The only original cast member of Gardening Australia is bowing out after 38 years of gardening television.
Legendary Gardening Australia presenter Jane Edmanson, has announced her retirement after 38 years at ABC.
Edmanson is the sole original cast member from the show which began in 1990.
In tonight’s episode she tells host Costa Georgiadis of her decision to step down.
“It’s time. I’m retiring, although I don’t like that word, I am retiring from Gardening Australia, having done it for so many years, and it makes me feel really, really proud and humble,” she says.
“It’s been a pleasure for me for so many years to present what I do on the programme, but tide’s time, and I will move on and do other things within the horticultural world, and still see you and all the lovely faces on the telly. It’ll be just lovely. But time’s right.”
“I want everyone at home to realise is that you’ve been making gardening television for 38 years, and you’re The only remaining presenter in the team that’s been there since the first episode. It really feels like the end of an era,” says Costa.
“It could be, the Paleozoic Era is finishing!” Edmanson replies. “It’s been so delightful, but I just know that it’s right.
“I look around what’s happening in gardening at the moment, and there’s such a lot of good things happening with young people coming up and students learning all about horticulture and becoming gardeners themselves, and that’s the really important thing.
“If I can end with one last little thing: keep digging. Keep putting plants in the ground. It doesn’t matter, just keep doing it, and you’ll get so much satisfaction, because it is a lovely, lovely vocation for me for so long, but also for anyone, just as amateur gardeners, to enjoy their garden.”
Tonight’s Gardening Australia is a tribute to Edmanson and her decades of presenting gardening on TV. It features a stroll through her favourite section of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, a visit to a sprawling garden designed by the renowned Edna Walling, meeting an enterprising group of asylum seekers, and a surprise party with cast and crew.
Edmanson says her love of gardening came from her parents.
“I think my mum and dad, of course, were so influential. Dad being the horticulturalist, the grower of citrus, mum being the very fine gardener she was, and just being able to show that sort of element. When I started in the nursery all those years ago, 45 years ago, picking out little plants, and I had to cajole the person that I was working for because most people didn’t have women gardeners in their nurseries. So a bit of a trendsetter.”
“You certainly have been. You set a wonderful benchmark for generations. Thank you, and we’re going to miss you,” adds Costa.
“I’m going to miss everyone too, but I’ll still be watching,” Jane replies.
“My eagle eye will be watching your hair and your beard and your costumes. I’ll still be watching, don’t you worry. But it’s been a joy for me because of the team of Gardening Australia. People out there only watch us, but they don’t realise that there’s such a lot that goes behind it. The sound people, the cameraman, the producers, all the horticulturalists that are behind it. It’s such a team effort. It’s fantastic. So, you know, hats off to them, too. I’ll miss them.”
Gardening Australia 7:30pm Friday on ABC.
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