This Blooming City
During a Publicity Seminar for Non-profit Organizations at Westchester County Center in 1989,
the speaker used the White Plains Beautification Foundation as an example of a group that
should consider taking advantage of local public access TV, still in its infancy at the time. Beth
Wallach, president of WPBF at that time, who attended the seminar, proposed the idea to the
Board of Directors, and This Blooming City began its long journey into the present. It began
airing June 4, 1990.
All the early shows were filled with cutaways - visual images on videotape of local gardens,
etc., and everything that was discussed on each show. It was an ambitious project - one
which survived into the 21st century, at which time the aging process began to preclude such
ambitious activities as videotaping cutaways. But, as luck would have it, the younger generation
came along, full of energy. On-location videotaping now continues as a young Tony Spinelli
mans the cameras to catch the local blooms.
Early shows emphasized WPBF projects and interviews with key people. Later shows expanded
to include local architecture, environmental issues, tree care, environmentally-sensitive lawn
care, native gardens, Master Gardeners, butterfly gardening, water gardening, shade gardening,
winter gardens, and much more.
This Blooming City, whose title was suggested by the late Patricia Terhune, a WPBF vice
president, airs four times a week: Tuesdays at 9 p.m., Wednesday mornings, Saturdays at 7:30
p.m. and Sunday mornings.
As of September 2011, the show continues to be hosted by Beth Wallach with a production
committee that comprises many members of WPBF. The show is produced by a wonderful staff
at White Plains Public Access TV in downtown White Plains.