Val Ellis’ lifelong passion for plants has grown into 16 years of sharing seasonal gardening tips and tricks with local EMFM listeners.
Photo by
Cath Grey
From garden beds to the air waves, Val Ellis has spent the past 16 years putting her green thumb to good use at Radio EMFM.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Long before she was behind the microphone, Val spent her working life around plants, from co-owning a florist nursery in Echuca with her husband Brian to spending 31 years in the plant section at Safeway.
It was a lifetime of horticulture, which eventually steered Val to the radio studio, where she found a new way to share her knowledge with the Echuca-Moama community.
She came across EMFM in 2010, at a time when looking for something to keep her active and connected with the community after retiring.
“I just thought I’d like to talk about plants,” Val said.
She picked up the phone and asked the station if they would be interested in having someone come in to discuss gardening and from there, Val found herself learning the ropes of community radio.
Sixteen years on, her passion for plants has grown into a familiar Thursday morning voice on EMFM where she hosts ‘Val’s Garden Show’ and offers listeners advice on what to plant, when to plant it and how to keep their gardens thriving.
Her gardening advice changes with the seasons, whether it is reminding listeners when to plant bulbs or, as spring gives way to warmer weather, offering advice on establishing a new garden.
She also keeps an eye on what local nurseries have in stock, giving her ideas about different plants which listeners might be considering for their own gardens.
Val encourages gardeners to seek advice before buying, rather than choosing plants based on what looks good on the shelf.
For her, there is real value in visiting a local nursery and speaking to someone who knows what will thrive in the conditions.
While the show’s subject changes with the seasons, Val said gardening itself can be quite repetitive, with many of the same jobs returning each year.
She aims to keep the program fresh by finding new information and different ideas to share.
That includes finding ways to make gardening accessible beyond the traditional backyard gardener, such as suggesting activities grandparents can enjoy with their grandchildren during the school holidays.
During her time with EMFM, she has seen the station become an important way for listeners to hear about everything from library events and church activities to sporting clubs, community gatherings and mental health initiatives.
“It is keeping in touch with the community,” she said.
Her connection with EMFM became particularly important during COVID-19, when many of the activities that normally brought people together became inaccessible.
While people could no longer attend the events and activities they were used to, Val was still able to make the trip to the station and broadcast her program.
It gave her something to do each week and provided a small but important sense of normality at a time when so much had changed.
It’s the response from listeners which continues to make Val’s experience rewarding.
She said listeners will stop her at the supermarket, ask if she’s “the lady who does the garden show,” and tell her they enjoy her program.
So, it turns out, a phone call back in 2010 planted the seeds for Val’s blossoming weekly feature on EMFM.
17°C