7 December John Arnott joined by Jane Tonkin, Loretta Childs and Tex Moon with special guests, Jane Edmanson and Dr Kylie Soanes

Sunday, 7 December 2025 - 7:30am

On Sunday 7 December, John Arnott - horticulturist, was joined by: Jane Tonkin - Tonkin’s Bulbs and Perennials; Loretta Childs - Loretta Childs Landscape Design; and Tex Moon - Director of Horticulture, Cranbourne Gardens RBGV. The panel had a lovely chat with gardening royalty Jane Edmanson and took the opportunity to thank her from the 3CR Gardening Show team and our listeners for her amazing contribution to Australian gardening. Thanks to all our listeners that texted in messages of appreciation to Jane during the show. We relayed them to Jane after the show! We also chatted with Kylie Soanes about the current campaign to nominate a Floral Emblem for the City of Melbourne. 3CR listeners can cast a vote for their favorite selection by visiting https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/floral-emblemThere was the usual plant chat, listener questions and text messages. Here are a few of the plants that were discussed through the show. Tex mentioned an Acacia covenyi, a rare wattle from the Deua National Park in NSW which he has growing in his garden in Monbulk which he planted with his family on Wattle Day 2021. Tex also discussed some of the trigger plants he has flowering. Jane brought in the relatively easy to grow garden orchid Bletilla striata and discussed the amazing Erythronium patch at her property in the Dandenong Ranges. Jane believes it could be the largest colony of this rare North American wildflower anywhere in the world!"