Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Michael Weishan first began gardening at the age of five. Originally intending to follow his grandfather into the State Department (hence his Harvard training in Classics and Romance Languages), Michael ultimately chose to pursue a different path – combining avocation with vocation in the field of landscape design.

After founding his own design/build firm Michael Weishan & Associates in 1986 – a practice he still actively directs – Michael began to share his gardening expertise through writing, first in his own quarterly newsletter, Traditional Gardening, and then for Old House Journal. From there, Michael went on to publish his first book, The New Traditional Garden, (Ballantine 1999) which has been widely credited with introducing the joys of old-house gardening to North America. A contributor to numerous national magazines and periodicals over the last decade, Michael is the former Gardening Editor at Country Living magazine, and has recently assumed the same post at Old House Journal's, New Old House magazine. He has authored two other books: From a Victorian Garden, and the upcoming Victory Garden Companion – the first new Victory Garden publication in almost two decades – due out with Harper Collins in April of 2006.

In the field of electronic media, Michael is a veteran of National Public Radio where he hosted his own program, The Cultivated Gardener for several years before he debuted as the host of The Victory Garden in 2001. He has been sharing his design tips, expert advice, and trademark sense of humor with gardeners of all levels ever since.

Michael lives west of Boston in an 1852 farmhouse with his family, including our official VG mascot, Beau, and the show’s thoroughbred Supervisor of Turf and Pasture, Claudius.