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

This early autumn walk is around and about the Rock Garden. But first note the flowers in the pots outside the Visitor Centre, which include the cup-shaped down-turned mauve flowers of Thomasia tremandroides.

Most plants mentioned will be quite small. One exception is Banksia integrifolia var. integrifolia [Section 15C] with lemon upright cylindrical flower spikes amid the silver-backed foliage snaking across the path. Crowea exalata ‘Pink Blush’ [Section 15C] has an array of almost white, but not quite, star-like flowers over this small open shrub. Couldn’t miss the enormous red metal totem ‘Ancestral Offering’ [Section 15D] by Francine Secretan, beside which is a waratah, Telopea mongaensis x speciosissima [Section 15D], a large shrub exhibiting few out-of-season open red flowers.

Nestled between rocks, Brachycome tatei [Section 15F] is a small dwarf plant highlighted with yellow-centred mauve daisies. Accompanying it is Dampiera altissima [Section 15F] with dark blue flowers and green-grey foliage. Standing tall in the centre of this garden is Alyogyne huegelii ‘West Coast Gem’ [Section 15F] bearing deep purple hibiscus-like flowers. Around the corner Lomandra leucocephala subsp. robusta [Section 15F] is a small tufted plant with narrow leaves, interesting with dense clusters of cream flowers encircling the stems at intervals. Halgania cyanea var. tuberculosa [Section 15G] is small and attractive with deep blue flowers.

Verticordia pennigera [Section 15H] is dwarf and upright, with clusters of pink frilly flowers. Around the corner Grevillea lanigera [Section 15H] flows down the slope, well covered with its lovely flowers coloured shades of red. Edging it, Dampiera stricta [Section 15W] has lovely blue flowers on upright stems and Ptilotus nobilis [Section 15W] has upright stems of cream woolly flower heads.

On the far side of the Rock Garden, near the Armillary Sphere Sundial, Astartea heteranthera [Section 15R] is a small open shrub with small red buds opening to small white flowers along its lateral branches. Snug between other plants, Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 15L] is decorated with light gold upright flower spikes. Opposite Scaevola phlebopetala [Section 15P] has long stems hugging the earth and bearing yellow-centred, deep purple fan flowers. Lobelia alata [Section 15P], with tiny blue flowers, is dense and vigorously creeping across the path. Brachycome multifida ‘Evan’ [Section 15S] is another small compact plant displaying mauve daisies. Goodenia cycloptera [Section 15S] has cheery yellow flowers along its trailing stems while high on the bank, Crowea ‘Festival’ [Section 15S] is colourful with deep pink star flowers over a fairly open shrub.

Before inspecting the many totems and amulets on the Rock Garden Lawn, view another trailing plant, Hemigenia sp. [Section 15V] clad with bright mauve bugle-shaped flowers.

Such flowers ...

Barbara Daly.