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p allen smith

21 years ago

Does anyone have contact information for mr smith? The Oklahoma Garden Festival would like to contact him about speaking at the festival in 2004.

This year we have:

Katy Moss-Warner

Mike McGrath

Felder Rushing

Lucinda Hutson

Dan Heims

Steve Dobbs

and others (including me:)

Last year it was

Felder Rushing

Ken Druse

Neil Sperry

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Comments (23)

trudi_d
21 years ago
Hi Paul.....her has a website. There is a contact link on it.

Good luck with your lecture series!

Trudi Davidoff

Here is a link that might be useful: P Allen Smith website
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billsmoot
21 years ago
Hi,

I have also been trying to contact p allen smith for several months now - and also last year. Haven't gotten any response from his web page - even anything negative after numerous e-mails. Wonder if anyone's home???

Hope you have better luck!

BillSmoot
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I'm not familiar with the gardening show that you mention as I watch very little TV. No, cable, no direct tv etc. What little I do watch, i just tune out all the commercials that are aired. The bits and pieces of a few garden shows I have had a glimpse of on PBS, have not impressed me at all. Could be that my gardens are far from the formal, and are "my gardens" planted as I wish in a haphazard fashion that get arranged and rearranged on whim. What did hit home to me was this "thee is no longer a reliable standard of quality". It reminded me so much of my grandparents words that "reliable quality is not a name brand but rather something that you like and feels comfortable and good to you. Who cares what name is stamped on it, what it looks like, or how old it is. If you like it, if it works for you, then it is reliable and quality." Those from the words of a married couple who spent there entire summer lives farming a local summer veggie and flower farm, that my siblings and I spent our summers on. I have no recollection of any name brand tool, hand used or machine, that was used, only the ones that they liked and most work was done by hand not with big heavy farming equipment. One of my grandmother's favorite gardening tools was a sterling silver serving spoon that was her great grandmothers. No i don't suggest we use sterling sliver flatware to garden with, but, that spoon was the well used one that her grandmother had used back in Poland and traveled to the "new world" with her and passed down from generation to generation for the gardens. It was never supposed to be cleaned, but rather left tarnished to show that it was loved and well used. My mother passed it on to me before she passed away 7 years ago and it has it's beloved spot being used in the gardens with me. My grandfather's favorite tool was a rake we found abandoned one morning when we went for an early morning walk on the beach that was all but across the street from the farm. No name on it, no manufacturer, but perfect condition except for 1 tine missing. He brought it home because he would never leave litter on the beach. He claimed it to be the best rake he ever had, and when the handle finally broke, he confiscated an old broom of grandma's and replaced the broken rake handle with it. That rake is with me today and still well used. Yes it's had it's handle replaced and it still is missing that one tine. It's rusted and old. I was 6 years old when we found it, so that makes it 51 years in my family. Yes, it is still the best rake I've ever used. Maybe it's the sentiment attached to it and maybe it really is the best. Either way, no name, no reliable quality of standard. just a rake that still is working after 51 years. My garden tools have no name either, at least most of them. I'm still using the cheapo ones that grandma sent me for a housewarming gift 28 years ago when we bought our home. She purchased them in the local Walgreen's in Miami Florida and paid $.30 for the 3 pieces. I laughed when I got them in the mail, and thought, "yup, that's my grandma, she found some she liked and lasted forever, so she went and bought me some from the same place." And sure enough, no name, but I use all 3 pieces all the time and they work as well as the day I started using them 28 years ago. They show their wear and tear but they work fine. The rest of the garden tools I am still using that where bought when we first moved into our house, 28 years ago, where purchased at yard sales. Again, no name, just tools and they are still working fine. The only thing that has been replaced on them is the saw blades on the hand saws. Same thing with the lawn mower. 18 years out of a bradlees special, self propelled, an acre of land to mow is just to much for the hand push kind, and the replacement, 10 years ago, was the local kmart special and doing just fine. Even my garden gloves have no name on them, came from a local dollar store ad they are perfect. The only lawn tool I own with a name on it, is my beloved Martha Stuart hand clippers. Not purchased for the name but because the work perfectly for me. Fit my small hand, child size hand without a problem and at the same time work perfectly for hubby who wears and extra large men's glove. that's a hard feat to accomplish and we found them with these several years ago at the local kmart. My garden decorations are mostly passed down from my mother and grandmother's gardens or purchased at yard sales. They have no name but work perfectly for me. 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Paul_OK
Original Author
21 years ago
We have tried through website and through woman's day several times. Any other thoughts.

I would also take recommendations for really good speakers. I'm kind of particular. Just because you write a book doesn't make you a good speaker.

Has anyone heard p allen smith in person. it is amazing what they can do with editing on tv.
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Field
21 years ago
I don't think P. Allen Smith exists at all. He's just a computer-generated robogardener.
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Paul_OK
Original Author
21 years ago
:)

That could be. I would think that he would want to be contacted by someone willing to pay for his time. I understand not having his personal phone number on the website, but a bussiness contact just makes sense.

