Great Lakes Gardener
Premieres in May

Great Lakes Gardener, a new program geared to plant lovers from Minnesota to New York, will premiere Saturday, May 4, at 7 a.m. on Milwaukee Public Television (Channel 10). The weekly, half-hour program will explore timely topics relevant to gardeners in the Great Lakes region.

The gardening show, produced by Milwaukee Public Television, is being offered for air to Midwest public television stations. Topics will include water gardens, care of peonies, choosing proven garden plants, hosta gardens, daylilies, and a variety of other subjects.

Episodes will run into early October and resume the following May. Beginning May 17, each episode will premiere Friday at 6 p.m. on Channel 10 and repeat the next day at 7 a.m. It also will air at 5 p.m. Thursdays beginning May 16 on Channel 36.

Produced in high definition as well as standard broadcast format, the 24-part series showcases its horticultural content with clear, clean images and colorful, eye-catching graphics. The program spends all of its time on location, visiting homes and parks as well as such famous sites as the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Walker Art and Sculpture Gardens in Minneapolis.

Melinda K. Myers, an experienced television and radio personality, is host of Great Lakes Gardener. An instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College, Myers holds a master's degree in horticulture and has written three books about gardening and related topics. She has earned awards from the Garden Writers of America and other national organizations for her on-air work as a gardening expert.

The program will offer some special features such as "Melinda's Garden Glossary," short explanations of gardening basics with demonstrations of helpful techniques.

Information in the series will be appropriate for the growing season in the Great Lakes region, including parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York as well as Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Viewers throughout the Midwest and virtually the entire country also will be able to benefit from the content.

Major funding for Great Lakes Gardener is provided by Stein Garden and Gifts and additional funding comes from McAdams Graphics Inc. Transmission is funded by the International Society of Arboriculture.

The program is a production of Milwaukee Public Television. Kevin F. Pulz is the producer and director.

For more information, contact Kay Tierney, Publicist, MPTV (414) 297-7512.