Dreams and Destinations

2012 Book Signings, Speaking Engagements & Other Appearances

sheriannricherson — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:31:51 +0000

Sheri Ann Richerson with a few of her many books.

It looks like it is going to be a busy year! I already have several book signings and speaking engagements scheduled. Be sure to check this post from time to time to see where you can find me at this year. I hope to see some of you there and please feel free to stop in and introduce yourself!

January Events

February Events

Thursday, February 23 – Tweetchat – The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Seed Saving & Starting – 12 Noon EST – http://tweetchat.com

March Events

Saturday, March 10 – Master Gardener Conference – Alexandra, Indiana

Saturday, March 24 – Countywide Garden Meeting – Anderson, Indiana

Saturday, March 31 – Master Gardener Conference – Marion, Indiana

April Events

Tuesday, April 3 – Putman County Master Gardener Meeting – Presentation “Year-Round Gardening”

May Events

Saturday, May 5 – Hoosier Homestead Gathering – Salamonie Reservoir

Sunday, May 6 – Hoosier Homestead Gathering – Salamonie Reservoir

June Events

Saturday, June 30 – Water Works – Marion, Indiana

July Events

August Events

September Events

October Events

Thursday, October 4 – Purdue Master Gardener State Conference – Noblesville, Indiana

Friday, October 5 – Purdue Master Gardener State Conference – Noblesville, Indiana

Saturday, October 6 – Purdue Master Gardener State Conference – Noblesville, Indiana

November Events

December Events

TweetChat Archive – The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Seed Saving & Starting

sheriannricherson — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:27:20 +0000

Pre-Order your copy now on Amazon.com – available in paperback and also for the Kindle.

@SheriARicherson: @IdiotsGuides – I am ready for my Live Chat Interview about Seed Saving & Starting #AskCIG #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 4:43 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Glad to see you’re ready, @SheriARicherson! We’ll get started in a few minutes. #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 4:48 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Great! I’m looking forward to today’s chat on seed saving & starting! Peeps – include #AskCIG to ask questions! #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 4:50 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Let’s get started, @SheriARicherson. Why would a gardener want to save seeds? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:00 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – To be self-sufficient. To grow a certain variety or hybridize seeds plus – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:00 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Seeds saved from your own garden are superior because the parent plants adapt to your local growing conditions – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:01 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: This may seem like a basic question, but what is a seed? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:03 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – thus producing seeds better able to cope with your local environmental weather conditions & pests. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:04 pm

@SheriARicherson: A seed is the ripened plant ovule which contains the embryo. A seed is the reproductive part of a plant. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:04 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: When did seed saving originate? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:06 pm

@SheriARicherson: Seed saving has been going on since the beginning of time. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:06 pm

@SheriARicherson: Man quickly figured out that saving seeds meant being able to grow preferred plants in open areas close to their living quarters. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:07 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Can you please explain the difference between botanical names and common names? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:08 pm

@SheriARicherson: The botanical name is the Latin name given to a plant. Gardeners should learn and use botanical or Latin names – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:08 pm

@SheriARicherson: instead of common names because this name does not change regardless of where someone lives. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:08 pm

@SheriARicherson: The common name of a plant changes according to the location one lives in. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:09 pm

