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

Absorb the beauty of the artworks in the exhibition 'Floral Impressions' in the Visitor Centre, then come and see some of the living floral wonderland outdoors. An unusual feature is a second flush of waratahs.

Included in the display pots is Pandorea 'Southern Bells' with large, pink trumpet-like flowers. The many flowers along Banks Walk include Crowea saligna [Section 174] with waxy pink flowers dotted over a small shrub. Continuing, Callistemon 'Howies Fire Glow' [Section 124] is radiant with fiery red bottlebrushes arranged over a tall, open shrub. Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' [Section 124] is neat and dense with divided leaves highlighted with sprays of red flowers. Towards the Rock Garden, Correa alba var. alba [Section 107], with silver-edged leaves and white, tubeless flowers, hugs the white trunk of Eucalyptus mannifera [Section 107]. Callistemon brachyandrus [Section 110] covers its small red bottlebrushes with yellow anthers and Callistemon pachyphyllus 'Smoked Salmon' [Section 110] has pinkish flowers, with imagination the colour of pink salmon.

The Rock Garden has much to offer. The yellow straw daisies, Bracteantha bracteata [Sections 15A, 15B, 15C] have self-seeded and are brilliant. Darling Lily, Crinum flaccidum [Section 15C, 15B], is quite spectacular. Its large, white trumpet-shaped flowers are grouped on top of a long, upright stem surrounded by long, arching leaves. Garland Lily, Calostemma purpureum [Section 15B, 15F], bears smaller trumpet-shaped flowers grouped on top of shorter stems. The flowers are pink with a yellow centre. Eremophila maculata var. brevifolia [Section 15F], in the centre of this bed, has magenta-coloured bugle flowers.

Edging this narrow path Crowea 'Festival' [Section 123] is highlighted with bright pink starry flowers over the neat, rounded shrub. Acacia longissima [Section 123] is of medium size with long, fine leaves and with short, rod-like cream flower heads.

Somewhat higher, Grevillea beadleana [Section 37] has velvety textured divided leaves and burgundy, almost black, toothbrush flowers. The Braidwood Waratah, Telopea mongaensis [Section 37], edges this path. The shrubs are quite open and are adorned with a few open, red flowers. This section also contains many banksias which include Banksia marginata [Section 37], the only naturally occurring species in this region. It has dark, dense foliage illuminated with lime-coloured short, flower spikes. Banksia media [Section 37] is about 30 years old with trunk almost parallel with the earth. It has an abundance of large, dense, cylindrical flower spikes coloured creamy-yellow, bronze, brown -a mix of colours and great to marvel at. Banksia speciosa [Section 37], opposite the Rainforest, has long, narrow, soft textured grey-green deeply serrated leaves and flat green, squat flower spikes. The new growth is rust coloured.

Such flowers - such birdlife … Barbara Daly.