Larry Smith and the Riverside Gardens team talk all things pots, plants and pruning in their weekly gardening column.

I hope all the mums had a great Mother’s Day last Sunday.

It was nice to see so many take up our offer of free golf for mums on the day.

It was interesting just how competitive family mini golf can become, with a lot of trash-talking still going as they came back through the shop.

It was also good to see so many people out enjoying our gardens.

The puzzling thing now is that traditionally, after Mother’s Day, the nursery drifts into its quietest few weeks of the year.

There seems to be reason for this, but it happens every year, and still, it catches us off guard.

This year, however, with the run of warmer weather we have been enjoying, it will be interesting to see if we can stay busy until the bare-rooted season kicks in next month.

That’s a reminder, too, that with the bare-rooted season approaching, some of the popular lines are starting to run low, so be sure to get your orders in soon to avoid disappointment.

The bare-rooted season refers to roses and deciduous trees and shrubs being sold with their roots bare, not covered with soil in pots.

It is the only time of the year that they can be sold in this way.

It only starts once they have gone dormant and finishes as they start to bud up again.

Being dormant, the plants can be handled this way without too much stress, as long as they are cared for properly.

The roots should always be covered to keep them damp and not left to dry out in the open air.

Most important, though, is that they need to be dormant throughout the process.

Lifted out of the ground too early or replanted too late will dramatically decrease their chances of survival.

A large majority of customers over the coming months are looking for a splash of colour to add to their gardens to brighten them up over the winter months.

Much to their surprise, there are plenty of options available for most styles of gardens and most growing conditions within the garden.

Perennial Nemesia offers a huge hit of colour from now through to late spring.

Growing to around 40cm high, they come in a range of colours, some with a slight fragrance as a bonus.

Nesia Bananaberry, with flowers that have yellow petals with a pink reverse, or Nesia Tutti Fruitti, with pink and white petalled flowers, are two favourites that love a sunny position.

The ever-reliable Marguerite daisy, Argyranthemum frutescens, is another good option for winter colour.

If given a cut back in late summer, they will flower right through the winter months.

The newer varieties of Argyranthemum are a lot more compact and floriferous than the old common Marguerite, and they are still just as hardy.

Angelonia angustifolia will flower mainly through winter in our region, despite what you may read on the label.

They love an open sunny garden or display pot.

Growing to about 40cm high, they require little more than a good cut back after flowering and an occasional feed.

Angelonia Archangel Dark Rose has spires of small deep pink flowers on multiple stems all over the plant, as does Angelonia Archangel White.

Ground cover Verbena plants are always a good choice to add a bit of low colour to a full-sun to partly shaded garden.

Flowering in flushes over the year, they seem to be forever putting on a display.

Some varieties will need a heavy cut back from time to time, but most are fairly maintenance-free and just require a seasonal feed.

Looking pretty and colourful in the Garden Centre now are Verbena Drums Bicolour Blue White and Verbena Vanessa Pink.

Perennial wallflowers are starting to flower now, and their heads of small flowers will continue to grow up in towers on top of each other for months to come.

Botanically known as Erysimum, they come in a range of varieties and colours.

The most well-known would be Winter Joy or Bowles Mauve, which are both mauve.

I prefer varieties such as Fuchsia Glow, which has multiple-coloured flowers in the one flower head — yellow, terracotta, dusky pink and mauve — or Brightside Orange Glow, with yellow, apricot, dusky pink and orange all in one flower head.

Erysimum Fragrant Sunshine will give you a real hit of small bright yellow flowers with a soft fragrance.

Erysimum will need a heavy cut back at the end of their flower season when there are only a few flowers left on top of theirs, by then, long flower stems.

Then there is a huge range of Salvia plants that will flower their heads off for months.

These adaptable plants will grow in a wide range of soil types and growing conditions but will struggle in heavy shade.

We have a good variety of these in stock in all sorts of colours and leaf types.

So, if you are looking for a bit of colour to lift your spirits over the winter months, drop in and have a chat with one of our experienced, qualified crew.

They are passionate gardeners who love helping and inspiring people to have success in their gardens.

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Saturday, 8th March 2025

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