Hello, and thanks for joining us for Mid American gardener.

I'm your host Tinisha, Spain.

Today we're doing things just a little bit different.

You may remember as part of our 30th anniversary, we visited the second host of the show Diane Noland's House earlier this summer to talk to her about some of her memories of the show.

Well, today we're talking to the original host and creator, Jack Kelly, he is going to be on to share some of his memories about his time on the show, and also what he's been doing and what he's been up to since he left Illinois.

But first, we visited the CU plant people plant swath in Urbana earlier this fall.

And we met some folks there who were hoping to score their dream plant, take a look.

At always, it's really fun to be around all the CU plant people in real life.

You know, we always do a lot of swaps and trades in the group.

But it tends to be more sort of like porch pickup things.

And so when we come together in person, it's always just such great energy.

And people are just so excited to be here.

So for that reason, I always love a good plant swap.

Now I see that things seem to in my opinion, things are running a little bit smoother this year, we've got the one to one swap table kind of down to a science.

Is that your experience to things or people getting the hang of how to come to the swap?

I guess it's so yeah, I think so I think there were probably some people who were brand new to it who had never come before.

But typically, yeah, everybody seemed to know what they were doing.

I didn't have to make any big announcements this time.

Maybe I should have.

But it seemed like you're right.

It seemed like it went pretty smoothly.

Yeah.

Did you see anything at this swap?

That you haven't seen before?

As far as rare finds?

Did anybody come in with something where you were like, Ah, well, I'm trying to think there were some really big philodendrons like, Congo reds and things that were like these giant plants.

We haven't had too many of those in the past.

So that was fun.

I saw a pineapple plant with like, you know, little babies coming in the person who brought that one had just harvested an actual pineapple off of it.

So I knew that one, you know, had some good possibilities for making, making some fruit.

Um, and then someone brought some fake plants, which is a new one.

Interesting.

Yeah, interesting.

Now those who can't kill so, you know, they might be appealing to some people.

Turnout wise numbers, how does this one measure up against the other swaps?

You know, especially compared to this spring swap, which is in the same space?

It seems like it was a little lighter this time.

And I think it's easy to tell because you know, we're in the same space, you could could really feel the difference here.

I don't know if it's because it's the fall and people are kind of done with the plant season a little bit or if people are so much ready for that in the spring.

So it's it's that or maybe, you know, I feel like a lot of people go through a phase when they first get into plants, where they're like, I have to have everything.

And like maybe all of us in the group are like kind of past that phase.

And now we're like into sharing and not so much taking stuff home?

I don't know, I don't know.

Interesting.

We'll definitely still do it in the spring.

And maybe it'll bring out you know, a bigger group again, and we'll see.

Okay, anything coming up next for see you plant people, anything on this schedule or anything that you're anticipating.

I'm not that we're sponsoring in the group really.

But I mean, I know there's there's like plant sales and bulb sales going on in the community.

I'm going to be selling some plants myself at the delight flower farm bulb sale, which is on October 8.

So that but otherwise, it's it's just sort of smooth sailing through the winter until we get excited about spring planting and stuff again, and then we'll have another plants swap in the spring.

But I don't know when.

And did you have anything that you picked up today?

Are you taking anything home?

Well, my daughter came and she's 10.

And so she always she can't go home without plants.

She's kind of like her mom and that way.

I've learned to cut it down but she got a string of pearls and a spider plant which we have those things at home but she wanted her own because she wanted her.

Alright, anything else that you'd like to add about this swap?

Or about the group or anything else that we didn't I didn't touch on just if you're looking for us on Facebook or on CRC you plant people so just type that in answer the membership questions and you should be letter as the founding member of the group what's it like for you to have these meetings where it goes from, you know, virtual to to in real life in person.

What's it like for you to see this kind of the progression of the group?

I love it.

I just really do and I think everybody else gives me that sort of same vibe back like they a lot of people have said that it's sort of their favorite place to be on the internet or their favorite place to be on Facebook.

So it just I know people love it and everyone in it is really great.

You know, so it's just it's yeah, it's really nice.

It's really satisfying to see how much it's grown to.

I think we're almost at 5000 members.

