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

Take time to view the unusual yellow Tasmanian Waratah, Telopea truncata [Section 235], which displays its flower on top of the upright shrub. While in this area, spot Eastern Water Dragons, Physignathus lesueurii howittii, sunning themselves on the rocks.

Enjoy the myriads of colourful flowers along the Banks Walk. View Prostanthera magnifica [Section 221], an open shrub with bugle flowers shaded mauve and tan, next to the Visitor Centre building. Flannel Flowers, Actinotus helianthus ‘Federation Star’ [Section 172], with soft velvet foliage and large white flannel daisy-like flowers can be seen in many areas of the Gardens. Leptospermum ‘Silver Fantasy’ [Section 210] seen high on the bank, has a covering of warm pink open-petalled flowers over this neat, rounded shrub. Close to the waterfall, Grevillea johnsonii x wilsonii [Section 210] is tall with fine, pinnate leaves and spikes of bright waxy red open flowers.

Along this road, Melaleuca fulgens ‘Hot Pink’ [Section 126] bears well-named bottle-brush-like flowers. Across the road, a large open shrub, Grevillea ‘Poorinda Leanne’ [Section 124] has apricot-shaded spider flowers while close by, Grevillea ‘Framptons Hybrid’ [Section 1214] has long lateral branches of pink toothbrush flowers. Falling over the corner wall, Bauera rubioides [Section 124] is a double flowered pink form with downturned flowers. Almost opposite, Melaleuca densa [Section 10] is a dense shrub covered with fluffy lemon flower balls.

Take the small path opposite Grevillea sericea [Section 117] which displays its cerise coloured flowers, towards the Gymea Lilies, Doryanthes excelsa [Section 8] with red flower clusters on top of elongated stems. Find Orthrosanthus laxus [Section 8], an iris-like plant, dense with fine strap-like leaves and spikes of china blue flowers rising above the leaves. Thelionema grande [Section 8] is another tufted plant with grass-like leaves that presents deeper blue flowers with bright yellow stamens. Kangaroo Paw cultivar Anigozanthos ‘Bush Glow’ [Section 8] reveals its yellow ‘paw’ flowers and Anigozanthos ‘Bushranger’ [Section 8] shows off its deep red flowers. A waratah cultivar, Telopea ‘Doug’s Hybrid’ [Section 30] continues to produce its large red flower clusters over the large shrub.

Thomasia pauciflora [Section7] is dense, low and spreading, covered with pink-mauve cup-shaped flower sprays. Alyogyne huegelii [Section 30] stands upright and alone, its stark white hibiscus flowers quite startling. Callistemon ‘Austraflora Candle Glow’ [Section 30] is quite a dense shrub bearing many soft lemon bottlebrush flowers.

If returning on the Main Path, a shrub, maybe the plant of the week, Kunzea obovata [Section 11] is really a beauty. Of medium size, this well-manicured shrub is covered in profusion with soft pink fluffy globular flower heads …very nice! Likewise are the tiny brown scrub wrens and the more colourful blue fairy wrens seen scratching in the litter.

Flowers, flowers, lovely flowers …

Barbara Daly.