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The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Bibs On!

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Home » Rural Living » Page 3

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…

Hardwood Cuttings, Winter of 2015/2016.

Updated : December 3, 2021

86 Comments

Rose of Sharon and Purple Sand Cherry Propagation.

Hardwood cuttings are cuttings that are done during the winter months when the wood that you use to make the cuttings is hard and not pliable.  See this for a Detailed Explanation of How to Do Hardwood Cuttings. Couple of days ago I was looking at this post about Proper Nursery Plant Tagging and on… Click here to read more…

It’s all about Arithmetic and Believing in You.

Published : May 27, 2016

16 Comments

A note to my backyard growers. Here’s something to think about. We are all here, in this group, growing plants, because about 20 years ago some blue collar knucklehead took a chance and bought a personal computer when almost nobody had one.  He didn’t know how to use a computer. Then the brazen jerk decided… Click here to read more…

Dwarf Alberta Spruce, growing them from cuttings and caring for them.

Updated : April 27, 2016

33 Comments

Dwarf Alberta Spruce

Dwarf Alberta Spruce is an awesome little evergreen that stays small and only grows a few inches per year.  Yes, they can get five or six feet tall, but it takes a long time and with one annual pruning you can keep them to the size you want. This is plant that I have been… Click here to read more…

Heeling in Japanese Maple Trees, Rooted Cuttings and other Plants.

Published : April 22, 2016

22 Comments

Rooted cuttings heeled in a bed of sand.

Heeling in?  What do you mean by that? I’m telling people that they can temporarily “heel in” plants until they are ready to deal with them and this often confuses people.  Why do I need to do that? There are a lot of reasons for heeling plants in, but the reason that we do it… Click here to read more…

April Gardening Ideas and Things to Do in the yard.

Published : April 10, 2016

67 Comments

April is a busy time of the year for gardeners. Lots and lots to do! Early spring is the ideal time to divide ornamental grasses just before, or just as they are starting to grow.  A few years ago I made a movie about that process, you can watch that here. Early spring is also… Click here to read more…

The $5.97 Plant Pricing Model.

Updated : April 8, 2016

18 Comments

Do not look at Pam's hair!

I’ve been at this plant selling thing a long time and if You’ve Read My Story You Know That. But I want people to know . . . When I started I was scared. How do you know you can sell what you grow?  That’s always the million dollar question.  The answer is simple.  If… Click here to read more…

Mike’s Miniature Donkeys Running for President

Updated : October 2, 2020

202 Comments

Finnegan McGroarty practicing his stump speech.

Mike’s Plant Farm 4850 North Ridge Road Perry, Ohio 44081 These two nut cases have been driving me crazy ever since they found out that this is a presidential election year.  They want to run for president!  Together.  On the equine ticket. At first I paid them no attention, then the other night I saw… Click here to read more…

Pulling Rooted Cuttings from the Sand Propagation Bed.

Published : March 24, 2016

56 Comments

Rooted cuttings, trimmed and bundled.

“Normal” rooted cutting harvesting. Normally you stick Softwood Cuttings in June and they are rooted in four to eight weeks.  If you remove them from the bed right away you can do so without doing any root damage, so it’s okay to remove them during the growing season.   You can simply dip your hand in… Click here to read more…

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Mike’s Big Perennial Bed by the Month.

Posted On April 27, 2023 By Mike

$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

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

'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

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

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