In Flower This Week A weekly news-sheet prepared by a Gardens volunteer  Numbers in brackets [ ] refer to garden bed 'Sections'.

Even car-parks can be beautified with such trees as the Smooth-barked Apple, Angophora costata subsp. costata [Sections 169,168] with mottled pink trunk and clusters of lacy, white flowers. A kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos 'Bush Dawn' [Section 169] with cheery yellow flowers, growing from the rock retaining wall, is one of many seen throughout the Gardens.

This leisurely walk is in the Sydney Region Flora so, on the way view Eryngium ovinum [Section 210] (behind the seat) with metallic blue flowers surrounded by prickly bracts, an odd and interesting plant. Opposite, Eremophila nivea [Section 174] is upright with soft mauve bugle flowers amid the grey foliage. Baeckea virgata 'Howie's Feathertips' [Section 124] with a weeping habit, is floriferous with small, white flowers and, edging this avenue, is the parent species Baeckea virgata [Section 9]. Near the large black trunk of Eucalyptus smithii [Section 9], Gully Gum, Melaleuca pentagona var. subulifolia [Section 9] is a small, open shrub which has small fluffy flower balls in shades of mauve. Banksia robur [Section 28] has large leathery leaves with flower spikes shaded bottle green when young, changing to lemon when ageing. Some shrubs have red veined leaves and others have lemon veins.

Walk under the branches of Saw Banksia, Banksia serrata [Section 27] with serrated leaves and grey cylindrical flower spikes. Grevillea 'Framptons Hybrid' [Section 25] bears red toothbrush-like flowers over a large, spreading shrub and in the distance, Lomatia silaifolia [Section 25] with softly divided leaves, is bright with sprays of cream flowers. Small birds, including the New Holland Honey Eater and the Eastern Spinebill are common. Likewise the tiny Fairy Wren, so colourfully blue.

Enter the wind-blown Sydney Flora Region on the far side of the gully. See Epacris longiflora [Section 191] bearing bright red tubular flowers with white mouths, over a low entanglement of stems. Crowea exalata [Section 191] is a small shrub with pink, starry flowers and Geebung, Persoonia pinifolia [Section 191] is a tall shrub with soft, fine foliage and spikes of yellow flowers suspended from pendulous branches. Nearby is a suckering patch of Dampiera stricta [Section 191] with many upright stems of attractive purple-blue flowers, behind which is Hibbertia pendunculata [Section 191] a dense groundcover dotted with bright yellow flowers.

Sadly a banksia tree has fallen beside the path, but continue, for in the enclosure of the Blandfordia Swamp, Christmas bells, Blandfordia grandiflora [Section 191] with large bell-like red flowers tipped with yellow on upright stems, grow amid sandstone rocks … quite a sight … Outside the enclosure glimpses of the NSW Christmas bush, Ceratopetalum gummiferum [Section 191] can be seen. It is still covered with tiny white flowers but a dash of the reddened calyces can be seen. The masses of soft white flowers on upright shrubs in the gully are those of Bursaria lasiophylla [Section 191].

Many flowers … leisurely walking.

Barbara Daly.