A US cable network, Home and Garden Television, features the programming of an assortment of shows in such categories as Remodeling, Gardening, Crafts, Decorating and At Home. It’s associated website HGTV.com features a multitude of useful information that ranges widely on various topics for the home and garden. The founder, CEO and President Ken Lowe, began Home and Garden TV by inspiration born of need.

Lowe was a weekend architect, although working in broadcasting management, his wife, Mary was a chef and gardener. They repaired or rebuilt numerous homes through various relocations over the years. Often frustrated by the limits of his own knowledge, Lowe wished for television programming that could teach him something more. This inspired his need to consider the possibilities of a cable network dedicated exclusively to home and garden topics of interest. Keeping track of his ideas, in 1992, while
he was working for the Scripps Howard broadcast company in Cincinnati, he pitched his idea by sketching out a house, where every room characterized a different home and garden program.

The company was ecstatic and invested $75 million dollars in his idea.  In December 1994, Home and Garden TV made its first appearance, during a massive cable expansion of over one hundred new cable channels. In 44 markets, HGTV was available in 6.5 million homes, with a primetime lineup of ninety percent original programming. This resulted in a fast, totally original lineup of primetime programming. In less that a years time, Home and Garden TV increased its market share, becoming available to over ten million homes. The headquarters of HGTV was completed in Knoxville, Tennessee, April of 1995.

The plan for the growth of HGTV, from its very beginning, included taking advantage of various new alternative forms of media. HGTV moved onto the World Wide Web with HGTV.com in May of 1996.  The creation of HGTV provided easy access to home improvement resources for many viewers and consumers.

HGTV Canada was launched later in 1996, and a deal with Japan was struck that year as well to bring a portion of HGTV programming to the home channels. HGTV was available to twenty five million households in the US, by 1997, while in that same year, HGTV began holding its sweepstakes of a one million dollar home, called the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway.

The continued growth and success in the later nineties eventually lead to the development of many other associated cable networks. These include, Food Network, Fine Living, DIY Network and Great American Country, making HGTV the fastest growing cable television network in history.  Home and Garden TV remains dominant in the world of cable programming as Do It Yourself remodeling, home improvement, repair and decorating continue to thrive as popular trends.

Their current decorating shows include, Design Star, which is a reality show, that allows the contestants to compete by using their design skills for the opportunity to host their own HGTV design show and Design on a Dime, which features a team remaking a room while sticking to a budget of under one thousand dollars.

Their gardening programming includes Landscaper’s Challenge, which features professional landscapers offering their plans for an outdoor area and then competing for the approval of the homeowner and the City Gardener, which shows city dwellers the ways in which they can incorporate a garden into some of the most unlikely places.

Their remodeling shows include I Want That, which features some of the most interesting and highly desirable innovations for the home and the Weekend Warriors, which is now in its 11th season, this program features people competing while remodeling and taking on home improvement project over a weekend.  At Home programming features such shows as My First Place, which features the assistance of homeowners who encounter challenges while moving into, designing or buying their first home and Cash in the Attic, which features expert appraisers assisting homeowners in the identification of family heirlooms of worth. Later, if the family is willing to part with their treasure, it may be sold at auction to increase the funding of home improvement projects.

Their craft show programming includes Simply Quilts, which is a loving inspiration for all levels of quilters and Knitty Gritty, which features the demonstrations of new projects for modern knitters.  Also included in this programming is the Carol Duvall Show, which is one of the original programs of the network, this show features an assortment of crafting projects as well as some interesting celebrity guest appearances.

Many of the networks original hosts are still with them.  These include Carol Duval, Shari Hiller, Matt Fox and Paul James. Meanwhile the network is distributed fully across the US markets and is available to 80 million households. HGTV programming is available internationally in 26 countries. The biggest promotion in the world of television today is the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway.