Heartland Gardening bloggers
(left to right: Michael Leach, Debra Knapke and Teresa Woodard)
Michael Leach, Teresa Woodard, and I were in Indianapolis in 2011 attending a GWA – The Association of Garden Communicators – conference. After a garden writers workshop we went out to dinner. Not an easy thing to do in a city where three other conferences were also in session. Over the second bottle of wine, while waiting for our table, we decided to create a blog together. We not only launched the blog, Heartland Gardening, but developed deep friendships.
In June, 2021, Michael passed, Teresa became more involved with her writing – please look for her book American Roots and her next book, Garden to the Max which will be published in March 2025. And I became involved with projects that focus on care for the Earth and and all who live on it. Teresa and I felt that it was time to let our blog settle into an archive as a beautiful testament to three gardeners who shared their passion for plants, people, and collaboration.
Enjoy.
Why We Love Moss (I)
Low-Profile, High-Impact Moss Enlivens the Backyard in Winter By Michael Leach The other evergreens get all the attention. It’s not surprising. From spruces to firs to boxwood most evergreens are big, in-your-face plants....
Happy New Year and 2016 Favs
As we tip toe into a chilly 2017, we wish you a very happy new year and share our gratitude for your generous support in 2016. Just five years ago, our trio met at a garden writers' conference and decided to begin blogging about gardening in the Midwest. We've...
Garden Gratitude
By Teresa Woodard, Michael Leach and Debra Knapke Happy Thanksgiving to our wonderful Heartland Gardening friends! In honor of the holiday, we borrowed a few lines from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43. How do we thank thee? Let us count the ways . . ....
The Signs of Fall: early, late and unusual
By Debra Knapke On the morning of November 10th I woke up to the first frost in my garden caused by temperatures in the high 20s. The overnight temperatures dipped into the low 30s the week before, but because of microclimates caused by tree cover and topography, no...
Autumn Glory Comes in Many Small Ways
By Michael Leach Traffic-stopping maples and forests aflame in gold, red, yellow and maroon foliage grab most of the attention in autumn. They should. Yet nature also offers visual delight that must be carefully sought out when scanning the fall scene. The rewards of...
Garden Downsizing
How can I bid farewell to a jealous lover? By Michael Leach There was no plan to create a lovely but demanding mistress some 30 years ago. Back then, the goal was to grow a beautiful view framed by the sunporch windows, create a sense of privacy in the backyard and...
Garden Moment at ATL
Art brings garden feel to subway tunnel By Michael Leach I didn’t expect to have a garden moment in the subway of the Atlanta airport, but it happened. Shunning the train to get in some needed walking en route to my gate, I passed several pieces of sculpture by...
Ten Trends in Outdoor Furnishings
By Teresa Woodard Heartland Gardening headed to the International Gift and Home Furnishings Market at AmericasMart Atlanta to uncover trends in outdoor furnishings. Here are a few to inspire your outdoor spaces. 1) Upgraded Recycled Furniture – One furniture...
Plant Lust: Part 2
Professional Conferences and Trade Shows = More Plants, People and Gardens By Debra Knapke I have been attending the Annual Symposium of the Perennial Plant Association since 1992. This conference is held in...