How HGTV Forgot About the Garden
If you’ve tuned into HGTV, then you’ve likely seen the same type of programming focusing on renovation, design, or real estate. But if you’ve wondered where the G in HGTV has gone, you’re not alone. The network stands for Home & Garden Television. However, as consumers have found a passion for home renovation, flipping, and design, the content has strayed away from the gardening shows of yore. But back in the day, HGTV had quite a bit of gardening shows. Many of which were the crown jewels of the network.
With shows like Gardening by the Yard and Curb Appeal being at the top of the pack, HGTV fans have been sharing this displeasure about the disappearing content that helped viewers in the garden department. There have certainly been the occasional new series that have attempted to gain momentum, but the longevity of the garden program on today’s HGTV seems to be a lost art. But why?
Gardening Was a Central Part of HGTV
In the early days of HGTV, viewers were inundated with wholesome garden programs. Perhaps the centerpiece of the G was Gardening by the Yard, hosted by Paul James. Filmed in James’ own Oklahoma backyard, he took viewers on an educational tour through gardening basics, ranging from composting and plant zones to vegetable gardens and organic planting. With a long run from 1996 to 2009, Paul James was the face of gardening on the network. It was a lighthearted program and allowed the chipper James to instruct in his colloquial way. While the show has seemed to fall by the wayside, if you search deep enough, there are still clips lurking around the HGTV website.
The next mammoth hit from the garden days of HGTV was Curb Appeal. While HGTV hasn’t wiped this show from our collective memory quite yet, it may be due to its demise having been much more recent. The half-hour series guided viewers through the optimal ways to enhance the monetary benefits of revitalizing the exterior of their home. Through painting the exterior, landscaping, and adding fencing, Curb Appeal was the ultimate before-and-after show. The HGTV classic attempted to reboot the series in 2021 with Curb Appeal Xtreme, hosted by John Gidding, Rachel Taylor, and Jamie Durie, but, as a shock to no one, it didn’t last. At least we have photos on the HGTV website to settle us.
Other beloved garden shows of yore included A Gardener’s Diary with Erica Glasener and A Gardener’s Journal with Kathy Renwald. Both shows just so happened to be hosted by vibrant white women with blonde hair and feature a similar title. But hey, it worked! Viewers tuned in! HGTV loves a trend. Needless to say, they were simply of a certain time. We’ve seemed to lose the history of some of those pioneering programs. What was the landing page for Calling All Gardeners leads to “Whoops! Page not found.”
In 2015, Kathy Renwald wrote in The Hamilton Spectator, where she revealed her theory of her show’s cancellation. She said, “Most gardening shows disappeared from TV in 2002. My two long-running programs on HGTV — Calling All Gardeners and Gardener’s Journal — were both canceled along with anything with a plant or a pot in it. ‘Reality TV is here and it’s here to stay,’ an HGTV executive told me. She was right. Information shows gave way to home renovation series built on drama, conflict, and competition.” Renwald’s reflection is right on the money. Just look at what HGTV produces today.
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Will Gardening Shows Ever Make a Comeback?
With many fans’ displeasure over the lack of gardening content, the pandemic proved the perfect time to attempt to revitalize the genre. With everyone stuck in their homes, why not call the matron of the home, Martha Stewart, to launch her own program? Filmed at her Bedford, New York home, Martha Stewart and her celebrity guests completed gardening projects as well as other tasks around the home. It was a form of solace, but only lasted a season on HGTV before it was repackaged and moved to Discovery+. The network even tried to tie in a gardening show as a spin-off to one of their hit shows, Good Bones. Hosted by Karen E. Laine, Good Bones: Better Yard was merely just a special that never took off.
If Martha Stewart couldn’t save gardening shows on HGTV, then who can? It all goes back to Kathy Renwald’s feelings on reality television. Because the genre has become one of the most watched genres on any network, how executives package their programming is crucial. If viewers want a competition, then HGTV will give Rock the Block a massive budget and star power. Viewers come in droves, which means advertisers will follow suit. So, why not a competition series about shrubbery? As it so happened, Discovery+ attempted one called Clipped with, you guessed it, Martha Stewart. Maybe if it wasn’t on a streaming service, it could have taken off, but alas, it did not.
At the end of the day, it’s not personal, it’s business. The network is thriving in its current format. Even if HGTV loyalists take to Reddit or share their thoughts on an Instagram post, it might not change anything. Perhaps a show or two may be attempted to help revive the garden content, but if the numbers are not there, it’s going to be more couple-led renovation shows. Calling all gardeners! It’s now up to you.
