The Victory Garden (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Victory Garden is an American public television program about gardening
and other outdoor activities, produced by station WGBH
in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed by PBS
. It is the oldest gardening television program in the United States, having first aired in April 1975.
It was conceived in response to the tough economy of the early 70’s and an increased interest in self-sufficiency after the Arab oil embargo
. The show’s creator, Russell Morash
(also the creator of This Old House
), thought that it was time that people got back to practicalities in their own backyards, and the title itself was chosen to harken back to the homespun victory garden
s of World War I
and World War II
. Accordingly, each of the early programs showed viewers how to get the most from their own plot of land, both in terms of floral beauty and vegetable
bounty. In the first seasons of the series, there was an annual contest where viewers sent in photos of their "Victory Gardens" (with the winner being chosen by the Morashes and the show hosts (Jim Crockett and later Bob Thomson). The grand prize was a feature segment about the winning garden, and other prizes included gardening equipment horticultural care products.
and the show was originally called Crockett's Victory Garden. Although Crockett had had no television experience, he was no stranger to the garden: a past director of the American Horticultural Society
, he had spent 34 years advising gardeners and commercial growers on vegetable and flower
gardening, and was the author of 15 books, including several of the early Victory Garden volumes. His friendly, down-to-earth, you-can-do-it style quickly made the show one of the most popular programs on public television, and made Jim Crockett an icon of American gardening.
During the 1979-80 gardening season Bob Thomson arrived on the scene, first as a short-term replacement for the ailing Crockett, and then as full-time host after Crockett’s death from cancer
. Thomson rose to the sad occasion and brought with him the same affable spirit that Victory Garden fans had come to expect from the show. Bob Thomson was not only a seasoned gardener with some 20 years of radio broadcasting experience, but he was also a professional nurseryman.
With Thomson at the helm, The Victory Garden began to broaden its scope. In addition to the regular demonstrations of planting, potting, pruning, and pest control, the series began to make room for more guests and travel features. These excursions led them to some far-flung botanical sites including the once-a-decade Floriade in Holland; Claude Monet
’s garden in Giverny
, France; and the gardens
of the Royal Horticultural Society
at Wisley
, England.
After Bob Thomson retired from the series, Roger Swain
took the role as host. Known as the “man in the red suspenders”, Roger had a remarkable ability for clear teaching and for providing inspiration to others. Roger also brought great insight to the series. He had a broad background as a biologist, gardener, and well-known author. When he wasn’t hosting The Victory Garden, writing or giving talks, Roger was busy tending his own farm garden and orchard in southern New Hampshire.
After Swain’s retirement
in 2002, Michael Weishan
became the host of The Victory Garden. At that time, he and executive producer
Laurie Donnelly decided to return the series to its roots, embracing some of the practical knowledge and projects so favored by Jim Crockett, as well as the tours and exotic gardens prominent in the later programs. A well known designer and garden writer before coming to The Victory Garden, Weishan quickly became known for avuncular practical advice combined with a trademark sense of humor. Weishan was joined by Paul Epsom as garden correspondent; gardener Kip Anderson (who had been tending Victory Garden locations for over 20 years before his first appearance during Weishan's tenure); and, during his last two seasons, Sissy Biggers as lifestyle reporter. After five seasons as host, Michael Weishan left the show to return to his design landscape practice.
The search for a new host led the producers to Jamie Durie
, Australian TV personality, designer, and somewhat notoriously, former member of the Australian version of the male stripper group, the Chippendales. Since joining the series as host in 2007, Durie has infused The Victory Garden segments with an international environmental influence and clean, modern design sensibility.
's Allston, Massachusetts, studios; the second at Lexington Gardens Nursery in Lexington, Massachusetts
; the third was at the home of producer Russell Morash
in Lexington, Massachusetts
. The fourth garden was also located west of Boston.
Callaway Gardens
near Pine Mountain, Georgia, was home to the Victory Garden South.
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
and other outdoor activities, produced by station WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed by PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. It is the oldest gardening television program in the United States, having first aired in April 1975.
It was conceived in response to the tough economy of the early 70’s and an increased interest in self-sufficiency after the Arab oil embargo
Oil embargo
Oil embargo may refer to:*The 1967 Oil Embargo*The 1973 oil crisis*The 1979 energy crisis*The oil embargo placed on Japan by China, the United States, Britain, and the Dutch during the Sino-Japanese War, preceding World War II...
. The show’s creator, Russell Morash
Russell Morash
Russell Morash is a television producer and director of many television programs produced through WGBH and airing on PBS.His shows include This Old House, The Victory Garden, and The New Yankee Workshop...
(also the creator of This Old House
This Old House
This Old House is an American home improvement magazine and television series aired on the American television station Public Broadcasting Service which follows remodeling projects of houses over a number of weeks.-Overview:...
), thought that it was time that people got back to practicalities in their own backyards, and the title itself was chosen to harken back to the homespun victory garden
Victory garden
Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply...
s of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Accordingly, each of the early programs showed viewers how to get the most from their own plot of land, both in terms of floral beauty and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
bounty. In the first seasons of the series, there was an annual contest where viewers sent in photos of their "Victory Gardens" (with the winner being chosen by the Morashes and the show hosts (Jim Crockett and later Bob Thomson). The grand prize was a feature segment about the winning garden, and other prizes included gardening equipment horticultural care products.
