Melinda Myers, host of Great Lakes Gardener


Tulip Garden

Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. MPTV-10 and MPTV-HD mid-May through mid-October.
Repeats Saturdays 7:30 a.m. on MPTV-10.

Growing geraniums into striking towers of colorful blooms and using gardening as therapy for rehab patients are among the topics GREAT LAKES GARDENER offers in its fifth season of gardening techniques for both experienced and novice plant lovers.

Produced by Milwaukee Public Television, the program focuses on the newest developments in gardening and landscaping techniques that produce the best results in the unpredictable climates surrounding the Great Lakes. The 22-part series airs into early October and resumes the following May.
Melinda K. Myers, an experienced television and radio personality, is host of GREAT LAKES GARDENER. This year she visits Michigan State University’s horiticultural facilities, the Japanese Garden at the University of Illinois, and other sites to interview the experts who keep them beautiful. Myers has written more than a dozen books about gardening and related topics, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening, which was released nationwide in 2006.

Produced in high definition, Great Lakes Gardener spends all of its time on location. The series visits such famous sites as the Sonnenberg mansion and gardens in New York and the River Gardens in Indianapolis as well as parks and homes.

GREAT LAKES GARDENER provides information that fits growing seasons 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. The program reached approximately 13 percent of the country’s public television viewers last year, including audiences in Oklahoma, West Virginia, and the Dakotas.

It currently is broadcast in high definition in San Diego, California; North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, and other areas.

Major funding for GREAT LAKES GARDENER is provided by Milorganite (www.milorganite.com) and Stein Garden and Gifts (www.steingardensandgifts.com). Additional funding comes from McAdams Graphics (www.mcadamsgraphics.com).

The program is a production of Milwaukee Public Television. Kevin F. Pulz is the producer and director. Additional information including zone maps and growing tips is available at www.mptv.org/great_lakes_gardener. Visit Melinda Myers’ comprehensive gardening site at melindamyers.com.