@SheriARicherson: Using common names makes it difficult for people in two different locations to be sure they are talking about the same plant. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:09 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: How can I create a pollinator-friendly landscape? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:12 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Plant native plants. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:13 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – While it is true that hybrized natives such as Echinacea are still natives – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:13 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – old-fashion heirloom varieties are best because they contain more nectar – often times more pollen. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:14 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Be sure to provide a source of clean, shallow water as well as a place for insects to hide #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:14 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – They will use these hiding areas as nests and places where they lay their eggs. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:14 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Do not be too quick to clean-up the yard in the fall. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:15 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Allow the dead plant material to remain intact over winter and also allow one area of your yard to go wild. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:15 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Doesn’t that create a bit of a mess? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:17 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – In addition to planting nectar sources feel free to provide supplimental insect nectar – you buy it #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:17 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Not if it is done right. Organic gardens are full of good insects that keep bad insects in check. Nature knows best #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:18 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Wildflowers are an ideal way to create a wild area in a city yard without it looking messy or unkempt. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:19 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – think of the winter interest dead plant material creates in the garden – places for birds to sit, snow to fall on #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:19 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Okay, thanks for the tip. What is the easiest way to collect seeds? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:20 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Allow the seed head to dry on the plant, then cut it off once it is completely brown but before it splits open. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:21 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Use pantyhose to cover the seed head if you are unsure of when the seed head will split open. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:21 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Sounds easy enough. How do I gather seeds by dry collecting? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:22 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Simply allow the seed head to turn completely brown on the plant, then cut if off before it splits open. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:24 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Remember you can cover the seed head with pantyhose if you prefer. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:24 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Be sure to secure the pantyhose at the bottom around the stem – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:24 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – so if the seed heads splits open the seeds do not fall onto the ground below. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:24 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Collect seed after a three or four day dry spell so the seeds and the seed pod are dry. Wet seeds spell trouble. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:25 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Why are wet seeds trouble? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:27 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – wet seeds mold. They can also begin to germinate inside the seed pod or even after you remove them from the pod. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:28 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – That is not to say that you cannot salvage wet seeds but it is best – especially for a beginner – to avoid this! #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:29 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: We’ll steer clear of wet seeds for now. Is there a best time to harvest seeds? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:30 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Most people harvest seeds in the fall – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:31 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – but it really depends on the type of plant you are growing and when their life cycle is up. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:31 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – If you allow plants – such as annuals – to set seed too soon in the season #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:32 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – there is a good chance they will die and you will not get the maximum bloom time out of them. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:33 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – A good rule of thumb is to let annuals and long blooming perennials begin to set seed in August – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:33 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – so the seed has plenty of time to mature before the first fall frost. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:33 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – collect seed from winter blooming plants – hellebore, winter aconite & witch hazel in late spring or early summer. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:34 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: After harvesting the seeds, what are the steps that need to be taken in order to save them? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:35 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – the key to seed collecting is knowing the plant and knowing when the seeds are ripe and ready to harvest. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:35 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Remove the seeds from the seed head. Spread them out on a Styrofoam plate or seed saving screen to dry. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:36 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – This may take 7 to 10 days or longer for the seeds to dry. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:36 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Make sure they have plenty of air circulation and are in a cool, dark, dry place. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:37 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Once the seeds are dry, bag them. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:37 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Be sure to label when you harvest them, during the drying process & once they are in the containers to save. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:38 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: For our last question @SheriARicherson, what is the importance of labeling seeds? #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:39 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – It is important to label seeds so you do not forget what you have saved. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:40 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Be sure to put the date of collection on the label and any cross-pollination information – #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:41 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – that is relevant to the particular seeds you are saving. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:41 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – It is a good idea to prepare this label when you harvest the seeds. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:41 pm

@fehlgeburten: RT @SheriARicherson : A seed is the ripened plant ovule which contains the embryo. A seed is the reproductive part of a plant. #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:42 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Thank you for joining us today, @SheriARicherson. We appreciate your seed-saving advice! #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:43 pm

@SheriARicherson: @MumblingMantis – Ah – it is a good thing I am not an aphid then! #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:43 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Thanks for the RT @fehlgeburten. Our TweetChat just ended, but if you have any ?s for @SheriARicherson please DM her. #AskCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:44 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – Thank you for having me on TweetChat today! I have enjoyed it. I welcome additional questions as they arise! #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:45 pm

@SheriARicherson: @CIG_Lifestyle – I hope everyone there has a great day as well as all the peeps out there in Twitter land! #ASKCIG

February 23, 2012, 5:46 pm

@CIG_Lifestyle: Miss our CIG to Seed Saving & Starting TweetChat? Read a summary on our blog: http://t.co/OL20fy3Z #AskCIG

TweetChat – Seed Saving & Starting – February 23, 2012

sheriannricherson — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:20:42 +0000

Pre-Order your copy now on Amazon.com - available in paperback and also for the Kindle.

Good morning peeps! Things have been a little bit quite around here for a couple months due to some unexpected life changes – but all that is about to change because my new book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Seed Saving & Starting” is going to be released to the public on March 6, 2012!

The good folks at Wilks Communications have invited me to be their guest on today’s TweetChat. The time is 12PM EST. I know some of you that are working are taking your lunch hour during that time, but I sure hope you can tune in – possibly on your mobile device. If not, don’t worry, the chat will be archived later today.

As always, questions are welcome – and if you miss the chat, feel free to email them to me or post them below in the comment section. Here in Indiana, we are officially 12 weeks away from the last spring frost, so seed sowing time is certainly upon us!

Homestead Goals For 2012 Tweet Chat – #homesteadchat

sheriannricherson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:47:04 +0000

Join #homesteadchat every Thursday night on Twitter at 7pm Eastern.

