And Jackson grows the annuals, such as geraniums and petunias, planted across campus each spring. But Saturdays, Jackson thrives on unlocking gardening's mysteries for callers from Pascoag to Watch Hill and from across Southeastern Massachusetts. Ask him about the show's format, and Jackson leans forward, his deep voice reverberating through the greenhouse classroom. I'm not the God of all plants dispensing wisdom. I just try to give folks some ideas about gardening and suggest simple, effective solutions to their problems.
T hat's no small task.
Jackson takes calls in a windowless soundproof studio while working the dials and cueing commercials, surrounded by horticultural texts. In contrast, a caller, with portable phone in hand, may be standing in bright sunshine amid prized roses, trying to describe black fungal spots. If folks are trying to explain a symptom or ailment, I have to treat that delicately. Callers often don't know horticultural terminology. I have to be diplomatic and patient and try and help them along.