A New Gardening Show Is On The Horizon!

Hang on to your trowels everyone because a new gardening show is about to take America by storm!

For years we have been complaining about the lack of good gardening shows on television. Many garden bloggers joined in, especially after all the excellent posts over at GardenRant pointing out how most TV networks just don't get what we want.

A year ago, there was even a protest among some fellow garden bloggers to change the "G" to lower case in the  HgTV Network. Their point was that HGTV no longer focused on "gardening". Instead, the network featured primarily home improvement shows. The few "gardening" shows they did broadcast were either about landscaping or instant makeovers. (With the exception of A Gardener's Diary, with Erica Glasener. We all LOVED that one!)

To read some of those rants, go to GardenRant, Mr. McGregor's Daughter, Red Dirt Ramblings, May Dream Gardens

And THEN, Tina K organized a whole campaign to let networks know that gardeners are very upset about the current state of gardening shows on TV. There was a consensus among the bloggers that networks and producers did not "get" what we were craving.

Robin over at the Examiner summed it up best by saying she wanted:

"Beautiful shows about real gardens and real gardeners. I want to travel the country and peek into people's backyards. I want to meet the people who grow all those beautiful roses and find out how they got started. Who was their inspiration? How did they learn about gardening? Where do they look for plants and supplies? How did they figure out how to design their beautiful spaces?"

We all wondered if anyone was listening...

Well, one person IS listening and his name is Joe Lamp'l. (Also known as the Joe behind the Joe Gardener Company)

Being a nationally recognized garden show host and a gardener himself, Joe was feeling the same disappointment and frustration with today's programing. Both of his own television shows (Fresh from the Garden and GardenSMART) were no longer in production as networks were shifting focus (although episodes are still airing on some networks).

Joe decided to take matters into his own hands by producing a gardening show himself...

And now, his new show "Growing A Greener World" is starting production today in Philadelphia! Episodes will begin airing in the spring on PBS.

At the recent Garden Writer's Conference, I had a chance to chat with Joe about what makes his new show different.

According to Joe, Growing A Greener World will:

- feature the latest trends in eco-friendly living mixed with traditional gardening know-how.

- focus on telling a compelling story about the garden and the gardener (no instant make-overs folks!)

- include inspirational stories about how some people are making a difference through their gardening.

- offer tips, ideas and even recipes from the garden.

- explore the latest in eco-friendly gardening, water-wise landscapes and sustainability.

- And much more...

Joe's co-host on Growing A Greener World is Patti Moreno also known as "The Garden Girl". Patti is all about sustainable living and you can watch her numerous videos on her website GardenGirlTV. She also writes for several magazines including Fine Gardening and Organic Gardening, spreading the word about being sustainable in an urban setting. Together, they are touring the country filming interesting gardens and gardeners everywhere.

And guess what?

Now that the show is in production, I can tell people that I am going to be featured on one of the episodes.

Joe and his crew are coming to film my Urban Edible Homestead and now Charlotte (my Polish chicken) will get her big television debut. Charlotte is all ready primping for the occasion. But Joe did warn me that she will not have any "people" (or "peeps" as she likes to call them) because she is expected to do her own feathers and make-up. No divas in the garden on his productions!

No problem Joe, Charlotte will be ready for her close up. And all the gardeners out there are ready to see what you can put together for us.

All we can say is "Thank you" for taking this on.

Comments

[Daffodil Planter]

Yeah for Joe, you--and especially Charlotte! This vaults you into Chicken Lady Hall of Fame. Hope you and Charlotte will give autographs.

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Oh yeah, Charlotte is all about giving autographs. We just have to make sure the other chickens don't get jealous!

I seriously can't wait for the show though. It will be all about what I would like to see on TV.

[Seasonal Wisdom]

Theresa,

Congratulations to you, Joe and Patti. Can't wait to watch the program, especially the episode with you in it! All the best and can't wait to meet up with you again. Best - Teresa O'Connor

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Howdy Teresa w/o an "H"-

Thanks for stopping by. It will sure be nice to have a 'real' garden show with 'real' garden stories. Things are 'a changing in the garden TV world. Finally!

~Theresa

[Dee/reddirtramblings]

Oh, Theresa! That is so exciting. I know both Joe and Patti, and they will do an excellent job. I will work hard to get the show on Oklahoma's PBS station. I'll write about it on Examiner and the blog. Congratulations on getting on the show. Did I tell you I ordered chickens last week? I used to have them and want them again.

Thanks for the link love my dear.~~Dee

[Laura Livengood Schaub (InterLeafer)]

This is great news! As an HGTV alumni who wonders why 'Landscape Smart' airs on Sunday mornings, I welcome a breath of fresh air into Gardening TV! I hope the Joe and Patti will consider a trek to Northern California too!

