Fans of PBS celebrity P. Allen Smith, may have noticed a familiar face on one of his recent shows.
On November 9, J Schwanke, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, host of JTV at uBloom.com, joined Smith on his syndicated show, “Garden Style.”
The two discussed foliages and how to use them in décor.
“An all-foliage arrangement is a great way to have something living in the house, and it lasts a really long time,” Schwanke said.
He took some burning bush, evergreen, variegated weigela, magnolia leaves and fruit pods from Smith’s garden to illustrate how they create a texture-rich arrangement. Then, to give flowers a plug (of course!), he added a single antique hydrangea from Sun Valley Farms to make the design even more appealing.
The design experts first met last January at the Dallas Market Center. Smith was the keynote speaker and also a first-time attendee.
“He asked for a design expert who could tour him around to get his bearings…and that was me!” Schwanke said. With a shared passion for flowers, the two became fast friends.
Schwanke asked Smith to write the foreword for Bloom 365, his latest book. “He graciously accepted and even sells it in his online store,” he said.
The two reconnected in June, again at the Dallas Market, where Schwanke gave him a “hot spots, trends, and colors” overview.
“Our friendship continued to develop,” Schwanke said. Smith enjoyed hanging out with Schwanke and his partner, Kelly Blank, who didn’t expect the star to be “on” all the time.
“We got to just be a couple of guys who love flowers and gardening,” Schwanke said.
Smith asked the duo to come to his home, Moss Mountain Farm, in Roland, Arkansas to film a few episodes. Altogether, Schwanke is slated to appear in four episodes, including the 2016 Christmas special.
When scripting the segments, Smith and Schwanke collaborate on subject matter.
“He has brilliant ideas and asks me to share mine,” Schwanke said. “We take those and work with the director and set designer to firm it up and turn ideas into a story.”
Schwanke works with his sponsors to secure flowers and supplies to be featured on the show.
To sum it up, Schwanke said, “We had a blast and created beautiful things!’
For those of us who missed the Nov. 9 show, here it is: