WHENEVER Jane Edmanson sees the flowering blue petals of the jacaranda, she's reminded of the main street of her home town, Mildura.

"And whenever I smell orange blossom it reminds me of my childhood and October back home," says the garden guru.

"My father was very innovative - he and my mum had an orange orchard - and he was the first avocado grower and the first to use a drip-watering system rather than the overhead sprinklers.

"My parents still live there, although they're retired off the orchard now."

It was these early forays into the world of plants and farming that instilled in Jane a love of the natural world that, over 30 years, has established her as a state and national horticultural treasure, as a presenter on ABC's Gardening Australia, a broadcaster on 3AW's Big Backyard and author of six books.

It is this green genius that is now collated in her latest book, From The Ground Up: A Complete Garden Guide for Victorian Gardeners.

The 250-plus page hardback has been specifically developed for all Victorian gardeners, from beginners to the more advanced.

With three decades of knowledge and a vast repertoire of plants to draw on, how do you compile such a book?

"I do a lot of travelling around Victoria and see all types of gardens and through my work on radio and TV I hear from hundreds of thousands of gardeners," she says.

"I see how people are reacting to the really dry and hot times and what information they are wanting.

"I think a whole generation has missed out on basic gardening knowledge.

"As the title says, it's starting from the soil. I think people have forgotten the basis of where plants start.

"You need to know how to rejuvenate the soil."

Jane also worked with plant societies to narrow down the choice of plants.

"How on earth do you pick top grevillias, for instance?

"I had to go by what I've seen and so I've left out some of the passing fads."

She says her best advice is to avoid a prescriptive approach to creating gardens, adding that the best are the ones with a personal touch.

"I appreciate what landscapers do but I like people to be able to put their own stamp on their own garden."

Jane says her own garden in Melbourne is a "tough, hardy" one that has not used mains water for about four years, and she "doesn't let a drop go to waste".

While admitting she can't abide being political - "I like being nice to people" - she is frustrated by government water policy.

She believes storm water should be the focus of investment rather than desalination.

She says climate change has become a confused concept to the average person, thanks to political bickering.

Most importantly, she says gardeners shouldn't be blamed for water use.