It is said that one should pursue a passion, and the money will follow.

For Joe Lamp’l, that passion is sharing his knowledge of what he’s been doing in gardens for three decades. The money has followed the television personality, author and speaker into a variety of ventures that have him traveling the country sharing his love of gardening. But Lamp’l confesses that it didn’t happen overnight.

“I left a corporate life behind to pursue my passion for gardening, but I had to wait until I had the money to replace the income I was making as a financial planner,” explained Lamp’l while taking a breather from his fast-paced schedule. (The Master Gardener and Certified Landscape Professional doesn’t stay still for long, these days.) “Fortunately, I waited long enough to have money so that I could do it right.”

That money came from an invitation to be the host of the popular DIY Network series, Fresh from the Garden. After three successful seasons and 52 episodes, production retired but Lamp’l was quickly tapped as the new host of the PBS series, GardenSMART where an estimated 80 percent of the country can view it directly or through cable or satellite. The result is a large audience hungry for his information-packed, yet gentle approach to gardening—an audience that’s growing quicker than kudzu.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for a gardener to visit the most beautiful gardens,” Lamp’l said of the 30 shows each year he hosts. “I’ve visited spectacular gardens from Palm Springs to Maine, and from Miami to Alaska.”

Alaska? Yes, verdant gardens of the hearty kind. Oh, and next on the list? Gardens in Maui will be featured in 2009.

Passion Among Gardeners

So what exactly does Lamp’l do in these gardens? He interviews the head gardeners, of course. And viewers of his shows get an armchair tour of the garden, plus a detailed, plainly spoken explanation of plants found in each garden.

But it’s not all fun and games for Lamp’l and his crew. In fact, it’s three days of hard work. “After the producer prepares an outline of a show, there’s a conference call with all crew members discussing a show’s outline,” explained Lamp’l. “Then I study a list of plants that are going to be featured. Our shoot day starts early with us arriving on site around 7:00 a.m. and shooting by 8:30 a.m. We shoot until dark.”

Another way Lamp’l shares his gospel is through public speaking engagements in such venues as Epcot, where he recently spoke at the Great American Gardener Series.

“I spoke twice a day for three days, so it was a real treat,” shared Lamp’l. The downside is that his wife and two daughters had other obligations for that weekend, and couldn’t join him. It’s probably the only downside, in fact, of his business.

The joe gardener® Company is a growing entity with far more positives that outweigh that negative. For instance, Lamp’l recently was named the national spokesperson for Fiskars, the manufacturers of one of the tools Lamp’l considers amazing and necessary for all gardeners. (See box, page_.)

His first book, Over the Fence with joe gardener, is popular with novice and veteran gardeners alike. And his latest book, The Green Gardener’s Guide; simple, significant actions to protect & preserve the planet, was released earlier this year.

Lamp’l also is busy writing a syndicated weekly column, The Gardener Within, which appears in nearly 400 newspapers across the country, thanks to the Scripps Howard News Service. Each and every motion Lamp’l makes is to further the public awareness of his gardening passion—and the brand he’s created.

Promoting the joe gardener® Company Brand

Though the two-person company is tiny, Lamp’l uses marketing leverage to get his name out there. As an example of leverage, with the help of an assortment of gardeners he selects the “top ten” new must-have gardening products each year and promotes them on his Web site.

“This is kind of like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, and product manufacturers seek my reviews,” explained Lamp’l. “The result of this technique has helped in numerous ways, including recently landing a joe gardener co-branding opportunity with Fiskars with a new line of pruners, soon to be launched in major stores under the ‘joe gardener Inspiration Series’. With the strong brand recognition Fiskars already enjoys, their acknowledgement of the appeal of the joe gardener® brand by placing it on their product is quite an honor and some tangible recognition that we’re doing some things right.”

Other ways Lamp’l promotes his brand include writing the syndicated columns. They raise awareness of who he is and what the company does in a way that traditional public relations can’t touch. Extend the writing further, his book, Over the Fence, touts the joe gardener® brand, and is a great example of how the joe gardener® brand has gotten so much recognition.

His first television series, Fresh from the Garden, is still airing, thanks to the popularity of the subject, vegetable gardening. This show allowed Lamp’l to get his hands dirty, bringing to harvest seeds he’d planted on the show.

“I’d like to figure out how to clone myself,” laughed Lamp’l. “That way, I could pursue some of the many opportunities that have come my way that could help build the brand of joe gardener® and still be on the road as much as I like.” That’s a lot of momentum for a company that started in 2002.

On Company Time

Lamp’l’s company is based in Atlanta, Georgia, though he resides in Mount Airy, North Carolina. The joe gardener® Company is committed to helping people of all skill levels learn, create and grow beautiful gardens and landscapes, he introduces gardening to beginners as well as helps seasoned veterans perfect their skills. ? His right-hand assistant and business partner is based in Atlanta. She manages his speaking engagements and calendar, reviews his writings and handles all the details of running the company so Lamp’l can spend his time doing what he loves to do.

“I’m writing, giving radio interviews, speaking, and hosting the television shows,” Lamp’l said with a smile. “But my favorite part is that I feel like I’m teaching my favorite subject with a message of environmental stewardship – that’s the cherry on the sundae for me.”

That sounds a whole lot more fun than sitting behind a desk pushing numbers all day.

For more information on Joe Lamp’l and his company, visit www.joegardener.com. For an expanded version of this article, including recommended gardening products, visit www.LatitudeMagazine.com.

Laura S. Wharton is editor of Latitude Magazine and runs Wharton Communications in Mount Airy. Visit www.whartoncommunications.com. Lyn Luersen and Darryl Wilson are Photo Editors for Latitude Magazine and owners of Cool Water Productions. Visit www.coolwaterphotography.com.