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.
Favorite Flora: Hellebore
Hellebore, Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybrida) By Debra Knapke A bowl of hellebore flowers is a spring tradition in our home. Hellebore or Lenten rose isn’t really a rose, but it does bloom during and after Lent, and sometimes before. The nodding flowers are single,...
Guest blog: Jane Rogers on Bloodroot
By Jane Rogers Bloodroot is one of early spring’s most cherished wildflowers, in part because it's a sure signal spring has arrived. This dazzling white, daisy-like flower pops wide open when the sun comes out, while on cloudy days you'll notice the petals are...
Snapshots: April Foolery
On April Fool's Day, here's a little horticulture humor. Thanks to Meadow View Growers of New Carlisle, Ohio, for the laugh.
Garden Happenings: Art in Bloom
By Teresa Woodard Celebrate the artistry of flowers as three Midwestern art museums host “Art in Bloom” exhibitions, this spring. Top floral designers from each city will create stunning arrangements as they interpret select pieces in the museums’ collections. The...
Gardens to Drive: Tulip Displays
By Michael Leach Is a trip to the Netherlands for tulip time out of the question? Don't despair. Colorful vestiges of the Dutch tulip obsession are sprouting in several Midwest locations. Dutch immigrants left more lasting impressions than wooden shoe footprints in...
Good Eats: Roasted Collards and Carrots
Posted March 19: Here on the last day of winter, Teresa and Michael are delighting in their latest garden harvests. Teresa dug winter carrots that she sowed last fall, and Michael's been enjoying a covered row of collards through this mild winter. Now, they just...
Favorite Flora: Seeds Beautiful Seeds
By Debra Knapke Warning: This is not one plant, but a group of plants that grace the table and are grown by your own hand. Now is the time to order and set up a seed planting schedule for those favorite food plants of the summer: veggies! Seed catalogs are my favorite...
Snapshots: Carrots and Collards
Here on the last day of winter, Teresa and Michael are delighting in their latest garden harvests. Teresa dug winter carrots that she sowed last fall, and Michael's been enjoying a covered row of collards through this mild winter. Now, they just need Debra to create...
Garden Happenings: Spring Symposiums
By Teresa Woodard It’s time to feed your gardening mind, and there are plenty of upcoming opportunities to learn. Check out these public gardens’ spring symposiums for a preview of the season’s newest plants, vegetable gardening tips, design ideas and new strategies...