FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date 03/17/08

CONTACT:
Matt Derrick
(816) 942-8800, ext. 213
(913) 244-5775 mobile

TV Gardener James Shares the Worst to Create the Best

Like any gardener, Paul James admits there was a time he hated gardening. The dislike stemmed from digging Bermuda grass out of this father’s vegetable garden in the middle of August.

“I remember watching gardening shows when I was younger, and I was amazed at how everything was always picture perfect,” James said. “The soil was so soft and crumbly. The plants were pest disease free. And the hosts never broke a sweat! So when I got the chance to do my own show, I decided to make it as real as possible.”

James brings the practical answers he’s learned from facing the real-life challenges local gardeners also encounter to Greater Kansas City HOME SHOW and Flower, Lawn and Garden Show. The show runs March 27-30 at Bartle Hall with James make exclusive appearances on stage at the show Saturday and Sunday.

An Oklahoma native, James knows all about the extremes of living in the Midwest and addressing the real challenges back-yard gardeners face in getting the most from their trees, plants and flowers. His HGTV program Gardening by the Yard was shot almost entirely in his own back yard.

“If I’ve got a spot where the soil is awful, or a plant that’s been riddled by bugs or plagued by some sort of disease, I don't hide it. I feature it,” James said. “How else will people know how to deal with their own garden problems?”

James studied botany, plant physiology and plant pathology in college before obtaining his master gardener certification in 1983. But he confesses that most of what he knows about gardening came from “digging in the dirt, and making more than a few mistakes along the way.”

James will be appearing at the HOME SHOW and Flower, Lawn & Garden Show on the Outdoor Living Stage presented by Time Warner Cable. James will talk about his experiences while making Gardening by the Yard, take questions from the audience about tough garden dilemmas and sign autographs. Show times are 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.kchomeshow.com.

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