A day of gardening fun and adventure is planned for the Purchase Area Master Gardener Association’s annual Garden Gurus program set for Sat., Jan. 10, 2004.

The program will feature Paul James, host of HGTV’s Gardening By The Yard program. Workshops and exhibits open at 10 a.m. at JR’s Executive Inn Expo Center in Paducah. In addition to workshops, the event will include plant, book and tool sales and live and silent auctions of unusual plants.

"We want to offer educational programs that will advance participants’ knowledge, and be research-based as well as help advance the beautification of the entire area," said Kathy Keeney, McCracken County Extension agent for horticulture.

The program also helps to extend the university, Keeney said. "We want people to know that the Master Gardener program is a University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service sponsored program.”

The plants used in the auctions are varieties most people would not normally get to know. Keeney said the plants open consumers’ eyes to what is available. Most of the plants are available at quality area garden centers but they may not be widely known, she said.

Funds from the plant sale go to the Master Gardeners research and demonstration garden. The garden is used to show plant varieties that are compatible to western Kentucky including some of those from the Garden Gurus sales.

For ticket information contact the McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service, Paducah, 270-554-9520 or e-mail kkeeney@uky.edu. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.