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

This walk features the Rock Garden, where there are still many colourful plants to enjoy despite the recent heat wave. In an anti-clockwise direction, Hemigenia sp. [Section 15V] is prostrate with mauve bugle-like flowers. Lythrum salicaria [Section 15Q], enjoying the wet situation, reveals its purple flower spikes on long upright stems. Hibbertia pedunculata [Section 15S], on top of the rocks, has bright yellow flowers all over this dense ground cover. Brachycome multifida ‘Evan’ [Section 15S] is cushioned between the rocks with small mauve daisies covering its soft foliage.

Scaevola phlebopetala [Section 15P], with stems creeping over the ground, has deep purple fan flowers with deep yellow centres. Nearby, Ptilotus manglesii [Section 15P] has conical heads of silver and magenta fluffy flowers along its semi-prostrate stems. Opposite, Banksia serrata ‘Austraflora Pigmy Possum’ [Section 15K] is hugging the rocks with tough serrated leaves and a few large, upright, cylindrical grey-green flower spikes. Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 15L] is a dwarf cushion plant with upright ‘candles’ mostly green, some changing to gold.

This small bed is almost covered with Scleranthus biflorus [Section 15N], a fresh green cushion plant. Also in profusion, Bulbine vagans [Section 15N] has bright, star-like yellow flowers on upright stems, surrounded by succulent narrow leaves. An alpine herb, Leucochrysum albicans subsp. alpinum [Section 15N] is attractive with grey foliage and white daisies on upright stems.

Dampiera stricta [Section 15F] is a dense suckering plant crowned with pale blue flowers, crowded between the rocks. Above, Eremophila maculata var. brevifolia [Section 15F] is a small shrub with burgundy-coloured tubular flowers in profusion. On the far side, still small, Pityrodia sp. [Section 15F] has multi-pink bugle flowers. On the horizon, Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 15H] looks grand with copper toned ‘paw’ flowers on elongated stems. Ptilotus nobilis [Section 15H] is also attractive with its fluffy cylindrical matt green flower spikes. On this top road Persoonia linearis x pinifolia [Section 15H] is a medium dense shrub with small yellow flowers in terminal clusters amid fine soft foliage. Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 15H] has a covering of white fan flowers over this low spreading plant while, nearby Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H] is a mass of deep blue flowers over a dense suckering plant.

Down the steps again, view the self-seeded yellow straw daisies, Bracteantha bracteata [Section 15B,C], scattered throughout the area. Garland Lily, Calostemma purpureum [Section 15B] has long strappy leaves and heads of yellow-centred, pinkish, tubular flowers on top of bare upright stems. Around the corner a tufted grass, Pennisetum sp. [Section 15B] is a picture, dense with plumes of feathery purplish flower heads. Darling Lily, Crinum flaccidum [Section 15C] is a large bulbous plant with arching succulent leaves and large open white flowers on long stems … another beauty.

So many more beauties … Barbara Daly.