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.
Observations on a real winter and watching it rain…
By Debra Knapke Everyone knows that old saw about the weather: wait ten minutes and it will change. As I sit here on Feb. 20 looking outside at snow, watching lightning and listening to thunder, I wonder… is this someone’s idea of a joke? The birds have been very...
Why do birds sing when they do?
By Michael Leach What could prompt a cardinal to sing on the recent near-zero mornings? Personally I find little to sing about these days, especially with frozen tonsils a distinct possibility when inhaling deeply. Certainly this early bird can’t expect to be the...
Catch Us If You Can
Happy Valentine's Day to our Heartland Gardening followers! Here's what our bloggers are up to in the next couple weeks: Debra Knapke: Debra will be speaking at the 35th Annual OEFFA (Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association) Conference in Granville on Sun., Feb....
Plants for Extremes
By Abby Fullen There’s no doubt this winter season has been a tough one, and just within the past couple of years we were thirsty for help to get through the drought. What’s a gardener to do with these almost...
Trendspotting: Importing Ideas
Where do you find gardening ideas? By Teresa Woodard In the quiet of winter, gardeners may take a physical break from backyard chores but still actively stretch their minds for new ideas. For me, I love pouring through...
Favorite Flora: Perennial Plant of 2014
Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ – Northwind switchgrass By Debra Knapke The new year is full of announcements of the various 2014 “picks”, likes and awards of plants, colors, animals and more. One announcement I eagerly await is the Perennial Plant of the Year, selected...
Trendspotting: Edibles in 2014
What are the trendy gardens growing in 2104? By Michael Leach Want to be part of the gardening in-crowd in 2014? Plant tomatoes, beans or some other edible. If this sounds familiar, it is. Vegetables are expected to...
Favorite Flora: Indoor Blooms
Cure winter blahs beautifully By Michael Leach The "Christmas" in my antique Christmas cactus is a misnomer. Some years, this living heirloom from my great-grandmother flowers by Dec. 25, in others Jan. 25. This year a few...
Favorite Flora: Candy Cane Verbena
By Teresa Woodard 2013 American Garden Award Winners As the year draws to a close, we wanted to share the three winners of the 2013 American Garden Awards presented by All-America Selections and the National Garden Bureau. This summer, the public was invited to vote...