Jane Edmanson
Jane Edmanson OAM is one of Australia’s most respected gardeners. She has a passion for sustainable gardening and environmental education. Born in 1950 and raised on a citrus farm outside of Mildura, Jane’s early life on the farm laid the foundation for her lifelong passion for plants.
She studied teaching at Monash University and started her working life teaching in Western Victoria. She later obtained certificates in horticulture and landscape technology from Burnley. Her nursery career started at the State Schools Nursery before eventually becoming co-owner of the Bell Street Garden Centre in Coburg.
Jane became a familiar face on Australian television in 1989, replacing Kevin Heinze on ABC’s Sow What. This lead her to be one of the founding presenters of Gardening Australia in 1990. Jane remains the only original host still on the show. Her warm, practical advice, deep plant knowledge and love of people have made her a trusted voice in homes across the country.
In addition to writing several gardening books and contributing to Gardening Australia magazine, Jane has lead garden tours across Australia and the wider world. She is the immediate past patron of RHSV and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2004 for her contributions to horticulture and environmental sustainability.
Jane continues to inspire Australians to connect with nature, one garden at a time. Come and chat with Jane about your garden experiences. at the Yarra Valley Spring Garden Fair
Vasili Kanidiadis
Kanidiadis grew up in Coburg in Melbourne's north. He began broadcasting on Greek radio station 3XY for 7 years before moving to Channel 31 He has studied structural engineering, classical piano and horticulture.
Vasili is a much loved garden expert who has run garden centers, help develop products and made thousands of videos for TV and YouTube about plant and garden health. Roughly half way through his career he had a complete change in garden philosophy and hasn't looked back since.
Craig Castree
Craig Castree is an award-winning Horticulturist of 45 years’ experience at growing his own food organically and creating edible gardens. He has worked extensively in both wholesale, and retail nurseries in Victoria. He has also worked in fruit tree orchards and is the current Vice President of the Werribee Park Heritage Orchard at Werribee Park Mansion. He is a Published author of 6 books on horticulture and being self-sufficient. A soil regeneration specialist and advocate for healthy soils create healthy people. He is an independent educator that teaches others how to live a more sustainable self-sufficient life in an urban setting and works with over 12 different councils throughout Victoria. He is a regular on radio 3AW and Southern FM on Mollys Blooming hour and 3CR radio gardening show.
Craig Castree is a passionate soil regeneration specialist, sustainability advocate, and award-winning horticulturist with over 45 years of hands-on experience in growing nutrient-dense food without chemicals.
Ben Brooker
Ben Brooker is passionate about studying the problems we face in our gardens and looks holistically at the root causes, concentrating on the health of our soils & their improvement, eliminating any need for chemical herbicides, pesticides & fungicides.
He is a collector and grower of a wide range of rare, unusual and just stunning perennial plants. His nursery and garden is in Gippsland.
Anthony Hooper
Anthony Hooper is an Australian expert in sustainable land management and co-founder of Peppermint Ridge Farm. An eco tourism property that since 1982 has been dedicated to sustainable practices.
He is highly regarded across regional agricultural networks for turning conservation research into a viable framework that champions Australian native flora. Anthony has worked in and on holistic environmental engineering on the farm, focusing on advanced water harvesting techniques to achieve complete water independence. His modern focus highlights rural property electrification, where he drives design and land management systems built around renewable energy infrastructure.
Julie and Anthony have spent thirty years researching bushfoods and have found they provide huge health benefits, taste great and provide increased habitat in home gardens. Peppermint Ridge operates a specialist native bushfoods nursery, and hosts native pantry cooking classes and monthly Tour and Taste experiences that include a guided tour of the established native foods forest followed by a four course lunch with a menu focused on dishes flavoured with bush foods grown at the farm.
Jane Tonkin
Jane Tonkin is a specialist grower, and co-owner of Tonkin's Bulbs & Perennials. The family nursery located in Kalorama that prides itself on offering the largest collection of bulb genera and species in Australia. The nursery was initially established in the late 1940s by Jane’s late father, Bryan H. Tonkin and Jane carries on his passionate love of bulbs and related perennials.
Originally a traditional mail-order farm Jane has managed its transition into a well respected nursery growing a wide range of cool climate plants. Her love of plants has enabled the business to be recognised as a major grower of many hard and rare genera. These include Crocus, Nerines, Galanthus, and Pleione, Fritillaria and Erythronium.
Jane has a regular presence on Melbourne’s 3CR and often features in other media outlets. She is a regular at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show and other community garden events. A popular presenter at these and other shows has kept her recognition as an Australian plants person with great knowledge to share.
Sandra Schwarz
is an educator, landscape architect and author who is passionate about understanding and sharing what makes green spaces restorative.
The seed for her book was sown while undertaking a double Masters – Landscape Architecture, at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Alnarp) and University of Melbourne (Parkville/Burnley). The book expands on her academic work and draws on experiences and reflections on restorative and therapeutic green spaces across Europe, Asia, North and Central America.
Sandra continues to share her learning with others, such as the University of Melbourne (Burnley Campus), expand her research and understanding of the many benefits of green spaces and she volunteers weekly at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, helping care for the gardens that are so appreciated by the patients, staff and visitors.
Owen Neil
Owen is a self-confessed Carnivorous plant nerd. His intrigue for these weird and wonderful plants began at a young age, quickly becoming an obsession. Over 35 years Owen has grown and bred many species. Sarracenia Trumpet Pitcher plants among his favourites. Situated in Goulburn NSW the cool winters and warm summers offer ideal growing conditions for his Award-winning plants.
His enthusiasm for his plants is matched by his desire to share the secrets of these remarkable and beautiful botanical marvels.
In addition to being a guest speaker at the National Arboretum in Canberra, Owen has spoken to horticulture students, garden clubs, and schools. Owen has spent time in the wilds of Northern America observing many of the species he has grown in their natural habitats.
He has taken out multiple awards and championships in competitions from local shows to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Clive Larkman
Clive has worked in horticulture since travelling across Asia, UK and USA. With a degree in Biology, diploma in Philosophy.
He and his family, have built Larkman Nurseries and Romantic Nursery into key production nurseries and the Herb-Chilli Festival into a major event.
He sat on key Agribusiness bodies: NGIV, IPPS, Primary Training, AIH, TALGA, AgYV, VAC and a local councillor and was International IPPS president.
Clive has a passion for plants and cooking and gets satisfaction from teaching how to grow and use herbs. His philosophy is, life is for living and knowledge is for sharing.
David Liddle
David Liddle is an expert plantscaper who has been working in the industry for 20 years. David presents on Outdoors/Indoors in Adelaide, writes for Vasilis magazine and absolutely loves the garden.