So in a couple of years we've really caught on.

So it's really great.

Excellent.

Tell me what brings you out today?

Just to trade some seeds and looking for more seeds and giving a lot of my secrets Today I brought strawflower Hollyhock.

zone five orange tree seeds.

Some flowers and four o'clock.

Okay.

Do you like native pollinators?

What's your favorite type of flower?

annuals that flower a long time?

So that's usually not going to be native or or perennials.

You like that big vivid pop of color and something to look at it for a long time.

What about your garden this year?

What did you end up growing outside?

Well, in my raised bed, I had eggplants and tomatoes and tomatoes.

And I'm trying to start some Chinese windmill poems.

Hopefully getting those acclimated to zone five, which they won't until they're much older.

I'm not familiar with those.

We'll have to look at it.

Yeah, there.

They say zone six.

I've heard they planted a bunch of them in New York, but they're already very tall.

Well, stablished plants.

And so you got to get them there.

Gotcha.

Baby.

Maybe they'll survive.

Navy.

Is this your first time coming to the squash?

Yes.

Okay, so how did you hear about it?

How did you find out about it?

From you?

Definitely.

Bonus points.

Yes.

What are you hoping to find today?

You brought some seeds in but is there anything specific that you were hoping to take home?

No, just something that I can always plant and they don't have?

Our haven't tried.

I did try a lot of more flowers less this year than I've ever grown before.

Usually, it's that it was typical when I was younger.

I've been growing since I was six years old.

Really?

Same.

Same.

I've got you started.

Well, my parents had gardens and stuff.

And so my mom thought it was she she came up to why why is there beans in the house plants?

You know, I'm six years old?

Well, you know, I thought I was doing something really bad.

And she you know, she's like, you know, I went to the frigerator grab bean seeds and actually put them into pots.

And they have fertilized on they've gotten the beads out of them.

But that's how early I started.

I didn't even need purging from them.

I did on the whole Wow.

It's kind of become a lifestyle for you.

I've always Yeah, the only time I didn't have a garden was when I was in the Navy.

And then a couple of years after his injury.

So Okay, have you found anything so far that you're gonna take home?

Just a couple things.

Couple things.

She's in some bolts.

Okay, excellent.

All right, so you are manning the special trades table.

Tell us a little bit about that.

So the special trades table started because some people had items that they had more value or, and they wanted to either make sure that they were going to someone who knew how to care for it, they could at least give them some information about how to care for it.

Things that maybe aren't for a beginner, or things that they were interested in trading one for one, and if they couldn't trade one for one, taking it back home.

So we set up this table where people can bring those types of items and I take down their information and put a number on them.

And if somebody's interested in that plant, I yell for them and they come over to discuss with the potential Wow.

So this is for your more rare finds your be rare could be as high sentimental value to the owner.

itself defined special training Gotcha.

And that's why they call you the Enforcer.

Right?

Right.

I'm the Enforcer.

At the very first plant swap.

We didn't have anybody manning that table and things were just walking up and people needed somebody to come step in and so that to me, I intimidate people down to and how has that been so far?

Have you had a lot of folks come up and we have had quite a few people bring things that they want to be able to tell the person how to properly care for it like the Jasmine or these other, more special plants and then we had some others and those have found new homes already so go on really good.

Yeah.

Okay, anything else you want to add that I didn't ask the special traits table?

I don't think so.

Okay, it's a great place to look though and you know, you might take home something really great that somebody just wants to make sure you know how to take care of it.

Okay so how'd you hear about the swap?

So I remember I've seen you play on people.

I'm just a student at the University of Illinois I'm in my senior year and my roommates got me really into plants and like collecting plants and stuff and so I really this is my like, first ever swap and I was just, I'm like new to all this stuff.

And so I I don't have any plans necessarily, but I brought a lot of like, ceramic pots to chase exchange.

So this is your first time coming?

Yeah.

What do you think it's just so cool.

I was like worried it'd be very hectic but it's like super peaceful.

Like everyone's so nice.

All right, and tell us about some of the cool stuff you found today so I I've grabbed a couple cuttings so I have this like list of plants on my phone that I like trade and play I have a wish list Yeah, I wish list.

