Michael Hannen

Michael Hannen’s Rare and Unusual Plants: for sale.

Michael runs and operates a small sustainable perennial nursery in the upper Monroe neighborhood. He grows and propagates over 800 rare and different perennial varieties for sun and shade, all different heights. He designs gardens all over upstate New York that begin blooming in March and end in November. He grows all of his plants in his .2acre backyard lot, in recycled reusable pots that satisfied garden customers have donated. He makes his own compost from his own garden debris, which he uses to grow all of his plants. Michael’s plants are not grown with any chemicals or fertilizers. The plants are not grown in a greenhouse or any other source requiring the use of electricity, and remain outside year round with no cover or protection. Allowing for his plants to be put in the ground now, because they have not been forced and are at their normal growing height.

Michael has defied the rules. If the tag says to plant in shade he experiments and plants it in sun, and vice versa. He has found that most plants varieties will grow well in either light condition. Sometimes they do not grow as high or bloom as well if planted in the wrong light. But rarely does he lose a plant to just the sun or the shade. He recommends trying a plant even it if has different light requirements. You will notice in his descriptions for light requirements that if your plant is supposed to grow in shade he puts shade first, and then sun. He has great success in growing his plants in the wrong light conditions. He feels the real problem is not the light conditions it is the soil. You should amend your soil with worm compost and any other nutrient-filled biodegradable compost before you plant your new purchase.