BREWER – Paul Tukey, co-host of “People, Places and Plants,” will be in town Wednesday to present a program on his favorite gardens in Maine and then will plant some new seeds.

Tukey will start his day by kicking off the Brewer Garden and Bird Club’s first meeting of the year. Then he’ll dig into what he loves when he plants winter rye with area youth at the Children’s Garden.

Because Tukey is a University of Maine alumnus and editor of People, Places and Plants magazine, which he founded a decade ago in North Yarmouth, he’ll end his day with students at a UMaine writing workshop.

Tukey’s TV series, which he cultivated with co-host Roger Swain, began broadcasting July 3 on Home and Garden Television. The show airs Saturday mornings. At the Brewer Garden and Bird Club’s meeting, Tukey will give a demonstration, through slides or video, about his favorite gardens in Maine. Because of limited seating, the club is charging a $2 admission.

“We’ve pre-sold about 40 [tickets] and have room for 40 more,” Carol Smith, club member, said Monday.

To reserve a seat, contact Smith at 989-1083. Remaining seats will be awarded first come, first served the day of the event. Tukey’s program will begin at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the auditorium.

Ten or 12 students in the parks and recreation department’s junior garden club, an after-school program offering, will get their hands dirty with Tukey while tilling the soil and planting winter rye at the Children’s Garden. The garden is located on a walking trail between the Penobscot River and Dead River Co. on South Main Street.

Wednesday evening, Tukey will spend time at a writing workshop for landscape horticulture program students.

Bill Mitchell, UM professor of landscape horticulture, said Tukey is a longtime friend who “always supports students’ projects, especially writing projects.”

“Paul has always been a good supporter of the landscape horticulture program here,” Mitchell said. “He’s helped develop scholarships for the program, plus he’s a UMaine alumnus.

“Several of the students want to publish their findings, so it seemed to be a natural [partnership],” he said.