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.
Spring Countdown: 13 days
By Michael Leach Spring starts with an act of Congress. Daylight Savings Time revives winter weary gardeners with a bright hope more potent than any herbal tonic or miracle drug. With an extra hour of daylight at supper time, winter's mind game is up. Hope shines...
Spring Countdown: 14 days
By Debra Knapke This will be one of those “list” posts: books I have to read before the spring gardening season starts… There are more books to read than I have time: luscious slice of life stories, philosophical tomes, science-based books that increase my knowledge...
Spring Countdown: 15 days
By Debra Knapke I’m Late, I’m Late!! Like the White Rabbit in Alice of Wonderland, I’m running around trying to catch up – already. Usually, Tony and I have ordered and received our seeds by now. What happened to the...
Spring Countdown: 16 days
By Teresa Woodard Snow still remains in my backyard, but that doesn't keep pussy willow shrubs from bursting their trademark fuzzy catkins along leafless branches. While these willow shrubs are easily overlooked in the summer, they present an unmatched beauty in the...
Spring Countdown: 17 days
By Teresa Woodard Here's another wonderful early bloomer -- witch hazel (Hamamelis). I like to admire its diminutive blooms up close, so I clip branches to display indoors. With its fragrant and colorful blossoms (ranging from red to yellow), witch hazel is a...
Spring Countdown: 18 days
By Debra Knapke A dear friend invited us to see an inspiring exhibit at the Dayton Art Institute. The artistry of Isabella Kirkland beautifully displays the biodiversity of our world. She achingly shows us what we have lost and what we have threatened as...
Spring Countdown: 19 days
By Debra Knapke Peeking through this morning’s snow the diminutive snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is being true to its name. Last year, at this time my snowdrops had been in bloom for 5 weeks and the leaves were 6-8” tall. This year they first bloomed last week and the...
Spring Countdown: 20 Days
By Teresa WoodardMy teenage son Mark and I were thrilled to find these skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) peaking through the ice and snow at Prairie Oaks Metro Parks west of Columbus. It's a sure sign of spring when the purple-green spathes of these...
Heartland Snow Humor
By Teresa Woodard With more snow predicted for the Midwest this weekend, I couldn't help but smile as I passed this country church's witty sign. Yes, we've certainly had our record snow days this winter, but spring is still scheduled to arrive on Thursday, March 20...