Growing Beyond the Ordinary Since 1998
Grow Something Extraordinary.
From rare tropicals and unusual plants to vegetables, perennials, pollinator gardens and cacao, discover practical, experience-based guidance for growing a garden that's anything but ordinary.
Growing Chocolate in Indiana
I Grew a Cacao Tree in Indiana - And It Bloomed.
My fascination with Theobroma cacao began in the late 1990s, when I discovered I could grow the tree behind chocolate as a houseplant in Indiana. Over the years, I grew cacao from fresh seed, watched my own tree flower, searched out fresh cacao pods and learned firsthand what this remarkable tropical plant needs to thrive far outside its native climate.
Explore My Cacao Story
Live Presentation
Bring the Story of Chocolate to Your Next Event
I offer a live chocolate presentation that explores cacao from the plant itself through the fascinating story of how chocolate is grown and made.
With real-world growing experience, cacao plants, pods and educational materials, the presentation gives audiences a closer look at the tropical plant behind one of the world's most familiar foods.
Available for garden clubs, libraries, horticultural groups and special events.
Invite Sheri to Speak
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The Chocolate Lover's Garden!
"The Chocolate Lover's Garden, delivers decades of sweet-toothed imagination. It's a horticultural Hershey's kiss wrapped in research, passion, and dedication to creating a landscape that looks, smells, and tastes like chocolate." - Cavit Ireland, Washington Gardener Magazine
Find Your Next Growing Adventure
Explore Exotic Gardening
Whether you're fascinated by unusual plants, growing your own food, creating beautiful flower gardens or making your garden more welcoming to wildlife, there's always something new to grow and discover.
Rare & Tropical Plants
Discover unusual plants, tropical favorites, houseplants, orchids and ways to grow beyond the ordinary.
Explore Tropical Plants 02Flower Gardening
Grow a garden filled with annuals, perennials, bulbs and beautiful combinations that change with the seasons.
Explore Flower Gardening 03Grow Your Own Food
From vegetables and herbs to fruit, hydroponics and aquaponics, discover practical ways to grow more of what you eat.
Start Growing Food 04Trees, Shrubs & Roses
Add structure, flowers, fragrance and year-round interest with trees, shrubs, roses and other woody plants.
Explore Woody Plants 05Pollinator Gardening
Create a garden that supports butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other beneficial garden visitors.
Grow for Pollinators 06Tour My Gardens
Step inside the real gardens and growing spaces where ideas are tested, plants are collected and experiments happen.
Visit The GardensLATEST POSTS
Check out our latest gardening posts with fresh tips, new insights, and the latest plant care advice. These posts are packed with up-to-date information to help you grow a healthier, more productive garden. Stay informed and keep your green thumb thriving!
- How to Grow Teddy Bear Sunflowers: The Complete Guide to These Fluffy Golden Blooms
- How to Grow Rockin' Playin' the Blues® II Salvia: The Complete Guide to This Long-Blooming Pollinator Favorite
- How I Fixed a Loose Pea Gravel Garden Path Without Pouring Concrete
- Summer Bouquets: Simple, Fresh Arrangements Anyone Can Make (That Actually Last)
Don't Stop When Summer Ends
Grow in Every Season
Gardening doesn't have to end when frost arrives. Learn how to start earlier, harvest later, protect crops from temperature extremes and keep something growing throughout the year.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Year-Round Gardening
Take year-round gardening beyond a single season with practical guidance for extending the harvest, protecting plants and keeping your garden productive throughout more of the year.
View the Book
Quick Tips for Year-Round Gardening
Learn practical ways to garden outdoors year-round in a cold climate, protect crops through changing seasons and keep overwintered plants producing fresh food.
Explore the Mini CourseFrom the Garden
Put Year-Round Gardening Into Practice
Start with practical guides for extending the season, growing through winter and protecting crops when temperatures don't cooperate.
The Ultimate Guide to Unheated Greenhouse Growing
Learn how an unheated greenhouse can protect crops, nurture seedlings and help keep the garden productive for much more of the year.
Read the Guide Winter PlantingDirect Sow Carrot Seed on New Year's Day
January planting really is possible. See how carrots can be direct sown under protection at the very beginning of the gardening year.
See How I Do It Winter SowingJump Start the Spring Garden With Winter Sown Vegetables
Discover vegetables that can be winter sown and how protected growing spaces can give the spring garden an earlier start.
Explore Winter Sowing Season ExtensionOutsmart Frost in Spring Vegetable Gardens
Use cold frames, tunnel houses and row covers to protect crops from spring frost and help get the growing season underway sooner.
Outsmart the FrostGrow Beyond the Ordinary
Rare, Tropical & Unusual Plants
Explore tropical plants, unusual species, fascinating flowers and garden-worthy plants that go far beyond the ordinary. From plants grown indoors to unexpected treasures that thrive outdoors, there's always something extraordinary to discover.
