James Underwood Crockett

Who was James Underwood Crockett?

James "Jim" Underwood Crockett was the original host of PBS's The Victory Garden, then called Crockett's Victory Garden. He had been chosen by producer Russell Morash because he had previously written several gardening books. The show debuted on April 16, 1975, and was focused on gardening at home. The garden was located outside WGBH's studios in Allston, Massachusetts. Crockett died of cancer soon after the show became successful.

Crockett's gardening works included many volumes of the Time-Life Encyclopedia of Gardening, including Wildflower Gardening, Perennials, and Flowering Shrubs. He later wrote three books of gardening advice based on the popular and much-loved PBS television series; the first, also called Crockett's Victory Garden, is a general–purpose guide to gardening, treating vegetables, and caring for outside flowers and houseplants. Its approach was unique among garden books, in that it was organized not by the plants in the garden but by the calendar—by the jobs required of you by your garden each month of the year. The second, Crockett's Indoor Garden, is a guide to taking care of houseplants. The third book, Crockett's Flower Garden, is devoted entirely to outdoor flowers. All three books are organized according to an annual calendar, detailing the tasks to be performed throughout the year.