Meet our two new Author who will be bringing you The Chocolate Lovers Garden
Sheri Ann Richerson has been growing Theobroma cacao, the tropical tree that gives us chocolate, in her Indiana home since 1999. A lifelong gardener, published author, and passionate homesteader, Sheri’s love for plants runs deep, but her connection to chocolate is especially personal. What began as an experiment to push the boundaries of what could grow in the Midwest has turned into a decades-long journey of cultivating cacao, making chocolate from scratch, and weaving it into every corner of her garden and her life.
Sheri is the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Year-Round Gardening and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Seed Saving and Starting, and she shares her love of plants through her websites ExoticGardening.com and ExperimentalHomesteader.com. Through workshops, writing, and speaking engagements, she teaches others how to embrace sustainability, creativity, and joy one chocolate-scented blossom at a time.
Thomas Leo Ogren is a pioneering horticulturist and allergy researcher whose work has transformed the way we think about plants and human health. With a Master of Science in Agriculture focused on plant flowering systems, Tom developed the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS™), the first and only numerical allergy rating system for plants. His groundbreaking system is now used by urban planners, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and public health organizations to create healthier, low-allergen landscapes.
Tom’s passion for allergy-free gardening began over 25 years ago, inspired by the struggles of his wife, mother, and sisters with asthma and hay fever. That personal motivation launched a career of deep scientific research and public education. His books, Allergy-Free Gardening and The Allergy-Fighting Garden, are widely respected as go-to resources for allergy-conscious landscaping and design.
In addition to his research and writing, Tom has taught landscape gardening, hosted the radio show “Tom Ogren’s Wild World of Plants,” and contributed to publications such as Garden Design, Organic Gardening, and Scientific American. His work on “botanical sexism”, the preference for planting male trees in urban areas, has raised important awareness about the unintended consequences of modern landscape practices.
Based in San Luis Obispo, California, Tom continues to consult, write, and speak on the vital connection between plants, the environment, and public health.
Midnight Publishing 