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Rare & Unusual Plants
Arisaema Seed Germination: Faster Blooms From Seed Grown Plants
Read the Article: Arisaema Seed Germination: Faster Blooms From Seed Grown PlantsArisaema seed germination can feel like a bit of a waiting game, but trust me - it’s worth it. If you’ve ever fallen in…
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Rare & Unusual Plants
Best Advice On How To Grow and Harvest Organic Cotton At Home
Read the Article: Best Advice On How To Grow and Harvest Organic Cotton At HomeHave you ever thought about growing your own cotton - not just as a garden experiment, but as a sustainable, hands-on way to connect…
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Rare & Unusual Plants
Rare Plant Cultivation: Why Growing Endangered Plants Might Be the Key to Saving Them
Read the Article: Rare Plant Cultivation: Why Growing Endangered Plants Might Be the Key to Saving ThemRare plant cultivation isn’t just a hobby—it’s a responsibility, a question of ethics, and in many ways, a hopeful act of preservation. I’ve thought…
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Rare & Unusual Plants
Growing Aristolochia baetica from Seeds: A Detailed Guide for Success
Read the Article: Growing Aristolochia baetica from Seeds: A Detailed Guide for SuccessAristolochia baetica, also known as the Andalusian Dutchman’s Pipe, is a stunning perennial climbing plant native to the Mediterranean region. Renowned for its unique…
Instant Download!
Plan, Grow & Thrive with the Garden Planner Printable Bundle!
Take your organic gardening to the next level with this 16-page, full-color printable bundle - designed to help you grow smarter, not harder. Inside, you’ll find:
✨ Organic gardening tips for healthy, chemical-free growing
🐝 Pollinator-friendly planting guides to attract beneficial visitors
🌱 Companion planting charts for thriving plant pairings
🗓️ Monthly garden chore pages to keep you on track all year
🌼 Seedling & transplant trackers to monitor every stage of growth
📝 Journaling, notes & doodle pages to capture your garden’s story
Whether you’re starting your first raised bed or refining a thriving homestead garden, this planner helps you stay organized, inspired, and productive - season after season.
👉 Download your Garden Planner Printable Bundle today and start growing with confidence!
From Seed to Garden
Seed Saving & Starting
Learn how to start stronger plants, save seeds from your own garden, preserve favorite varieties and build a garden that becomes more self-sufficient with every growing season.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Seed Saving & Starting
Learn how to harvest and save seeds, improve germination, start healthier plants and keep favorite varieties growing from one season to the next.
View the Book
Seed Starting and Saving
Bring practical seed-saving and seed-starting instruction to your garden club, library or event. This presentation covers starting seeds indoors, seed-saving techniques, transplanting, hardening off and winter sowing.
Available for garden clubs, libraries, horticultural groups and educational events.
Invite Sheri to SpeakFrom the Garden
Latest Seed Saving & Starting Articles
Explore the newest practical guides on germination, seed starting, propagation, seed saving and growing plants from seed.
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Seed Saving & Starting
How to Grow Teddy Bear Sunflowers: The Complete Guide to These Fluffy Golden Blooms
Read the Article: How to Grow Teddy Bear Sunflowers: The Complete Guide to These Fluffy Golden BloomsLearning how to grow Teddy Bear sunflowers wasn't originally on my gardening bucket list, but after spending a season with these cheerful…
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Seed Saving & Starting
Indoor Seed Starting Setup (Indiana-Friendly System)
Read the Article: Indoor Seed Starting Setup (Indiana-Friendly System)An effective indoor seed starting setup is essential if you garden in Indiana. Our growing season is generous - but not long…
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Seed Saving & Starting
Growing Paeonia officinalis ‘Monte Baldo’ From Seed: A Journey of Patience and Reward
Read the Article: Growing Paeonia officinalis ‘Monte Baldo’ From Seed: A Journey of Patience and RewardThere’s something truly magical about growing Paeonia officinalis Monte Baldo from seed. Most gardeners are content to pick up a potted peony…
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Seed Saving & Starting
Tomato Seed Starting Tips for Beginner Gardeners
Read the Article: Tomato Seed Starting Tips for Beginner GardenersThese tomato seed starting tips can help take the guesswork out of starting tomatoes from seed, which is ideal if you’re new…
Behind Exotic Gardening
Welcome to Exotic Gardening!
I’m Sheri Ann Richerson, an author, gardener and speaker with decades of hands-on experience growing plants that don't always follow the rules.
My gardens have been a place to experiment, learn and push the boundaries of what can be grown - from rare and tropical plants and Theobroma cacao in Indiana to vegetables, flowers, pollinator gardens and food crops grown beyond the traditional gardening season.
I’m also the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Year-Round Gardening and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Seed Saving & Starting. Much of what I share here comes from actually doing the work: starting seeds, overwintering plants, extending the harvest, experimenting with unusual species and figuring out what works when gardening conditions are less than ideal.
Exotic Gardening is where I share those experiences so you can grow with more confidence, try something unexpected and create a garden that's uniquely yours.
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