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

This walk will select pockets of plants along the Main Path which is always a pleasant walk. Starting at the end of the Café building passing by Bracteantha bracteata ‘Diamond Head’ [Section 131] which bears yellow straw daisies on small dense plants.

Emu bushes include Eremophila glabra [Section 302], with scarlet bugle flowers on a small shrub with grey-green foliage, and Eremophila maculata [Section 302], with yellow flowers amid green foliage. Another plant with grey-green foliage is Bracteantha sp. [Section 303]. It has erect stems with large yellow straw daisies. The backdrop is Callistemon citrinus [Section 9], a large rounded shrub clad with red bottlebrush flowers. Brachycome ‘Misty Pink’ [Section 303] has varying shades of mauve daisies over small cushion plants. Over the way, kangaroo paws are still flowering, Anigozanthos ‘Bush Glow’ [Section 8], showing off its bright yellow flowers on long upright stems, is most apparent. Grevillea acanthifolia [Section 30] is low with long lateral branches of sharp, divided leaves and soft pink toothbrush-like flowers. Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 30] is a dwarf plant decorated with many thin upright candle-like immature flower spikes just maturing to soft gold flower spikes.

Follow the path to the Sydney Region Gully through the Eucalyptus mannifera trees with their startling grey-white mottled trunks. Opposite the lookout over the gully, Scaevola ramosissima var. ramosissima [Section 191] is a prostrate plant with bright purple fan-flowers dotted along its small branches. Fringe Lily, Thysanotus juncifolius [Section 191] has fringed, three-petalled flowers of a similar shade on bare upright stems. Dampiera stricta [Section 191] has blue flowers on upright stems while Epacris impressa [Section 191] has stems dense with hot pink tubular flowers and a trigger plant, Stylidium lineare [Section 191], also has pink flowers on upright bare stems. In the display area at the top of this weaving path, Crowea saligna [Section 191] hugs the rocks displaying its charming pink star flowers. Nearby, Platysace clelandii [Section 191] displays its clusters of small white flowers over a neat and rounded shrub.

Stroll through the cool Eucalypt Lawns, where evening concerts are held on Saturdays and now the shiny black ravens are orchestrating, to the Rock Garden. Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 15R] borders the path with small clusters of glowing orange flowers against its green foliage. In front of the waterfall, Lythrum salicaria [Section 15D] has pink flowers on tall stems and Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’ [Section 15D], with red toothbrush-like flowers, cascades down the rock face.

See, and read about the Wollemi Pine, Wollemia nobilis [Section 110] in its gilt cage and, behind the next sign, Eucryphia wilkiei [Section 109] is yet small but with many white, open flowers. Into the Rainforest, so cool and green. A slim tree, Syzygium australe, near the seat, [Section 148] presents its white fluffy flowers.

Such plants!

Barbara Daly.