By Denise DePaolo
Photos by Dan Thorson
“I’ve lived other places and I just get tired of being in a city and I get tired of being in mountains. For some reason, I prefer life here. I prefer flat land. I prefer the big sky and I think I prefer the way people are. For me, there’s a connection to the land in South Dakota. There’s a connection to the people. It’s hard to describe, but it awakens something inside of me. And it brings me a lot of joy.” Ted Heeren, writer and producer of radio program Rock Garden Tour says he has a hard time articulating his feelings about his home state.
The show, which airs monthly on South Dakota Public Broadcasting is what Heeren calls a celebration of those feelings. With its tagline “Keep It Rural,” Rock Garden Tour is, at times, quirky, silly, and even a little messy, but always, always, it’s an exultation of all things South Dakota.
Heeren, who studied broadcast journalism and horticulture at SDSU, first used the program as a way to combine those interests, which to some may seem like strange bedfellows.
“I thought gardening was cool in the same way that being in a band or listening to rock & roll was cool,” said the Norway Center native. “I thought gardening and learning to grow your own food – there was something exciting about that. Now it’s a little more hip, but 14 or 15 years ago, it seemed like it was a hobby for people of a certain age. That never seemed quite right.”
Heeren, whom legions of loyal listeners know as “Flowerman” is joined on the show by sound engineer and sound effects coordinator Tom Hurlbert, who performs under the moniker “Oil Can.” Over the years, the show, which combines music, stories and interviews centering on single, South Dakota-centric themes, has been largely confined to the radio. Now, as South Dakota celebrates its 125th birthday, Rock Garden Tour will take to the airwaves, with SDPB TV special North Grown Hardy.
To read the full story pick up the November issue of 605 Magazine or click here.
