Jane Edmondson’s story links the soil, sun and spirit of Sunraysia deeply and from her early days on a citrus farm near Mildura to her decades-long role on the national screens of ABC, Jane’s roots in our region and her family’s connection to local gardens helped shape both her personal journey and her horticultural legacy.
From Buronga farm life to a lifelong love of plants
Jane Edmanson was born in 1950 and spent her early childhood on a citrus (and avocado) farm in Buronga. Life among groves, river flats and red soils - Her upbringing was steeped in practical horticulture: from early memories of her mother tending a home garden, to learning about soil, salt management and irrigation under challenging inland conditions.
Jane has often credited her mother’s love of gardening as early influences that “gave her gardening in the blood.” It was this bond with plants and place that gave birth to a passion which would carry her far beyond Buronga.
Family ties to Australian Inland Botanic Gardens — sowing seeds of a bigger garden dream
Jane’s family became early supporters of the region’s ambitious botanical project — the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens (AIBG) at Mourquong and with the family property right next door, Jane’s parents were early contributors.
For Jane, that meant a childhood familiar with not only orchard rows and irrigation lines, but also a community-driven botanical vision: native and exotic plants growing side by side, preserved mallee eucalypts, heritage plantings, and a sense of shared responsibility for environment and landscape.
In her own words during a return visit to Mildura, she has remarked on how the region’s river red gums, soils, and seasons shaped her early understanding of what gardens, and gardens of the inland could mean.
That grounding, with family involved in both commercial horticulture and broader community-based garden preservation, likely planted seeds for Jane’s future as a gardener, educator, and someone passionate about sustaining green spaces in both suburbs and semi-arid inland Australia.
From nurseries to national screens — ABC’s long-serving gardening voice
After moving to Melbourne for her education, Jane studied teaching and later obtained horticultural and landscape qualifications at Burnley College. Her career began at the Victorian Schools Nursery in 1976, where she started as a nursery hand before rising over 15 years to become Deputy Director.
In the 1980s she co-owned a suburban garden centre and worked in retail nurseries. Then came a major turning point: in 1989 she was offered the hosting role on the ABC TV gardening show Sow What, replacing a retiring presenter.
The following year, the national gardening program Gardening Australia launched, she was one of its founding presenters. Over the next 38 years until her retirement in late 2025 she remained, becoming the only original host still on screen at the end.
Through that time she shared practical gardening advice rooted in both scientific horticulture and lived experience often drawing on her background in inland farming and dry-climate care.
Bringing Sunraysia to the nation — revisiting home with camera in hand
Over the years Jane has returned many times to Sunraysia and neighbouring areas, not just as a visitor, but as a storyteller, educator, and advocate for inland gardening, native plants and sustainable horticulture. In a memorable 2018 episode of “Road Back Home,” she revisited the Murray River’s river red gums near her childhood farm and reflected on what those trees mean historically, environmentally, and personally.
Perhaps most poignant is that, through her parents’ early contribution to the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens, Jane’s story comes full circle: from a farm girl learning to tend citrus and avocado trees to becoming a national voice urging Australians to remember their land, respect its character and grow green spaces wisely, even in dry climates.
As Jane steps away from her formal role on Gardening Australia after a remarkable career spanning nearly four decades her legacy remains deeply rooted in the soil of our region. For anyone who’s ever planted a tree along the Murray, tended a drought-tolerant native garden, or taken a stroll through the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens thank you, Jane. Your “green thumb” came from right here in Sunraysia.
What’s your favourite memory of Jane — or your own story of gardening in Sunraysia? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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