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August 11, 2008

Central Texas Gardener Celebrates 20 years of dishing dirt

Austin, TX -- This fall Central Texas Gardener will celebrate its 20th anniversary of showcasing exquisite gardens and teaching viewers how to have their own beautiful garden. The weekly KLRU-produced show airs in Austin and throughout the state and New Mexico.

Central Texas Gardener has changed the way people see their gardens. Green thumbs and novices alike tune in for design and plant ideas that reflect where they live, capture their imagination and attract beneficial wildlife.

Each episode includes a segment featuring a gardening specialist. These guests include growers, designers, nursery owners and authors. The program also takes visits to local gardens to share homegrown stories and philosophies. Location footage captures inspiring ideas created by weekend gardeners on a budget, as well as techniques suggested by professional designers and landscape architects.

Originally conceived as a monthly show in 1987, the show has been weekly since 1999. Producer Linda Lehmusvirta is a hands-on gardener who relies on experience, viewer interaction and local experts to design programs that address the concerns of both novice and veteran garden¬ers. In 2003, the Garden Writers Association of America awarded her Best Talent-Electronic Media for a segment on Hill Country Lavender.

Annually, KLRU produces 40 new episodes of Central Texas Gardener. The series is broadcast throughout Texas on PBS and in a few New Mexico locations. In Austin, Central Texas Gardener airs three times a week on KLRU’s broadcast channel and multiple times on cable. CTG can also be seen on Time Warner Cable’s Lone Star on Demand.

Web
The Central Texas Gardener Web site, klru.org/ctg, expands the reach and scope of the program and attracts visitors from around the world. The Web site is a valuable resource for plant, product and how-to information and features weekly gardening to do lists, an events calendar, and information on past and upcoming shows. Complementing the Web site is a blog. The CTG Web site received the Standard of Excellence Web Award in the Web Marketing Association’s 2005 Web Award Competition.

About KLRU

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, reflects, celebrates and inspires Central Texas through creative excellence,
community engagement and lifelong learning. Although primarily a television station providing locally produced and quality national programming, KLRU is also a non-profit organization helping to build a stronger community through educational workshops, community outreach projects and public events. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

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