[Robin Ripley]

Wow! Bunches of my favorite people all on one show. This is the best news I had all day. And a show like this couldn't happen for a nicer group of gardeners.

Good luck all!

Robin

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Thanks Dee-
I'm sure Joe will appreciate you going to bat for him to get the show on your PBS station. PBS is really trying to bring this kind of programing to us and I for one am excited that we are getting to see a show like this.

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Thanks Laura and Robin-

It will be fun to see where the show travels. I am sure Joe will keep us posted on his blog.

And Robin, when you say "Bunches of your favorite people", I am sure you are including Charlotte in that category. She loves you too.

~T

[Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening]

Will we be able to view episodes on the internet?

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

That is an excellent question Kathy! I will ask Joe's Production Company and get back to you on that.

[Bren/ BGgarden]

I love Joe's BLog and Can't wait to see him on T.v. Please keep us posted on when this will air.
Your friend in the BGgarden!
Bren

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Hi Bren,

Thanks for stopping by.

Joe told me that it will air in the spring of 2010. But I will give an update when I have a more solid date than that.

~Theresa

[Shirley Bovshow "EdenMaker"]

That's great news! I spoke to Joe recently and he broke the news on my "Garden World Report" online, garden TV talk show last week when we were at the Garden Writers Assoc. symposium.

I can't wait to see you on the screen Theresa, I know you will do an excellent job of sharing your gardening experience and chicken savvy!

I'm going to have you on my show soon so stay posted on "casting" notices on my Twitter @GardenWReport

You can watch my interview with both Joe and Patti on my "Garden World Report" playlist after tomorrow nights LIVE show!
The show will focus on "edible gardening" If you can't watch it live, it will be recorded and available "on demand."

If you are at home, check it out at 5PM PT, Sun, Oct. 4 on my website

www.EdenMakers.com

Live chat. Let me know what you want to see and WHO on GWReport.

Theresa do you have a YouTube?

Shirley Bovshow

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Hey Shirley-

Thanks for stopping by!

I, for one, can't wait to see where your new Garden World Report takes us. And after chatting with you at the GWA conference, I know you have some fun stuff lined up for us!

I have one YouTube video on Charlotte up now...with many more Urban Homesteading videos in the works. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, here is the link to see Charlotte.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcRpGIMKbA

We will be watching today!

~Theresa

[Teresa]

How very cool! I'll have to tell dh about this. I think he'll be excited. He reads a ton about gardening on his own, which is why I think he's not been as disappointed by the dearth of gardening shows on HGTV. But it is nice to have a really decent show for the rest of the world to see. :)

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Hi Teresa,
I think he will like this show. It will really focus on green issues as well as cool gardens. Right up his alley.
~Theresa (with an H)

[Joe Lamp'l]

Thanks Theresa for posting about this. Now that the cat is out of the bag, I'll add that we just returned last night from shooting the pilot in Philly. This was the first time Patti and I have worked together on camera so its a little scary to name someone as your co-host without knowing if the chemistry is there. But, I think it went very well. I can't wait to release a trailer video to tease the series. Right now, we're compiling all the video from the FIVE cameras we used to shoot this episode.

For now though, I am creating a fan page on FB where I can post pics and posts of the latest news. Later today I'll have that page up and populated with some pics of this weekend. I'm also going to put up a blog post by tonight with a lot more detail.

And yes, we'll have lots of video of the shows up once they are produced but not the actual episodes until after they have a chance to air on PBS first. Then we can post them for viewing on various sites.

Thanks everyone for all your great support, especially you Theresa!!!

[Susan Appleget Hurst]

WooHooo! Glad to hear about, Teresa. Can't wait to see your "Chicken Show"! I'll echo Dee's suggestion about working to get the the show on my local PBS affiliate.

[Holly Hirshberg]

This is so great! I can't wait to see Joe's Show!

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Thanks Joe for stopping by and giving us the update. We will all be checking out your facebook fan page for more information.

Obviously, there is a need for your programing and we are all too excited about what you are putting together. You have struck a cord in the gardening world and we can't wait.

Keep us posted!

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Thanks for stopping by Susan and Holly. I will be posting a part 2 update to this interview in a week or so. There was just too much information to include in this first post. Joe is really putting together something special.

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

This is good news! I've been longing for a new gardening show, that is, a show about gardening, not landscaping. I can't wait.
Thanks for the link love!

[Theresa Loe/LivingHomegrown]

Thanks for stopping by Mr. McGregor's Daughter. You can have some link love anytime...love your blog!

~Theresa

[Jill]

I am so glad that you did something about the lack of gardening shows on TV. I will be waiting and watching for the program. I can not wait. So geat news in the gardening world. Thanks.