So this is a sad Porthos unrooted so it's like people like caught off like a stem of their plant.

And then grab wet paper towel to like encourage routing in a node.

So satin path is I just really like how the leafs look and like if under the right conditions I have like girl lights at home they like these small leaves can get like even the size of your hand and they get really soft and I like I really love that Now was this one on your list?

It is Sampo those I grabbed this philodendron Brazil it's routed I was very intrigued I have one of these but it's really small it has a bunch of leaves like this small and I've never seen a leaf this big so I was like hopefully like if I had a nice irrigation on the Brazil they like all look like this.

I love them.

This is the try to skin skin and duck Zebrina I think I have other kinds of Treta scans.

Yes but I really love how the pink comes through on top here like there's another try to sketch is a breed of dad that other table and has white on top of pink on the bottom.

But this one was pink all the way through and I was like this was sick.

Gotta have it.

Gotta have it.

And this one's muster out of stone I narrow and I've never seen this.

I haven't either.

I didn't know it came in narrow.

I have oh, it's hard rooted.

Yeah, yeah.

So you've got some work to do.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And this is partly philodendron, which is also a bit on my list.

The leaves are pretty small, but they're very cute.

It's healthy to.

Excellent.

I know.

Have you found everything that you want today?

Are you still looking?

Oh, I have the list is long.

It wasn't very long.

So I'm always looking.

But this is like a haul basically.

Excellent.

Okay.

Anything else?

You want to add that I didn't ask you about plans or the SWOT?

Are you going to?

Are you is this going to be part of your routine?

Are you going to die?

I hope so.

Um, so everyone's day or night everyone's the last one they have every month.

See you plant people the Facebook group has like this.

Like it's like a wish exchange and so like you put in the comments like what plant like you're wishing for.

And so if somebody has that plan can offer cutting, they like comment and everything.

And and at first I was really like insecure about it.

I was like, I'm new I can't really offer anything but like I really am like looking for like a post those.

And like tons of people reached out to me.

And I was able to like schedule with them.

And so like I got a bunch of posts, like grew throughout the summer.

Like they got so big and I'm like, Oh, this is so cool.

And like, like growing plants like at first it seems like really daunting and you're like I have to keep this thing alive.

But now it's like really rewarding and it's like I can see them grow really big.

And like even some do die but then I like learn from my mistakes and like oh, like I wasn't wondering enough.

Oh it was I didn't know I could get too much like but Excellent.

Okay that is it from the CU plant people plant swap here at common ground in Urbana.

Lots of folks came out today and fed their plants addiction.

I even got a few really great things.

In fact someone came up and gave me this so I'm really anxious to get this one home, get it routed and take care of it.

Make sure you check out so you wanted people on Facebook and of course you can find us at Mid American gardener.

As you know we're celebrating 100 years of wi ll and 30 years of men American gardener which is the longest running show on wi ll I might add and you probably remember we visited our previous host Diane Nolan this summer at her home.

Well today we are in Visiting the original host of the show, the creator of the show.

That's right, the one and only Jack Kelly is joining us right now via Skype from Virginia.

So first of all, Jack, big welcome to the show.

And I just personally would like to say thank you, because without your vision, I wouldn't be sitting here today.

So thank you and welcome.

Oh, thank you so much.

Appreciate that.

So let's say my vision belongs to Ellis Bromberg who used to be a the general or the station manager.

And I knew him or he was in Binghamton, New York, when I was doing a show there called Illinois gardener.

And when I came to wi ll, Ella said, Can you do the gardening show here?

And so that's how Illinois gardener got born.

So let's talk a little bit more about that.

How, what did it take what went into the planning and sort of getting this show off the ground?

What was that like?

Actually, it turned out to be a very easy thing to dues.

I had the, you know, sort of the formula worked out with New York lawn and garden.

That show aired on Saturdays at one o'clock.

So when Ella said, Do you want to do it?

I said, Yeah, but I don't want to do the weekend.

So can we do it on a Thursday night or something?

And he said, yes, they could fit into the schedule.

And then we built the the set that we had at that time, that kind of look like a greenhouse.

