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

Looking around the streets of Shepparton at this time of year, it is hard not to be impressed at the riot of low-growing spring colour that adorns so many people’s front gardens.

So, it is no wonder that so many of our customers are asking how they can incorporate the same into their gardens, with many surprised at just how easy it is.

There is such a huge range to choose from that will put on a stunning display over the spring and summer months, even in those difficult-to-grow places or neglected parts of the garden.

Some of our own Australian native plants can really be useful in adding colour to these tricky spots and are well worth considering.

Old faithfuls like Brachyscome angustifolia are a proven winner, especially some of the improved forms like Fresco Bright Pink or Fresco Candy.

These compact plants have a slow suckering habit that forms a tight mound, are early flowering varieties, and then flower continuously through the warmer months.

Growing in full sun, they will reach about 40cm wide and 20cm high and require only a little water and maintenance once established.

Dampiera cobalt mound is a lovely low-maintenance, dwarf, compact form of Dampiera linearis.

It is a low mounding native plant with masses of stunning bright blue flowers from spring to summer.

It has a natural compact habit with small light green leaves, grows best in full sun to light shade, and likes a moist, well-drained soil.

Fully grown, it will get to around half a metre wide and 30cm high.

Scaevola fan flowers are strong-growing native ground covers with a prolific display of fan-shaped or half-daisy-shaped flowers that appear over the warmer months and even well into autumn.

They are ideal for cascading over retaining walls or embankments, or for forming a compact ground cover mat to around 20cm high and 150cm wide.

Looking good in the Garden Centre now is a variety called Fantasy Purple, with its purple petals and white throat.

Scaevolas are easy to grow, require very little maintenance, and are suited to full sun or partly shaded positions.

Even with its small yellow flowers, Chrysocephalum apiculatum Desert Flame will add a splash of colour to a dry patch of garden.

Desert Flame is another native ground cover with beautiful silvery-grey foliage and a blaze of small golden-yellow button flowers throughout the year.

The stems of foliage lie flat along the ground, with flower-bearing tips turning upwards.

They can look impressive when mass planted or dotted through other plants, using their silver foliage as a contrast.

Carpobrotus rossii, the giant pigface, has been putting on an impressive display around town, and probably none better than around Lake Victoria where a purple variety has been flowering for weeks now.

This ground-hugging native succulent with thick fleshy leaves and bright daisy-like flowers will thrive in full sun to part shade and survive on whatever water comes from above.

I should probably not finish without mentioning Osteospermums, which have been looking brilliant lately.

Although they are not native, they grow beautifully in those hot, sunny spots where many other plants struggle.

These African daisies, or Cape daisies as they are often known, have become very popular over recent years, with a huge increase in the varieties available.

Growing to about 50cm high and 1m wide, they prefer full sun.

They will flower for a few months in a range of colours from white, bright yellow, purple, burnt orange, peach pink, bi-colours and blended two-tone shades.

There is just so much low flowering colour to choose from in garden centres at the moment.

I have not even touched on some great ones like Calibrachoa, Dianthus or Phlox that need just a little care and attention to perform at their best, but will put on a beautiful display in your garden with that bit of help.

So, it is well worth calling in to have a look at the range on offer, as you are sure to find something to suit.

Just quickly before I go, we have had a few customers coming in recently with elm leaves from their trees at home already showing signs of elm leaf beetle damage.

This is a little bit earlier than usual, so it is time to act now if you want to do your bit to prevent the spread of this problem.

If you have an elm tree in your garden, have a look to see if small holes are starting to appear on the leaves.

If so, take some photos or bring in some leaves and we will advise you on how best to treat the tree, but don’t put it off because it does not take long for this problem to get out of hand.

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Sunday, 2nd January 2028

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