Juniper Village at Naples Welcomes New Celebrity Resident Mr. Jerry Baker.

Mr. Baker is an American author, entrepreneur, public speaker, and product spokesperson who has written numerous books on gardening, home hints, and health topics. He is best known as America’s Master Gardener, and for creating his world-famous DIY tonics using common household products like beer, baby shampoo, castor oil, and mouthwash.

Mr. Baker began his career in the 1960s as an undercover cop in Detroit, Michigan, but his interest in gardening lead him to local Detroit radio and TV appearances. He eventually became a frequent guest on Dinah Shore’s daytime TV show. In the 1970’s Mr. Baker was a frequent guest on TV shows like The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He hosted his own TV show, Plants Are Like People, on KMOX.

Mr. Baker wrote his first best-selling book, Plants Are Like People, in 1972. The following year his second best-selling book, Talk to Your Plants, was published. In the 1990s and 2000s, Mr. Baker had his own series of gardening shows that ran on Public Television stations in the USA and Canada.

Over the years, Mr. Baker has served as a product spokesperson for Jacobsen Lawn Mowers, Hudson Sprayers, U.S. Gypsum, and Plantabs. His big break came from his affiliation with the Garden Weasel, a tool for loosening soil. Mr. Baker appeared as the Garden Weasel’s spokesperson in advertising materials, including radio and TV ads, print, and point-of-purchase displays. In 1982, Mr. Baker returned to his roots, becoming the national gardening spokesperson for Kmart Corporation’s Garden Centers, a relationship that lasted until 1996. From 1987 to 2007, Baker hosted his own national call-in radio show called On the Garden Line.