And the panelists all sat at a long table in this greenhouse.

And that's how it basically just started rolling, doing a live show on Thursday nights.

Now, tell me a little bit about the format that you put together, you brought together, you know, the host, and then the experts, what was the tell us a little bit about the thought process there?

Well, the thought process was I knew nothing about gardening.

So when I did the show, I always needed to have experts, and I wanted the master gardeners to be part of it.

And they were good.

And then we had people who were the commercial folks who did stuff.

And so it's basically three people plus me.

And Diane was one of the I think she might have been on the very first show, being part of Cooperative Extension and the Master Gardener.

And it just, it rolled very easily from there was a live show and strictly Colin.

And then as time went on, we played with the formula a little bit to add Rollins, and then feel based programs.

And so that pretty much is still the blueprint to this day, we've got the panelists that come on, and answer questions, we still take calls on occasion on the show.

So that blueprint that was put in place 30 years ago, is still largely what people tune in and see.

And we're still on Thursday night.

So some things have changed, some things have stayed the same.

What What memories do you have from your time as host?

I know, that's a big question.

But yes, and my age memories can fade.

But let me see one of the we used to do things to sort of just start off the show with some humor, before we got into taking calls because we needed to show maybe two, three minutes before the call started.

So we would do things like I remember one, where we had a phone call to the to the White House to talk to their their head gardener.

And we were talking about composting, what so you know, the composting at the White House.

And this was just another person who worked at the station pretending to be someone at the White House.

And that was a lot of fun.

And everything then, then the other thing that we started when we started trying to do roelens Was I really shot them in real time.

So in my mind is like, Okay, this is going to be a five minute segment.

And we would have someone from I remember a couple people that we had at the university, and they would do this or attempt to do a data dump.

And we'd be in like three minutes.

And they're only just warming up and be like No, no, no, can you let's do this again.

But you got to get it in.

You got five minutes.

You can't give me all that information.

I know you're a professor.

And that's what you'd kind of like to do.

But it seems like we only got five minutes.

So let's just jump to the chase here.

And so it took time teaching them how to do their their segments in real time.

But once it once they got the hang of it.

It really it just rolled because then it didn't require much editing in post to get the rolling, it's gone.

Another trend that you started that continues, you know, and it's hard to and I was laughing when you were talking because when you've got folks that are so passionate about their field, and they're truly scientists and asking them to boil down you know, a lectures worth of information to a two or three or four minute segment is really really hard.

So I got a kick out of that because I understand, you know, we want to get the information out, but they are just so full of knowledge that sometimes it's not always easy.

Nolan was great at doing that.

She understood that from like the get go, and could get right into that.

And it's okay.

Okay, fill the time we'll do it that way.

And she was great.

Actually, they all they all were, but it just took a while for some to get the hang of it.

Now, over the years that you were hosting the show, well, first, how many years did you host altogether?

I think it was about five years, maybe six years.

From when I when I got there, started the show until I left I left wi ll and went to a station in Nevada in Reno, Nevada.

So it was just during that period when I was at WL awesome.

And during that time, how did the calls start to change?

I know sometimes it's hard to get people to call in and ask questions.

Did it take a little training of the audience?

Or were they just on it immediately.

They were on it just like in New York, they were on it.

And but we just kept to Central Illinois, we weren't doing a distribution process.

In Rochester, when we did Illinois, or when we did New York lawn and garden, it started local.

And then after a year and a half, it is just exploded and they distributed it.

And they the downside was people who lived outside the Rochester area you were the last to get on.

Further away you were the more likely you would get on based on the phone system we had.

So when when we started here, it was I'd say right from the very first show, the phones rang right off the top.

And we didn't have to worry about I mean, I worried that what if no one calls in?

What are we gonna do?

Now on that same vein, did you did you know or think or believe that this would be a success in the heartland?

You know, and take off and gain momentum like it did in New York?

Was there ever a wonder about oh, I don't know if this market would be into something like this?

You know, I didn't I didn't think about that.

But when I after I left and you guys then it really exploded, I think and started the you became the mid Mid American gardener.

And I always thought I thought that's great.

I'm glad that we're able to get it outside just the Champaign Urbana with a central Illinois area.

