Welcome.
There were a couple of reasons why I wanted to have a chat with the Smith family.
I have known of the longevity of their nursery for several decades; and something about their history. In addition, I assisted with the marketing of Emerald Bank for a period, tasked with bedding down the brand — and, at that time, got to know some members of the family. It’s a long time ago now; how quickly the years have passed!
Also, it’s a local business — a family business — and, in my opinion, well worthy of our support. And, I must confess, whenever I go to Emerald Bank, for whatever reason, I always park outside the nursery — just in case I need to carry something to the car.
Riverside Gardens, in its current ownership, was ‘born’ in 1982.
It has been said that, if you turn a hobby into a job, you never work a day in your life; but Bob and Moira Smith didn’t quite agree with that. They had been hard workers all their lives — and said opening a nursery didn’t change that at all.
Of course, they had strong support from their son Larry, who was a horticulturist working at Government House, and from another son, Murray, who did his apprenticeship under Larry’s guidance. A third son, Rodney, joined later — followed by daughter-in-law Simone — and now, grandson Adrian has joined the business, part-time.
By the river
Originally, Riverside Gardens was situated on the banks of the Broken River, on Melbourne Rd, and the family traded successfully for 12 years — until the floods came. The chest-high water took everything with it — every plant and tree, and even the gravel. It broke hearts, but not spirits. With the support of its suppliers and hands-on help from customers and friends, the nursery grew once more.
I’ve said this previously because I’ve encountered this before. Loyalty is just as important in business as it is in our private lives; and, when the need is there, suppliers and supporters will respond to that loyalty, by offering a helping hand. We get what we give!
On a wing and a prayer
In 1997 — four years after the flood — the Smith family relocated the nursery to Emerald Bank. At that stage, the motel on the block next door was open, but there were no other occupants on site except, Larry said, for a few cows. The family shared Lloyd Mawson’s vision for Emerald Bank. And it was a courageous decision; seven kilometres from the city, they set about getting the product right. Eventually awareness of their relocation began to grow, as did customer numbers. However, it was four years before The Woolshed joined the party.
Best nursery in the state
They certainly got the product right. A little later, they were to win the ‘Best Nursery in Victoria’ award — three years in a row. The award is no longer presented; however, if you’ve visited Riverside recently, you’ll probably agree that they’d be very hard to beat today.
They travelled to see what their industry was achieving, in Europe and the UK, and came home reassured — but not self-satisfied — that they were up there with the best. Today, like all good retailers, they continue to evolve and re-evaluate their product, making stock adjustments to meet the needs of their customers.
Around 2004, a fire in the gift shop caused some consternation and created a lot of repair work; however, it is difficult to find traces of it today.
The effect of the lockdowns
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, they continued to trade, using ‘click and collect’. The customer base remained strong and, in fact, expanded, as non-gardeners suddenly found it a creative and relaxing experience. However, to make sure their customers were happy with their purchases, the staff used video, photography and today’s technology to show people exactly what they were buying. Many of the customers they gained are still with them today — still learning from the experience and expertise of the family. They learn what grows, in this part of the world, and what doesn’t; and they come from far and wide: Deniliquin, Echuca, Wangaratta and Kilmore.
We talked for a while about Shepparton’s clay, which is laced with patches of sandy soil. I said that Hawdon and Bonney — supposedly the first white men to visit our area — had written that the soil was sandy and not well-suited to growing anything. However, in this century, we are not quite sure where they were when this was written. Their original route doesn’t appear to include us — and no-one took any notice of their advice anyway.
Today — at Riverside Gardens
Bob, the visionary patriarch, has retired and is — once more — a hobby gardener. He has three acres of garden, which keep him happy and busy. Five members of the family, plus four staff members, look after the still-expanding nursery. Their specialist offerings are trees in an advanced period of growth, and there are plenty from which to choose.
The beautiful gardens, behind the nursery and extending through to MOVE, are available for you. I strongly suggest you take a stroll through them when next at Emerald Bank. They are popular for weddings, as well as wedding and debutante photography — and for family picnics.
‘Laugh-a-lot links’ mini golf meanders through the gardens and is great fun and frequently enjoyed by all age groups, particularly young adults.
And the gift shop is ‘to die for’. If you are hunting for a gift, it really should be your first stop — and if you are not gift hunting, call in anyway.
And it’s locally owned
I know I rattle on about buying local at every opportunity. I do this because I love this city and I want it to continually offer something unique and special; to differentiate itself from other regional centres. There are chain stores everywhere, offering the same products, but our local stores are not replicated anywhere.
Businesses such as Riverside Gardens bring people to our city, therefore offering others opportunity — they are not going back to Deni without lunch, are they?
Riverside Gardens is open seven days. From 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays and, on the weekends, the team has a sleep-in, opening from 9am to 5pm.
My recent small purchase
My older granddaughter, the first girl child I had the opportunity of spoiling, recently told me she had a very early memory. I was in my rocking chair, giving her a baby bottle. I was also singing This old man came rolling home. Just as she was going to sleep, I told her I loved her to the moon and back.
She also told me where the chair was situated in the room but couldn’t remember what colour it was at the time. (I’ve re-upholstered that chair and its matching footstool four times over the years, and it has been moved around a lot.)
Last week, I ‘just happened’ to go in to Riverside Gardens and saw a little cream-coloured plaster wall hanger — on which was written ‘Love you to the moon and back’.
Perfect! She’ll love it — and I’m not waiting until her birthday!
Our new railway schedule
It’s likely that Wendy Lovell is right (she usually is) and that our daily, nine return trips to the capital will be some time in the future (like our bypass?). Bit rough to blame Suzanna Sheed though. Suzanna didn’t create this enormous debt with future repayments of $21 million per day! Per day!
By the way — I think all those with republican sentiments stopped reading Town Talk two years ago! Thanks for your support regarding last week’s royal story.
God bless you all — keep warm and be kind.
May it be easy, my friends.
Marnie
Email: towntalk@sheppnews.com.au
Letter: Town Talk. Shepparton News. P.O. Box 204. Shepparton 3631.
Phone: Send a text on 0418 962 507. (Note: text only. I will call you back, if you wish.)