Gee Farms: Michigan’s Largest Retail Nursery
Established in 1849, Gee Farms is Michigan’s largest retail nursery under one roof, spanning a 40-acre plot of land. We are renowned for our vast selection of rare and unusual conifers, deciduous trees, and shrubs. While we specialize in these unique specimens, we also offer a wide range of common plants to suit every gardener’s needs. Our services cater to both the general public and the wholesale trade (with required documentation).
In addition to our extensive nursery offerings, Gee Farms provides landscape design, irrigation installation, and landscape installations. We offer a variety of landscape-related products, including garden tools, bagged soil and fertilizers, organic cow manure, plant containers, hoses, sprinklers, and other essential irrigation items. Our services also include tree delivery and planting, grass seeding, mulch delivery, and bulk supplies like mulch, topsoil, and compost to ensure your landscape is well cared for.
Our Roots
Gee Farms began as an apple orchard in the mid-1800s, later diversifying into raising Longhorn cattle and Shropshire sheep. In the early 20th century, Gary Gee’s father, Wendell, shifted the farm’s focus to dairy production. During his high school years, Gary, an active member of the FFA program, began cultivating pumpkins and various vegetables. After marrying his wife, Kaye, in the late 1960s, the couple started growing pickling cucumbers and peppers for commercial processing companies. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the Gees ventured into nursery stock, setting the foundation for what Gee Farms has blossomed into today.
A Growing Legacy
Today, Gee Farms has nearly 500 acres dedicated to trees and shrubs, with an additional 300 acres in agricultural farming. Gary Gee is a world-renowned grafter, producing almost 20,000 conifer and deciduous plants annually. His passion for conifers has led him to become deeply involved with the American Conifer Society and similar organizations worldwide. Gary’s search for unique tree mutations, known as “brooms” and “sports,” has become one of his favorite pastimes, fueling his lifelong dedication to the art of grafting.
A Family Tradition
Who says farmers need sons? Gary and Kaye Gee proudly raised four daughters, and three of them have returned to work full-time on the farm, proving that farming is just as much a woman’s world. The fourth daughter, while preparing for retirement, plans to spend her golden years working on the farm alongside her sisters. Starting in 2024, three of Gary and Kaye’s grandchildren have also joined the farm full-time. We are immensely proud to have the 5th, 6th, and 7th generations working side by side on our Sesquicentennial farm, while the 8th generation is being raised on the farm, ready to carry on the legacy.
A Year-Round Destination
Springtime at Gee Farms is always bustling, with 23 greenhouses bursting with color. We offer a variety of vegetable plants, bedding plants, and an extensive selection of nursery specimens. Our market is a gardener’s paradise, complete with a bakery that produces fresh bread and homemade doughnuts. We carry a wide range of fruits and vegetables from March through December, featuring our own homegrown produce when in season. We also flash-freeze our produce along with other Michigan-grown produce, making it available year-round. Additionally, we host events all season, including Fall Fest in September and Christmas on the Farm in November. And, of course, no visit is complete without one of our hand-dipped ice cream cones from our ice cream parlor.