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.
Podcast: Ready to Plant Peas?
Tune in for Debra's pea planting tips and recipes. https://anchor.fm/teresa40/episodes/Favorite-Edible-Peas-e1blk7
Bite-Size Veggies Pack Big Flavor
By Teresa Woodard Giant pumpkins, watermelons and tomatoes may win blue ribbons at the county fair, but some gardeners prize smaller, bite-sized veggies for their big flavor. They’re easy to grow in smaller gardens (even containers), ideal for snacking and may not...
The Many Faces of April
By Michael Leach When it comes to coping with a variety of weather, Midwesterners take second place to no one on the planet. Sometimes it seems we get almost everything in a few hours. Because April in my part...
April Foolery
Bird’s nest fern earned its common name for a reason. April Fools!
Heartland Gardening Book Release
We are excited to announce our upcoming book release, Heartland Gardening: Celebrating the Seasons. We'll launch the book on Sunday, March 18 at 2 p.m. at our talk at Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville, Ohio. Our new book celebrates gardening in the Midwest with a...
Inniswood Garden Talk
Join us on Sunday, March 18, 2 - 4 p.m. at Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville. We're delighted to share the stage in three talks on spring container gardening, what’s hot and not, and healthy gardening strategies. We will also be giving away a $125 gift card to...
March Madness
Early Spring Tasks By Debra Knapke Blustery winds, snow, wintercress setting bud, temperature changes that make you feel like you are on a rollercoaster … it’s March, and the time I look out into my garden and create a to-do list. I save the major clean-up of my...
Jewel Box Blooms
Teeny, tiny flowers are potent symbols By Michael Leach Small packages can contain fabulous wealth. Consider the simple cube. Hardly bigger than two plump thumbs, it opens to reveal a glittering diamond and emerald ring that sits like an imperial crown upon a velvet...
Holiday Greetings
Check out our latest podcast as Michael Leach shares "Real or Fake?," a humorous essay on the recurring Christmas tree debate.