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.
Good Eats: Rustic Blueberry Tart
By Debra Knapke We are into the luscious time of summer when the tomatoes are coming on, zucchini is bountiful, and local blueberries, blackberries and peaches are waiting to be picked or bought from nearby growers. All are tasty in their raw state, but the fruits...
Special Topic: Change Your (Plant) Partners
Swap Invasive Plant Pest for Well-Behaved Plant Pals By Debra Knapke Invasive species are a part of the fabric of the world. Well-mannered plants and animals in one country become thugs in another country or region for a variety of reasons. What follows is part of...
Trendspotting: Heathful Gardening
Can gardening save the nation? By Michael Leach Too busy to eat together as a family? Who isn't? President Barack Obama and his family. According to Sam Kass, assistant White House chef, the President eats dinner with his family each evening, unless he's out of the...
Snapshots: Tool organizer
Tool storage at the back door -- thanks to an upcycled pocket shoe organizer.
News: Native plant winning against foreign foe
By Michael Leach Without a bit of fanfare, at least one North American native plant is retaking ground covered by that odious invader -- garlic mustard. Clearweed, Pilea pumila, which grows throughout the eastern two-thirds of the U.S., has evolved resistance to...
Gardens to Drive For: Children’s Gardens
By Teresa WoodardOn a recent family getaway to Baltimore, Md., I was reminded of the appeal of public children's gardens for kids of all ages. Even our teens loved the willow tunnel at Pierce's Park near the city's inner harbor. Here's a list of favorite children's...
Tip: Avoid 5 landscape health hazards
By Michael Leach Want to visit the emergency room-- or worse? Tackle tree work. A recent Ohio State University Extension newsletter warned of the dangers amateurs face when cleaning up storm damage with a chainsaw. Curtis Young, lead editor of the weekly Buckeye Yard...
Snapshots: Blackberries
Wild blackberries, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways – by the handful, piled in a lattice-top pie, baked in a shiny-top cobbler, frozen for smoothies and cooked in a jam. How are you enjoying the season’s fruits?
Trendspotting: Edible Front Yards
By Teresa Woodard Turf wars are nothing new for Tamar Rudavsky and her husband, Richard Brody. For 25 years at their former Worthington home, these Boston transplants battled over grassy lawn space for their kids versus a lush vegetable garden. Rudavsky, a philosophy...