"I like the program to be a little lighter than other garden shows," Jackson says. "My goal is to get callers to feel comfortable about gardening and to believe that it isn't as complex as it may seem at the moment.
"One way I do this is to joke around. A caller at wit's end asked me how to handle squirrels. I said 'shoot 'em.' I made clear my answer was a joke, and I think my response relaxed the caller, allowing us to discuss the question."
Every Saturday from 8-9 a.m. March through October, Jackson hosts "The Garden Hour" on WHJJ, 920 AM.
Weekdays, Jackson works as research greenhouse manager for the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He also maintains the tropical plant collection, which is visited by classes and community groups. 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. Now in its third year, "The Garden Hour" allows Jackson to combine 25 years of horticultural experience with a deep love for chitchat.
Ask him about the show's format, and Jackson leans forward, his deep voice reverberating through the greenhouse classroom.
"The program runs as a forum for callers," he says, with hands that point, plead and clasp as in prayer. "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."
That'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.
"It's difficult to diagnose a problem and offer a solution over the phone," Jackson says. "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."
On air, Jackson considers himself an ambassador for Brown. To many Rhode Islanders, Brown may seem an Ivy League world unto its own, he says. "So I try to let listeners know what's happening on campus. In late May, I'll say, 'Hi, Fred Jackson here from up on College Hill at Brown University. It's graduation today and parents are here with their sons and daughters.' I'll also read community service announcements about plant sales or other events."
Word of mouth has made "The Garden Hour" a hit. Jackson receives many more calls than he can answer in one hour. Between sustaining timely discussion of what's happening in the garden and playing clever snippets of tunes at commercial breaks, such as " Pucker up Buttercup" by Junior Walker and the All-stars, Jackson digs for new information.
"It's all about us learning. So I'll say, 'The number is 438-8700. Give us a call and tell us what you're doing in the garden. Maybe you're doing something new and interesting. Let's hear it.'" - Scott J. Turner