potatoes in Many Ways

Updated : June 17, 2024

6 Comments

Someone once told me about growing potatoes in used tires and I thought that sounded crazy! So I searched the internet and found out there are dozens of different ways people grow potatoes! Who knew? I decided to try it myself. Experiment 1. Potato Bags Pick the site: Plant potatoes when the danger of frost… Click here to read more…

Controlling Earwigs in Your Garden and Yard

Updated : June 17, 2024

3 Comments

Earwigs are unwelcome guests in most everyone’s garden or home. Earwigs can damage your plants, but they rarely bite people. These ¾” long, reddish brown insects look particularly formidable, with their rear pincers and quick movements. Their name comes from an old European superstition that these nocturnal insects will crawl into the ears, and then… Click here to read more…

Tips on Pruning Deciduous Plants

Updated : August 17, 2015

6 Comments

A deciduous plant is a plant that loses it’s leaves during the winter. The opposite of an evergreen. Today I have for you an article, some photos, and a video about pruning deciduous shrubs. Basically you are going to learn why it’s so important to prune on a regular basis, and exactly how much you… Click here to read more…

Why Some Summer Squash Doesn’t Mature

Updated : August 19, 2015

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It happens all too often. You’ll see big blossoms on your summer squash plants and tiny little squashes forming behind the blossoms. But after a few days the blossom dries up and the tiny squash shrivels and turns brown. Why does this happen? There are a number of reasons why this may be occurring in… Click here to read more…

My Nursery and Donkey Points

Updated : June 17, 2024

2 Comments

I’ve had some new business cards printed by Vista.com and I have to tell you that they make it very easy to design your own card. Plus they are reasonably priced and have quick service. I set my cards out on the table and people grab them up! My cards have a photo of Pam,… Click here to read more…

Attracting Beneficial Insects to Your Garden

Updated : August 19, 2015

1 Comment

Last week’s blog post was all about how beneficial insects can help you fight plant-eating insects in your garden. But if there aren’t any beneficial insects in your garden, they can’t come to your aid. This week you will learn how to attract beneficial insects to your garden. There are a variety of common plants… Click here to read more…

Lawn Watering Tips

Updated : June 17, 2024

2 Comments

It’s getting to be that time of the year when many of our lawns start to dry out and go dormant.  If you water your lawn, or have new grass seed that you are watering, here are a few tips to make sure you are helping your lawn and not doing it harm. When watering… Click here to read more…

Helpful Insects for Your Garden

Updated : June 17, 2024

1 Comment

Have you seen any baby ladybugs in your garden? They may be on your plants right now, quietly working away for you in a miniature drama as they rid your plants of aphids, spider mites and other small insects. Adult ladybugs also dine on insects, but it’s their young – the larvae – that are… Click here to read more…

Summer Pruning Tips

Updated : June 17, 2024

6 Comments

This is my strategy for pruning trees and shrubs around my house during the summer: If they look like they need pruning, then by all means prune them! Yeah, you might cut off a few flower buds if you prune at the wrong time, but it’s small price to pay to have nice looking plants… Click here to read more…

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Young trees planted in organized rows, sunny landscape.

15 Fast-Growing Trees to Transform Your Yard Quickly

Posted On March 23, 2025 By Duston

The Donkey Bucket Challenge (Watch Video)

Posted On December 6, 2024 By Duston

How to Make Money Growing and Selling Mums (Chrysanthemums)

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Hydrangea cuttings stuck close together.

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Mike’s Plant Farm Spring Ad

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Mike’s Big Perennial Bed by the Month.

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$180.00 per Square Foot? Is it really possible?

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Rooted cuttings of variegated weigela in bunches to harden off.

Over Wintering Rooted Cuttings.

Posted On January 8, 2023 By Mike

Mike's Big Perennial Bed.

Mike’s Big Perennial Garden

Posted On January 8, 2023 By Mike

A Profound Thank You from Mike.

Posted On September 1, 2022 By Mike

Recent Posts

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This upside down donkey is a hoot!

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You can see more of the donkeys here. And more silly donkey stuff here. Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond. Until then, by any and all means stay inspired! … Read Full Article

'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm.

‘Rockin Raspberry’ Bee Balm.

Wow! I planted four of these 'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm in the perennial garden at the nursery last summer and look at them now. They are in bloom right now, end of June here in northern, Ohio and every person that sees them asks about them. This beauty … Read Full Article

'Bubblegum Blast' Bee Balm.

‘Bubblegum Blast’ Bee Balm

This beautiful Bee Balm is part of the 'Sugar Buzz' series. I planted these in my perennial bed last summer and this year they are beautiful and blooming like crazy! They grow from 16" to 24" tall, are hardy from zone 4 through zone 8. They love full sun … Read Full Article

Blue Angel Hosta.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta.

'Blue Angel'hosta is by far one of my favorite blue hostas. A big hosta like this in a perennial bed covers a lot of area and that keeps a ton of weeds at bay! These giant heart shaped leaves are very slug resistant. We have this plant in full sun. With … Read Full Article

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