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

The red of the Lechenaultia formosa in the pot outside the Visitor Centre is really brilliant. Other small plants along Banks Walk include Hemigenia sp. [Section 174] with prominently lipped, tubular mauve flowers and Scaevola 'Pink Perfection' [Section 174] which presents its soft pink fan flowers along trailing stems. The latter grows amid the silver-grey Leucophyta brownii 'Cape le Grande' [Section 174].

Edging the road on the far side of the Rainforest Gully the Native Raspberry, Rubus hillii [Section 114,104], is bearing small red fruits. Hibiscus heterophyllus [Section 104] is tall with narrow leaves and large white flowers smudged with red. Hibiscus splendens [Section 104] has larger, hairy leaves and cherry pink flowers while nearby, Hibiscus divaricatus [Section 104] has bold yellow flowers. Opposite, Lythrum salicaria [Section 78] is capped with small pink flowers. This plant usually likes to grow in moist areas but grows quite well here.

In the triangular bed Dampiera stricta [section 17], with bright blue flowers on upright stems, and Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 17], covered with button-sized clusters of brilliant orange flowers on grey foliage, blend well together. Looking over the Rock Garden, the straw daisies, Bracteantha bracteata [Section 15], are brilliantly yellow. The recent gusty winds and the very hot days have played havoc with plants in the Gardens. However Thomasia petalocalyx [Section 15H], with dusky pink downturned flowers surrounded by the stark white fan flowers of Scaevola albida var. albida, still looks handsome. Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H], looks great too, with its brilliant blue flowers densely packed on upright stems.

Another area worth a visit is along the road towards the Sydney Region Flora. Worth viewing are the colourful Christmas Bells, Blandfordia grandiflora [Section 191], on the far side of the Gully. Set in amid sandstone rocks, these tufted plants with upright flower spikes on top of which are numerous bell-like flowers coloured orange-red and tipped with yellow are really lovely. Back, along the road, Scaevola ramosissima var. ramosissima [Section 191] are rounded cushion plants studded with its white-centred mauve fan flowers. At the corner, Grevillea victoriae [Section 191] is a small, open shrub decorated with pendent red flowers and, nearby, Crowea saligna [Section 191] is of similar size, bearing soft pink, starry flowers. The opposite corner contains Melaleuca thymifolia [Section 19] clad with its mauve, feathery flowers.

Returning and close to the road, Banksia robur [Section 27] is multi-trunked with large leathery leaves, its cylindrical flower spikes a striking bottle green, which fades to cream. Opposite, Banksia aemula [Section 24] is most floriferous with its many cylindrical silky greenish-yellow flower spikes. Grevillea rhyolitica subsp. rhyolitica [Section 24], nearby, is a small shrub adorned with pendant red flowers.

Hot days, windy days, flowers persist …

Barbara Daly.