P. Allen Smith's Biography

P. Allen Smith is an award-winning garden designer and host of the public television program, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home and the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens. He has emerged as America's most recognized and respected garden design expert, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues.

As a fourth generation nurseryman who owned and operated his own garden center, Smith gained years of practical experience guiding the gardening public before he launched a career in television. After studying garden history and design at the University of Manchester in England through an International Rotary Scholarship and becoming a Certified Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society, he returned to this country with the mission of inspiring Americans to embrace the joy of creating beautiful gardens.

Career Highlights

• Host of Public Television Series, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, reaching 75% of US television homes
• Host of P. Allen Smith Gardens, a 30 minute nationally syndicated program broadcasting to 83% of U.S. households (8 seasons)
• Regular guest contributor on NBC's Today Show
• Author of the best selling Garden Home series of books published by Clarkson Potter/Random House:
  • P. Allen Smith's Garden Home: Creating a Garden for Everyday Living (February 2003)
  • P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home Journal (Spring 2004)
  • P. Allen Smith’s Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden (March 2005)
  • P. Allen Smith's Colors for the Garden: Creating Compelling Color Themes (Feb. 2006)
  • P. Allen Smith's Living in the Garden Home: Connecting the Seasons with Containers, Crafts, and Celebrations (Nov. 2007)
• The Weather Channel's exclusive gardener, hosting reports broadcasting to over 76 million homes
• Host of 90-second nationally syndicated gardening reports on commercial television news programs
• Author of PAllenSmith.com website featuring home and garden information and recipes
• Featured in national publications including Cottage Living, Southern Accents, Gardening Deck and Design, Fine Gardening, Garden Gate, Hobby Farm Home, Sustainable Home, and Gardening How-To, Woman’s Day, All You, Home

Awards and Recognitions

• Medal of Honor and Honorary Member of the Garden Club of America
• Garden Communicator Award from the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA)
• Horticultural Communicator Award from the American Horticultural Society (AHS)
• Featured author at National Book Festival on the National Mall, Washington, DC
• Projects Odyssey Award presented by the Hendrix College Board of Trustees to honor achievements by alumni of Hendrix College
• Rotary International Scholarship to study garden design and history at the University of Manchester in England

Experience and Education

• Professional garden designer for 25 years
• Garden center owner and operator for 10 years
• Certified Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Board member of the Royal Oak Foundation, the United States affiliate of the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland

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Showing comments 1 to 10 of 33 | Next | Last

The garden home

Jean Mushtaq

Reply #33 on : Mon December 28, 2009, 03:51:53

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First I just started to watch you and I think you are great. What I would like to know is the garden home a place where you are living ?or do people come there to learn about gardening?

Moving to Arkansas

PAllen

Reply #32 on : Fri December 25, 2009, 12:40:22

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N.A. Dotson - the best thing to do would be to contact the University of Arkansas cooperative extension service. They have an extensive website with just the information you are looking for. This is probably the best thing for anyone to do when moving between states or different climates. The Universities are wonderful sources of information pertinent to local climates. Regards, P. Allen Smith

Moving from one state to another

N.A. Dotson

Reply #31 on : Wed December 23, 2009, 14:24:21

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We will be moving to Ark. from Calif. in just over a year. We have several plants that are in pots, but I am not certain where to look for help on which will accept the climate in Ark. and which won't. We have palms, various ferns, cylomen, lillies, and many others. Is there a book that would help m out with this dilema? Any help is appreciated, but if I have to leave some behind, I will leave them in the very capable hands of my dad.

Thank you

Garden Home - Your work in progress

Sheila Bargsten Peters

Reply #30 on : Mon December 14, 2009, 09:50:14

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Only just discovered your show and web site. Will be checking all of your books out at the library. I will have to see the complete transformation of your lovely garden home and the surrounding grounds. We have a work in progress also, and it is wonderful to always look forward to the next project!

Thanks a bunch!

location

jessie b roberts

Reply #29 on : Sat November 14, 2009, 07:40:00

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May I ask, where is your show for PBS filmed. It looks like my home state of Tennessee. I enjoy you program.

thank you

Carol L. Morrissey

Reply #28 on : Mon October 26, 2009, 13:48:58

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Thank you for all your helpful gardening and "how to" tips. The best part of my Sunday morning is when I can turn on your show, and relax while learning something interesting and useful. I wish you continued success and want you to know that much of what you do on your show inspires me to try it in my own home.... Thanks again!
Carol Morrissey
Oconto Falls, WI

Huel Houser

Bob Glenn

Reply #27 on : Sun October 25, 2009, 21:49:42

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Allen : Do you know Huel Houser ? , he is on PBS and he is from Tennnessee, and he dose a show called California Gold . Allen , my wife and I like your show we have it set to record , so we dont miss it .

HELP!

Lesa McCoy

Reply #26 on : Sun October 18, 2009, 10:23:48

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I would like to create an inviting entry that remains true to the Williamsburg tradition. I get many conflicting opinions on Williamsburg gardens. One argument that I trust you would settle is that the colonials did not display any plants that put off color in the front of their homes.

Lesa McCoy - Raleigh, NC

Inspiration

Eric Richardson

Reply #25 on : Thu October 15, 2009, 11:19:45

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I am in charge of the grounds and landscaping staff at a small college in Pa. I just wanted to take the opportunity to say to Allen that his work, and knowledge truely inspires me. Thank you.

Eric

Allen's bio

Don Yealy

Reply #24 on : Fri September 25, 2009, 22:27:33

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I am impressed with Allen's credentials. I try to never miss his programs on various channels of Sky Angel TV. I am curious about whether Allen has a family. I see nothing in the Bio about this.

Showing comments 1 to 10 of 33 | Next | Last