Every Thursday evening at 7pm EST, I will be hosting a #homesteadchat on Twitter. You can use any tweet chat program including tweet chat at http://tweetchat.com

Be sure to include the hashtag #homesteadchat.

Tonight’s topic is on color in the winter garden.

Have a question you would like to see answered tonight, but can’t make the chat? Leave it in the comment box below this post. Questions that are not answered tonight will be addressed either through a post or You Tube video.

I hope to see you there.

Homemade Christmas Gifts Tweet Chat = #homesteadchat

sheriannricherson — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:45:45 +0000

Join #homesteadchat every Thursday night on Twitter at 7pm Eastern.

Every Thursday evening at 7pm EST, I will be hosting a #homesteadchat on Twitter. You can use any tweet chat program including tweet chat at http://tweetchat.com

Be sure to include the hashtag #homesteadchat.

Tonight’s topic is on color in the homemade Christmas gifts.

I hope to see you there.

Best Selling Author – Over 6,000 Books In One Month! What On Earth?

sheriannricherson — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:05:58 +0000

A screen shot of my US Sales on December 17, 2011.

December started out the way most months have since I first self-published on Amazon in January 2011. Sure, a few books sold, but nothing worth getting excited about – then it happened. Out of the blue. The miracle I had been praying for and anticipating. Books started selling – not one or two – but literally thousands! In fact, the current sales figures for December show that 6,058 books sold – most of them since that fateful day – December 9, 2011.

Now you may be wondering what changed – especially since I had barely sold over 200 books prior to this. Honestly, I don’t know. I enrolled my books in the Amazon Prime program the day before. I decided that allowing my books to be “on loan” was not a bad thing since I would still get paid – and hoped it would lead to more sales. Ironically very few books have been borrowed – instead they have sold.

My price point is 99 cents – in part because I know the economy is bad and I want people to read what I write and be able to apply that to their life. Most of my books are on gardening or self-sufficiency so I see this as my way of giving back and helping others on their path at a price almost everyone can afford. Granted I only get 35 cents per book – but it all adds up.

To say I am still in shock is an understatement. I look at my author account on Amazon. I print the screen just so I can look at it again and again. I add the sales up several times a day just to watch the numbers go up and up and up. I even post on Facebook to let my peeps know how blessed I feel to have these kinds of numbers.

So – what lies in the future? More book sales, of course. My goal is to make it into the elusive Kindle Million Seller Author Club. I want to see my name in print beside all the great authors. I want to know my books have made it into the hands of those who cherish them and hopefully pass them on to younger generations. I have a ways to go, but I am going to make it. I am finally a successful – and may I say well-known, author who has been published traditionally and chose to self-publish “just because it felt right.”

Winter Seed Sowing Tweet Chat – #homesteadchat

sheriannricherson — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:44:41 +0000

Join #homesteadchat every Thursday night on Twitter at 7pm Eastern.

Every Thursday evening at 7pm EST, I will be hosting a #homesteadchat on Twitter. You can use any tweet chat program including tweet chat at http://tweetchat.com

Be sure to include the hashtag #homesteadchat.

Tonight’s topic is on color in the winter seed sowing.

I hope to see you there.

Winter Care Of Livestock Tweet Chat – #homesteadchat

sheriannricherson — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:15:10 +0000

Join #homesteadchat every Thursday night on Twitter at 7pm Eastern.

Every Thursday evening at 7pm EST, I will be hosting a #homesteadchat on Twitter. You can use any tweet chat program including tweet chat at http://tweetchat.com

Be sure to include the hashtag #homesteadchat.

Tonight’s topic is on color in the winter care of livestock.

I hope to see you there.

Color In The Winter Garden Tweet Chat – #homesteadchat

sheriannricherson — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:37:37 +0000

Join #homesteadchat every Thursday night on Twitter at 7pm Eastern.

Every Thursday evening at 7pm EST, I will be hosting a #homesteadchat on Twitter. You can use any tweet chat program including tweet chat at http://tweetchat.com

Be sure to include the hashtag #homesteadchat.

Tonight’s topic is on color in the winter garden.

I hope to see you there.

Working In The Winter Garden On Blog Talk Radio With Your Host Sheri Ann Richerson

sheriannricherson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:34:42 +0000

Jerry securing row cover over the top of some winter vegetables.

Greenhouses and cold frames make working in the winter garden easy, but did you know, there are things you can plant and grow even if you don’t have either one of these items? Learn all about what you can do in the winter garden on this episode.

Listen to internet radio with Sheri Ann Richerson on Blog Talk Radio