So that that's, that's on you guys for being able to distribute it and grow and grow it.

Awesome.

And so speaking now, what are you up to now?

Are you still working in television?

Are you still gardening?

What are you up to?

My Garden days in Illinois.

It's funny, because in Illinois, who I did some documentaries, where in one we went to Italy and another we were down in Mexico.

And when I came back my gardens because when I was in Italy, we were gone for like almost a month.

And when I came home the garden was just disastrous.

And the next time when we went to Mexico, same thing came back.

So I said, Okay, gardening, this isn't going to work.

So I'm not going to worry about gardening.

But Diane did get me to become a master gardener, she sort of pushed me and pushed me and said, Okay, I'll go through the classes, and I'll become a master gardener.

And that lasted for as long as I was at WL ll but today I'm sort of semi retired, I'm not in broadcast anymore.

And but I still work.

I get hired to do projects for nonprofits and other organizations.

So that's what I that's what I'm doing now.

I'm working on a project right now that's got to get done by Wednesday.

So keeping busy keeping busy, definitely keep them busy.

Why do you think programs like Illinois gardener or Mid American gardener?

Why do you think they're so important to communities?

Well, the simple answer is they're great for information.

And people want to know how to how can they you know, they're having a problem in their gardens, and they don't know what to do.

And so this is an easy access.

Now, I guess when we first started in New York, and then as Illinois gardener, the internet wasn't what it was that it is today.

So you it was harder to get information.

So you had a TV show that got you instant information and solve your problem.

So that's I think that's one of the big successes.

Why people wanted to watch the show and why it became so popular.

So I would like to have if you wouldn't mind.

What are some words of encouragement for myself and just for the show in general for the next 30 years.

I When we touch base again, you know, what are some things you know, some well wishes or just words of wisdom that you've got for for Mid American gardener?

Well, I watched a couple of the episodes I watched like the one you did with Diane.

And it's enjoyable to watch.

That's the most important part in my mind.

It's got to be an enjoyable program to watch in order to maintain people's interest and get them to come back week after week.

So it's just trying to do being yourself and being inquisitive and trying to think about what's going to capture people your audience's attention this week.

And you mentioned the Diane segment, we talked about that a little bit.

We had so much fun out at her place.

Have you?

Um, I'm sure you've been there before?

Or perhaps but Well, yeah, that would have been, what, 25 years 25 years ago, so it's probably changed.

But I gotta tell you, she didn't look like she changed at all that looks like after 30 years in a sack.

Wow.

That's, that's Diane.

That's the Diane, I remember, gardening must keep you young, because she does a lot of it out there from vegetables to flowers.

I mean, her space is incredible, and probably was incredible.

25 years ago.

So thank you, folks, that's expensive.

It was really expensive.

She had a lot of she did.

She had a lot of everything everywhere.

So anything else that you'd like to add, that I didn't ask you or anything else about your years at wi ll that you'd like to share or touch on?

No, I think you've covered a lot of stuff there.

And it was it was been enjoyable talking with you.

And you know, and I and again, good luck.

And I hope the show continues on, you know, another 30 years, 10 years, 20 years, whatever it goes.

Because the and again, I don't know if you stream the show or you just do live broadcast.

But with the technology today, you can certainly make the show.

Have a larger audience and reach people more interactive, because that's the big thing is being interactive.

Absolutely.

And we get calls from the Dakotas, Wisconsin, so I think people are seeing it and some it's funny when they call in sometimes they'll they'll tell us what zone that they're in because our audience is growing.

So we're really proud about that.

We're on YouTube, we're on social.

So we're really trying to get the word out about Mid American gardeners.

So thank you so much for your work on the show.

Thank you for helping to get this show off the ground and creating a space for gardeners and non gardeners alike to hang out every Thursday night at seven o'clock.

So Jack, we really appreciate you.

And thank you for coming on and letting us interview today.

Well, thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

And good luck.

Thank you.

And that was a piece of our interview with former Mid American gardener host Jack Kelly.

If you'd like to see the whole thing, head to our YouTube page, and you can find it there.

Thanks so much for watching.

We'll see you next time.

Good night.