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

Admire the lovely mottled red trunks and the clusters of fluffy white flowers of the Smooth-barked Apple, Angophora costata [Sections 168, 169], in the car park. In the moon-shaped garden, see the blue flowers of Dampiera sylvestris [Section 174] amid the entanglement of the silvery white branches of Leucophyta brownii 'Cape Le Grand' [Section 174].

In front of the Café building, where cooling drinks are welcome, Bracteantha bracteata 'Dargan Hill Monarch' [Section 131] display their papery yellow daisies. From here a long leisurely walk is recommended to wander along the far side of the Sydney Region Gully. On the way, Grevillea diminuta [Section 178] has fine rust-coloured flower clusters pendent from the open branches and, near the sleeping wombat, Melaleuca hypericifolia [Section 143] has rust red bottlebrush-like flowers amid its foliage. Continue along this road where numerous banksias have their first flower spikes. At the far end Banksia serrata [Section 28] is a tall dense shrub with dark saw-tooth leaves and large cylindrical grey-green flower spikes.

Enter the Sydney Region Gully at the speed bump sign where Epacris longifolia [Section 191] displays its fine red tubular flowers with white tips. The gully is covered with the graceful tree ferns, Dicksonia australis [Section 191] and Cyathea sp. [Section 191] above which the tall pink trunks of Angophora costata rise. Along the path Brunoniella australis [Section 191] is a small compact plant dotted with open mauve flowers. Arching over the path Bursaria spinosa [Section 191] stretches its branches covered with small cream flowers. Dampiera stricta [Section 191] is a dense suckering low-growing plant bright with deep blue flowers on upright stems. Behind, Hibbertia pedunculata [Section 191] is also a dense semi-prostrate plant, bright with small yellow flowers. Crowea exalata [Section 191] is a small shrub bearing pink star flowers while, lower down, Bauera rubioides [Section 191] is quite dense also bearing pink flowers. As a backdrop, the small tree in the gully with a covering of cream flowers is Backhousia myrtifolia [Section 191]. At the road junction a tea-tree, Leptospermum petraeum [Section 191], is well covered with bright white open flowers.

Cross the road to admire the graceful Christmas Bell, Blandfordia grandiflora [Section 191] with large orange-red bell-shaped flowers with yellow mouths on upright stems. Nearby the NSW Christmas Bush, Ceratopetalum gummiferum [Section 191] has terminal sprays of small white flowers just changing to its renowned waxy-red calyces which resemble flowers. At this place, too, see Boronia polygalifolia [Section 191] with tiny pink star flowers on this prostrate plant.

The path then continues around to the other side of the gully (to the tune of croaking frogs) where velvety Flannel Flowers, Actinotus helianthi 'Federation Star' [Section 191] encircle the sitting area.

A cooler and relaxing area for a hot day…

Barbara Daly.