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Home » Plant Care » Page 3

How to Grow Perennials from Seed.

Updated : March 10, 2023

33 Comments

Fiesta Time Hollyhock

Growing Perennials from Seed is Easy. Rule number one.  Only grow perennials that are hardy in your zone.  You can buy perennial seeds online, just make sure that you know what plant hardiness zone you are in and buy only seeds rated for your zone. Zone map for the United States: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ Zone map for… Click here to read more…

Gardening in January No Matter Where You Live!

Published : January 9, 2017

18 Comments

Mike and the members.

Single digits here in Ohio this week!  Brrrrrr. Both the plants and the Donkeys are Doing Fine.  The donkeys stay in their little shelter house during the day, it’s pretty open but it keeps the wind off of them.  Then at nighttime they check into Their Little Semi Underground Bedroom. The plants?  The plants are… Click here to read more…

Which Boxwood Makes a Nice Low Growing Hedge?

Published : January 1, 2017

17 Comments

Low growing boxwood used to make an entry way welcome sign.

To the best of my recollection, the Boxwood plants used to make this entry way sign at our local high school are Buxus ‘Wintergreen’ also known as Korean Boxwood.  ‘Wintergreen Boxwood is one of the best Boxwood’s to use as a low hedge like we did here to spell out the word Perry.  This planting… Click here to read more…

Free Pruning Shears, Free Memberships!

Updated : January 9, 2017
Free Pruning Shears!

We are having two Drawings. Details on how to enter the contest are at the bottom of the page. On January 3rd, 2017 we’ll draw two names for the pruning shears.  We are giving away two pair of these Corona Pruning Shears.  These are the exact shears that we use a Mike’s Plant Farm to… Click here to read more…

Rooting Cuttings in December and January.

Updated : December 4, 2020

63 Comments

Golden Curls Willow hardwood cuttings.

It’s really cold and snowy here in northern Ohio in December so that means no gardening right? Wrong!  Here’s at Mike’s Plant Farm we have been crazy busy making and sticking cuttings. Indoors right?  Nope!  Outside. The bed on left are cuttings Hardwood Cuttings that we’ve stuck between November 15th and December 10th. These are… Click here to read more…

The Wrap Around Potting System.

Published : November 9, 2016

8 Comments

The Wrap Around Potting System.

My life of potting benches truly has involved.  For years and years I used a “Legless Potting Bench” and I pretty much made that bench famous when I shared it online so many years ago.  That started with me resting one end of the bench on my potting soil pile and supporting the other end… Click here to read more…

Re-Landscaping Older Homes, Gardening for Extra Money.

Updated : October 29, 2016

4 Comments

This came up in A Discussion in Our Members Area and I thought I’d share it here because it’s valuable information. What most people don’t realize is that there are thousands of people that will happily pay you to do yard work for them.  Those customers come in all sizes and shapes and have different… Click here to read more…

Shindig 2016 at Mike’s Plant Farm in Perry, Ohio

Updated : October 10, 2016

11 Comments

Mike and Pam McGroarty with Duston McGroarty.

Every year, for many, many years now, we hold an annual event at our nursery here in Perry, Ohio for our Backyard Grower Members.  It’s a big deal for all of us because we spend all year communicating online, buying and selling plants to and from one another, helping each other growing problems, but seldom… Click here to read more…

This is Why I Do what I Do.

Updated : September 21, 2016

39 Comments

Dancing Queen Hosta

It was early Sunday morning, the third day of our fall plant sale and I was walking through the nursery.  It was a beautiful September morning, very quiet except for the birds chirping, even the Donkeys were Quiet, just watching me stroll through the nursery when suddenly it hit me;  What an amazing thing it… Click here to read more…

We are Giving Away Two Memberships to The Backyard Growers Business Center!

Updated : October 6, 2016
Backyard Growers Shindig 2016 at Mike's Plant Farm, Perry, Ohio

Each membership is a $610 value! Be sure to throw your name in the hat. Entering this contest is easy, simply post a comment below.  On October 5th, 2016 we will randomly pick two people from those that posted a comment and you will be given a permanent, membership free of charge. What is the… Click here to read more…

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$180.00 per Square Foot? Is it really possible?

Posted On March 28, 2023 By Mike

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

Finnegan keeping the sun off his head.

An Old Guy, Two Donkeys, a Puppy and a Hammock. What could possibly go wrong?

Posted On July 17, 2022 By Mike

This upside down donkey is a hoot!

An Upside Down Donkey and Cute Puppy.

Posted On July 14, 2022 By Mike

'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm.

‘Rockin Raspberry’ Bee Balm.

Posted On June 26, 2022 By Mike

'Bubblegum Blast' Bee Balm.

‘Bubblegum Blast’ Bee Balm

Posted On June 26, 2022 By Mike

Blue Angel Hosta.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta.

Posted On June 25, 2022 By Mike

Big Daddy Hosta.

‘Big Daddy’ Hosta

Posted On June 25, 2022 By Mike

Complete Guides

Growing, Rooting and Propagating Dappled Willow in Tree Form from Cuttings.

Growing Seeds, Winter Sowing, in Milk Jugs and Kitty Litter Jugs.

The Correct Way to Pot Rooted Cuttings, Nursery Stock Liners and other Plants.

Training Arborvitae and other Conical Evergreens to Grow with a Single Leader.

How to Propagate, Root Cuttings, of Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

Recent Posts

'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

Big Daddy Hosta.

‘Big Daddy’ Hosta

'Big Daddy' hosta is one of my favorite big hostas, mostly because it's big, it's blue and it has very interested leaves that are a bit dimpled. Big Daddy hosta gets about 24" tall and 36" wide. It's hardy in zones 3 through 9, the flowers are blends of … Read Full Article

'Humpback Whale' hosta.

‘Humpback Whale’ Hosta.

We sold out of 'Humpback Whale' hosta pretty early this year. Humpback Whale is pretty impressive hosta and this one really hasn't matured yet because they can get three feet high and 7 feet wide. I've also seen photos of them that show them to be a lot … Read Full Article

Ice Plant, delosperma

Ice Plant, delosperma

How pretty is that? And it's a ground hugging perennial that comes back year and year. These plants were new to our nursery last year so Pam and I planted three of them in our landscape at home. Not only did they do really well last year but they wintered … Read Full Article

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