"Gardening By The Yard," a half-hour gardening advice program, is one of HGTV's most popular gardening shows. Master gardener Paul James hosts the show, and he keeps things light. James offers home gardeners practical solutions to problems like poor soil condition and pest control, using a humorous, casual style that makes the show as fun to watch as it is informative.

1994: A Channel Is Born.

Home and Garden Television, also known as HGTV, launched as a new cable channel in 1994, proudly proclaiming its slogan, "Start at home." The network is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and its sister channels include the Food Network, Fine Living, DIY Network, and Great American Country.

As its name implies, HGTV programming devotes itself to activities done around the house: landscaping, gardening, remodeling, redecorating, organizing, crafting, and so forth. HGTV programming currently includes more than 80 active shows and an assortment of seasonal specials.

1996: A Show Is Born

Gardening By The Yard has been part of the HGTV lineup since 1996, with host Paul James also serving as the series' creator, writer, talent, and senior producer. James films every episode of Gardening By The Yard almost entirely in his backyard.

According to James, the other gardening shows he'd watched when he was younger showed perfect, pristine, bug-free gardens that made home gardeners think they must be doing something wrong, because their yards never looked like that. Not only did the gardens look perfect, the hosts also looked perfect, never breaking a sweat, with every hair in place.

When he created Gardening By The Yard, James decided to make his show as close to real life as possible. The show's dedication to reality and James's oddball personality have made the show a hit.

Gardening By The Yard's host began gardening in 1978, when he and wife Carrie became first-time homeowners. James took gardening courses in college and was certified as a Master Gardener in 1983.

Before creating Gardening By The Yard, James owned a company that specialized in corporate comedy.

Gardening By The Yard – The Show Today

In classic episodes of the program that were filmed outside of James' backyard, Gardening By The Yard visited a California garden that looks like a coral reef and an expert on vines in Ft. Worth, Texas. Other episodes of Gardening By The Yard airing this season focus on "green" (eco-friendly) gardening, feeding birds, using spreaders and sprayers, gardening in micro gardens, and safety in gardening.