Hosts
The host of the first Victory Garden was James Underwood CrockettJames Underwood Crockett
James "Jim" Underwood Crockett was the original host of PBS's The Victory Garden, then called Crockett's Victory Garden. He had been chosen by producer Russell Morash because he had previously written several gardening books. The show debuted on April 16, 1975, and was focused on gardening at home...
and the show was originally called Crockett's Victory Garden. Although Crockett had had no television experience, he was no stranger to the garden: a past director of the American Horticultural Society
American Horticultural Society
The American Horticultural Society is a nonprofit, membership-based organization that promotes excellence in American horticulture. It is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia....
, he had spent 34 years advising gardeners and commercial growers on vegetable and flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
gardening, and was the author of 15 books, including several of the early Victory Garden volumes. His friendly, down-to-earth, you-can-do-it style quickly made the show one of the most popular programs on public television, and made Jim Crockett an icon of American gardening.
During the 1979-80 gardening season Bob Thomson arrived on the scene, first as a short-term replacement for the ailing Crockett, and then as full-time host after Crockett’s death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Thomson rose to the sad occasion and brought with him the same affable spirit that Victory Garden fans had come to expect from the show. Bob Thomson was not only a seasoned gardener with some 20 years of radio broadcasting experience, but he was also a professional nurseryman.
With Thomson at the helm, The Victory Garden began to broaden its scope. In addition to the regular demonstrations of planting, potting, pruning, and pest control, the series began to make room for more guests and travel features. These excursions led them to some far-flung botanical sites including the once-a-decade Floriade in Holland; Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
’s garden in Giverny
Giverny
Giverny is a commune in the Eure department in north-western France. It is best known as the location of Claude Monet's garden and home.-Location:Giverny sits on the "right bank" of the River Seine where the river Epte meets the Seine...
, France; and the gardens
RHS Garden, Wisley
The Royal Horticultural Society's garden at Wisley in the English county of Surrey south of London, is one four public gardens run by the Society, the others being Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall and Rosemoor...
of the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
at Wisley
Wisley
Wisley is a small village in Surrey, England. It lies between Cobham and Woking. It is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden. The River Wey runs through the village....
, England.
After Bob Thomson retired from the series, Roger Swain
Roger Swain
Roger Swain, known as "the man with the red suspenders" is most famous for hosting the television show, The Victory Garden on PBS. He was the host from the mid 1980s until 2001....
took the role as host. Known as the “man in the red suspenders”, Roger had a remarkable ability for clear teaching and for providing inspiration to others. Roger also brought great insight to the series. He had a broad background as a biologist, gardener, and well-known author. When he wasn’t hosting The Victory Garden, writing or giving talks, Roger was busy tending his own farm garden and orchard in southern New Hampshire.
After Swain’s retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
in 2002, Michael Weishan
Michael Weishan
Michael Weishan is perhaps most widely known as the host of the American public television series, The Victory Garden, a position he held from 2001 through 2007...
became the host of The Victory Garden. At that time, he and executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Laurie Donnelly decided to return the series to its roots, embracing some of the practical knowledge and projects so favored by Jim Crockett, as well as the tours and exotic gardens prominent in the later programs. A well known designer and garden writer before coming to The Victory Garden, Weishan quickly became known for avuncular practical advice combined with a trademark sense of humor. Weishan was joined by Paul Epsom as garden correspondent; gardener Kip Anderson (who had been tending Victory Garden locations for over 20 years before his first appearance during Weishan's tenure); and, during his last two seasons, Sissy Biggers as lifestyle reporter. After five seasons as host, Michael Weishan left the show to return to his design landscape practice.
The search for a new host led the producers to Jamie Durie
Jamie Durie
Jamie Durie is an Australian landscaper and television personality. Formerly a prominent personality for the Nine Network, Durie has hosted a variety of programs for them, mostly "lifestyle" shows, such as Backyard Blitz, Renovation Rescue and The Block.Jamie previously was the host of the Seven...
, Australian TV personality, designer, and somewhat notoriously, former member of the Australian version of the male stripper group, the Chippendales. Since joining the series as host in 2007, Durie has infused The Victory Garden segments with an international environmental influence and clean, modern design sensibility.
Locations
There have been four main Victory Gardens over the show's history; the first beside WGBHWGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
's Allston, Massachusetts, studios; the second at Lexington Gardens Nursery in Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
; the third was at the home of producer Russell Morash
Russell Morash
Russell Morash is a television producer and director of many television programs produced through WGBH and airing on PBS.His shows include This Old House, The Victory Garden, and The New Yankee Workshop...
in Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
. The fourth garden was also located west of Boston.
Callaway Gardens
Callaway Gardens
Callaway Gardens is a resort complex located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, just outside of Columbus, Georgia. The resort draws over 750,000 visitors annually....
near Pine Mountain, Georgia, was home to the Victory Garden South.
Major publications
- Weishan, Michael and Laurie Donnelly. (2006). The Victory Garden Companion. ISBN 0-06-059977-4
- Crockett, James Underwood. 23 April 1977. Crockett's Victory Garden. Little Brown and Company. Paperback. 326 pages. ISBN 0316161217 ISBN13: 9780316161213