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Gardening by the Yard
Paul James Shows How to Tackle Tough Garden Dilemmas

Like any gardener, Paul James admits there was a time he hated gardening. The dislike stemmed from digging Bermuda grass out of this father’s vegetable garden in the middle of August.

“I remember watching gardening shows when I was younger, and I was amazed at how everything was always picture perfect,” James said. “The soil was so soft and crumbly. The plants were pest disease free. And the hosts never broke a sweat! So when I got the chance to do my own show, I decided to make it as real as possible.”

James will be helping to answer real-life challenges faced by local gardenres when he appears at the Greater Kanas City HOME SHOW and Flower, Lawn and Garden Show, which runs March 27-30 at Bartle Hall. James will make exlusive appearances on stage at the show Saturday and Sunday.

An Oklahoma native, James knows all about the extremes of living in the Midwest and addressing the real challenges back-yard gardeners face in getting the most from their trees, plants and flowers. His HGTV program Gardening by the Yard was shot almost entirely in his own back yard.

"If I've got a spot where the soil is awful, or a plant that's been riddled by bugs or plagued by some sort of disease, I don't hide it. I feature it," James said. "How else will people know how to deal with their own garden problems?"

James studied botany, plant physiology and plant pathology in college before obtaining his master gardener certification in 1983. But he confesses that most of what he knows about gardening came from "digging in the dirt, and making more than a few mistakes along the way."

James will be appearing at the HOME SHOW and Flower, Lawn & Garden Show on the Outdoor Living Stage presented by Time Warner Cable. Times for his question and answer sessions will be available closer to the show. Please check back later!