People, Places & Plants

Featuring a whopping 46 episodes from the titular HGTV-aired series, People, Places & Plants—with dynamic duo Roger Swain (science editor of Horticulture magazine and host of PBS' The Victory Garden) and Paul Tukey (editor and publisher of People, Places & Plants magazine)—presents a wide variety of interesting segments on inspiring people (such as Michael Mazur, a landscape designer who loves to work with gigantic slabs of stone), progressive places (such as the Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland, CA, where environmentally conscious growers are farming the land organically), and handy planting ideas (such as the container gardening “thriller, filler, and spiller” technique: start with a tall dramatic plant, include a midsize flowering plant that will complement the arrangement, and finally choose a vine plant that will cascade over the edge of the pot). Each episode includes zone information for specific plants and a “Food for Thought” segment (in the second episode, Swain reads a letter from a grandmother who wants to plant a tree for her grandchildren and asks which type makes the best climbing tree…and Swain, sitting high in a beautiful beech tree, goes out on a limb to reply!). Combining excellent production values, solid pacing, and engaging material, People, Places & Plants is a bloomin' no-brainer for most collections. DVD extras include an outtakes reel and an interview with Swain. Recommended. Aud: P. (N. Plympton)