I even checked the garden writer assocoiation. He isn't listed on the speakers bureau. Maybe I will have to dig out my directory. Anyone have their directory easily available to check for me?
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eddie_ga_7a
21 years ago
I checked the GWA directory and found no listing for P. Allen Smith. Reminds me of the nursery that had articles by a fictious character - Amos Pettigrew, I think.
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trianglejohn
21 years ago
He exists, he was involved in a commercial growers conference this last fall. I only heard about it from friends, don't know if it was in Maryland or Georgia. Don't know if he spoke. He is based out of Atlanta I think. He is starting a new P. Allen Smith Collection, perennials and bedding plants organized and promoted by himself and a bunch of garden centers over here on the east coast. You need more than six speakers? What has Steve Dobbs been up to since he left Oklahoma Gardening? And who's doing the show now?
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Paul_OK
Original Author
21 years ago
We are already starting to line up speakers for next year. Actually, we have about 26 speakers. There are only 2 speakers that speak more than once. You can find out more about our festival at www.okgardenfestival.org

Steve Dobbs has his own nursery in Southeastern Oklahoma and is head of grounds maintenance for University of Arkansas Fayettville ?I think?

Steve Owens is the host of Oklahoma Gardening. He does a very nice job.
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Paul_OK
Original Author
21 years ago
I did it! Well at least I think I did. I am in contact with his personal assistant... I want a personal assistant. Maybe someday I will need one.

I finally made contact through his website. I sent messages through the comments section and to allen@ and smith@

I don't know which one actually worked. Our speakers committee is very happy.
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Field
21 years ago
Here's another lead, Paul. I got a notice in the mail yesterday evening that he has his first book coming out in February. Consequently, he's to be at a series of book signings. Among them is one at Blooming Colors Nursery in Grapevine, Texas, on April 27th. If you care to check into it (or maybe attend), their telephone is 817-416-6669, and their URL is www.bloomingcolorsnursery.com.

So, I guess he, or a decent replica, does exist;-)
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Paul_OK
Original Author
21 years ago
Hey,

I don't charge nearly enough to speak. P Allen charges $5000 for an honorarium.
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Field
21 years ago
I cannot imagine why any goup would pay that kind of money for what he might have to say. But I sure would like to know if his agent is taking on any more clients.
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Paul_OK
Original Author
21 years ago
I just heard a better one. former FEMA director charges 18,000 to speak. Maybe public service can payoff in the end.
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veronicastrum
21 years ago
Speaking of FEMA, maybe there's hope for greenhouse owners yet! The office of homeland security is urging homeowners to have a stash of duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal off a "safe room" in case of a terror attack.

I am uncovering all of my houses today (so what if the plants die in the below-freezing weather) and selling all of my plastic sheeting for outrageous prices to panicked homeowners. I've got to do this fast, before everyone figures out this is about as useful as that duck under the desk drill they taught us at school in the early 60's.
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sbeas
21 years ago
Good one Veronicastrum. This alert stuff has become the boy who cried wolf. I think the regular crazies, drunks and druggies are more a threat to me everyday than the terrorists, so I wish we would do more to keep the garden variety threats at bay. Our society seems to love an exotic fear that we can spend millions on while the infrastructure goes to ruin. Sharon in OK
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peaceofmind
21 years ago
After reading Smiths new book I think he is probably out trimming hedges. He seems to be very fond of them.
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gardenwitch
21 years ago
I have always thought that P Allen Smith was like the Monkees of music, totally created in a studio to be what the public wanted . Cleancut,(The pressed Khakis and blue oxford shirt) Cute and Boyish,(brushing his sandy blond hair back) sexual preference (???? ). His information is entertaining but never really anything new,his book the same but with lovely pictures. If he is real I am sorry to see him sell out to the Gods of marketing like so many others . I guess the lure of the Mighty dollar is just too much to past up.Even Felder Rushing has sucumb and now sells plants on the home shopping network.
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nasiii
20 years ago
Mr. Smith is very circumspect in revealing any information about his location. His bios are very generalized, and all traces of current location have been purposefully edited from his book. He probably did this not only for privacy, but also to keep his book from becoming a regional gardening book. I find it important to know where an author is gardening, to help judge how applicable the planting suggestions are to my area. That being said, I really enjoy his bookand shows. I believe he lives in Little Rock, Arkansas... at least that is where his first gardening segment was broadcast...I think...
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eddie_ga_7a
20 years ago
After all this talk about P Allan Smith I was amazed to just run into him at the Garden Writers Association conference in Chicago - even had my picture made with him. He is a very gracious person.
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paulasullivan9
20 years ago
Couldn't possibly have been him. He was with me on the mother ship.
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Paul_OK
Original Author
20 years ago
Mr smith is speaking at the Wichita Garden Show. I am going to try and get up there and see his show.
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designingwoman
20 years ago
Gordon Hayward ('Stonescaping', etc.) is a fine speaker and a wonderfully well-organized person--meets deadlines, has his handouts ready on time, is very accomodating in terms of "customizing" his topic to audience interests. He has a website.

Rick Darke is also excellent and probably has the best visuals I've seen--his photography is stunning. He also has a website.
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eddie_ga_7a
20 years ago
Brooks Garcia gave an outstanding talk at our club, You can find him at the link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Brooks Garcia
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