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

This lovely autumn weather makes pleasurable walking where flowers, including banksias, wattles and others, are so colourful. Flowers on the way include Scaevola ‘New Blue’ [Section 174] which edges Banks Walk. This small prostrate plant is bright with blue fan flowers. Alyxia ruscifolia subsp. ruscifolia [Section 125], edging the inner path in the Rainforest, is of medium size with leaves in whorls and small white perfumed flowers. Notice the first few small orange fruits. (Today the gardens are rocking with the laughter of the kookaburras!) Acronychia littoralis [Section 114] is a tall shrub with glossy leaves and massed with lemon star-shaped flowers. Also worth viewing, Hakea laurina [Section 20] is crowned with quite large and lovely red flower balls spiked with lemon styles.

Opposite the Nursery, Grevillea lanigera [Section 300] makes a desirable ground- cover with spider flowers in shades of pink. Brachycome multifida ‘Breakoday’ [Section 300] has soft green cushions bright with small mauve daisies. At the crossroads, Thryptomene saxicola ‘Pink Lace’ [Section 41] is a small open shrub covered with pink flowers so desirable for floral arrangements. Auranticarpa rhombifolia (the new name for Pittosporum rhombifolium) [Section 96] is a slim small tree with branches heavy with bunches of orange fruits and glossy leaves.

Taking the narrow, mossy green path, Hakea drupacea (the new name for Hakea suaveolens) [Section 75] is almost 40 years old, with long prostrate curvaceous trunk and upright branches of long needle leaves amid ovoid masses of perfumed cream flowers tipped with pink styles. Grevillea triloba [Section 75], seen below the path, is laden with perfumed white feathery flowers. Hakea verrucosa [Section 75] is an old, collapsed shrub still producing attractive bright pink flowers. Opposite, Acacia saliciformis is a graceful tree with large pendulous branches clad with clusters of cream, woolly flower balls. Banksia oblongifolia [Section 75] is a low shrub displaying its matt green flower spikes on lateral spreading branches. At this corner, the brilliance of the gold, almost red, flower spikes of Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia is a photographer’s delight.

Take the upper path to view Acacia terminalis [Section 77] with cream flower balls amid its dark fern-like leaves, and Port Lincoln Wattle, Acacia iteaphylla [Section 77], with many green trunks has short fine leaves and yellow flower balls. Not far along the top road, Acacia jibberdingensis (named after the WA town, Jibberding) is a tree worth seeing. Its branches curve anywhere, some reclining, others upright, all adorned with long fine leaves and vivid gold rod-like flower heads ... strange but worth admiration.

Returning along the lower road, there are other plants of many colours, all there to be enjoyed.

Really great walking ...

Barbara Daly.