Flora’s Forum was created by Sandra Knauf, author and owner of Greenwoman Publishing. Her idea was to create a group blog that would celebrate the connection between gardening and art. It would be a place where talented artists, avid gardeners, green activists, and curious readers (often found all rolled up into one) could share, learn, laugh, inspire, and be inspired.
She will be joined by a talented group of regular contributors (see below) who will share their expertise and passion.
We welcome guest posts–if you have a story or a fun idea, write us!
We want it to be one BIG garden party.
Sandra Knauf
Before starting her own publishing company and publishing her YA novel, Sandra published a zine; like her magazine, it was also named Greenwoman. She’s written for various publications including The Denver Post, GreenPrints, MaryJanesFarm Magazine, and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles. Over the last five years she’s published six issues of Greenwoman, her novel, Zera and the Green Man; an anthology of garden erotica, Fifty Shades of Green; and, most recently, is working on a reissue of one of the most amazing biographies ever, Rackham Holt’s George Washington Carver: An American Biography. She’s accomplished most of this while working another job at home, rearing two brilliant daughters, raising chickens (before it became fashionable), and gardening, gardening, gardening.
Sandra’s e-mail address: maefayne at msn dot com.
Tricia Knoll
Tricia Knoll is a Portland, Oregon poet who has maintained gardens all her life, sowing the seeds of sanity. She grew up admiring her mother’s roses and vegetable garden. Her garden has platinum certification from the Portland Audubon Society, Columbia River Land Trust and Friends of Tryon Creek. She volunteers at Portland’s Washington Park Rose Test Garden.

Dan Murphy
Elisabeth Kinsey
Elisabeth writes the steamy-erudite-poetic Sex in the Garden column for Greenwoman Magazine. She lives in Denver, teaches writing online, and pines away for Half Moon Bay. She has published in The Denver Post, various journals, and has been a guest editor at She Writes. Her hands are imminently dirty. (She may or may not be related to the late Dr. Alfred Kinsey.)
Cheryl Conklin
Cheryl is a life long gardener and writer who managed to fold these passions into past careers in theatre, teaching and counseling. She owns the landscape business Green Way Gardening and shares her thoughts on her blog Gardenhood.
Virginia Gambardella
- Virginia with her grandchildren, Erica and Mikey.
Virginia lives in New York, only three miles from where she grew up. Her dad was a naval engineer and adventurer, and her mom, who sometimes called her “lamb’s lettuce” was a dressmaker for Bergdorf Goodman. Virginia has one son and three grandchildren and enjoys: people, holidays, antiques, nature, gardening, fishing, decorating, fashion, sharing knowledge, cooking and baking. She’s a cancer survivor, a pancreatitis survivor, a widow, and the re-inventor of her life, “as necessary.”
Hey Sandra, I just wanted to offer you kudos for your recent posts on GardenRant. I do gardening in part to get away from politics, which is what my job deals with. However, you just can’t escape reality entirely. I thought the first post in defense of the 1% had to be answered, but I kept mine to a minimum. I don’t want to instigate a political debate on GardenRant, but I’m very glad you responded so effectively. Now I’ll check out your blog!
Jason
Thanks, Jason, I appreciate the note and I agree–gardening should be a balm and an escape from all the troubles. But when you have a post glorifying the magnificent gardens of the 1%ers while many of the 99% struggle to just pay the water bill for their modest backyard paradises, well, I had to put in my two cents.
Hi
I have a question about your book I believe I should not post in public. Could you send me an email so I can ask away?
Thank you
Sure, Brenda! You can reach me at greenwomanmarket@gmail.com
It might be a few days before I can get back to you though as I am in the middle of a big project. Thank you for writing!
Interesting tthoughts