Video Archive Credits
The horticultural educational television programs of Jerry Parsons, Extension Horticulturist in San Antonio, Texas, began with an association/collaboration with reporter Margo Spitz on February 11, 1977. The "Margo's Garden" Series began on March 25, 1977. After a year of weekly garden shows explaining spring and fall gardening as well several TV Specials, this relationship faded.
Then Parsons was "discovered" by a young reporter named Bruce Kates. Our (Bruce Kates, Steve George, and Jerry Parsons) first program was on February 5, 1982. Bruce was the person who dubbed Parsons as the "Weekend Gardener" when they were doing a live broadcast at noon and a taped version for the six o'clock news cast. Bruce hosted the duo's final segment on March 1, 1985, from the top of a manure pile at Gardenville Products. From that time, Parsons did the segments alone until "creative differences" caused him to terminate this educational activity on March 5, 1999. Jerry Parsons then began an association with the San Antonio City Public Service (CPS) television program which aired every Sunday morning began in 2000. He shared co-hosting responsibilities with Bexar County Horticulturists Calvin Finch, Edna Ortiz, and Lynn Rawe.
The genius and quality of all these programs rested squarely on the shoulders of the men who were producing, directing, photographing, and editing the segments. These are the unsung heroes of television news---the most overworked and underpaid people of any television station. In the nearly 20 years of doing horticulture news segments for television, it was my privilege to work with at least 8 of the best photographers to ever hold a television camera in Texas. Ron Smith was my teacher and producer when we first started the Weekend Gardener segments in 1982 and taped the History of Colored Bluebonnets which can be seen at: Aggie-Horticulture.
Ron also was the photographer on the television specials:
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Parsons and Kates Spring Gardening Special | Saturday, February 18, 1984 4:30-5 p.m |
| Parsons' Tree Special | Saturday, February 6, 1988 6:30 p.m. |
| Parsons' Rose Special | Saturday, February 13, 1988 6:30 p.m. |
| Parsons' Vegetable Gardening Special | Saturday, February 20, 1988 6:30 p.m |
| Parsons' Lawn Care Special | Saturday, March 26, 1988 6:30 p.m. |
| Fall Planting For Spring Bloom Special Jerry Parsons, Greg Grant and Steve George | Monday, August 21, 1989 9:30 p.m. (San Antonio) |
| Gardening Assistance In The Spring | Saturday, March, 1990 (San Antonio) |
| EARTH-KIND Gardening | Saturday, February 2, 1991, 12:30 p.m. in San Antonio, KENS-TV (Ch 5) |
Ron Smith was the photographer on the Weekend Gardener television segments from 1982 until 1988. Tim Irvin took over in 1989 until 1991 when he left KENS-TV. He returned in 1993 and was the Weekend Gardener photo-journalist until 1995 when he left for another photographer assignment. From the time Tim left to the time I "retired" from the Weekend Gardener segments on February 26, 1999, I had the privilege of working with Richard Woods. Scattered between these long-term photo-journalists, I was pleased to work with Ed Lewis, Rudy Guerrero, Jeff Hasessler, Steve Shelton and Rex Teter. The genius of these great photographers and their hard work week-after-week is now documented on the Internet at