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

Tis cold, tis blustery, however our fair city is golden with fluffy wattles. Likewise these glorious gardens are also adorned with golden wattles. This walk will include some of the many wattle species in flower and will try to avoid areas where tree limbs may have fallen.

Could not help but admire the retaining wall, in the southern carpark, draped with fluffy balls of gold of the prostrate form of Cootamundra Wattle, Acacia baileyana [Section 227]. The upper retaining wall is draped with the Wyong Wattle, Acacia cardiophylla ‘Golden Lace’ [Section 226], and Acacia cultriformis [Section 226], both well covered with buds just exploding into a picture of glory. Higher still, the cream flowers on an open shrub are those of Acacia genistifolia [Section 225], a local of this area.

Around the corner, Hardenbergia violacea [Section 225], also a local plant, has trailing stems bright with purple pea flowers. Across the road is the Eastern Mallee area. Acacia notabilis [Section 211] is a small tree with small rods of yellow flowers. Along the narrow central path Clematis microphylla [Section 211], a vigorous climber well covered with cream star-shaped flowers, is entwined about a tree trunk. A mint bush, Prostanthera aspalathoides [Section 211] is a small, upright shrub dotted with red tubular flowers. A tea-tree, Leptospermum coriaceum [Section 211], is of medium height and covered with open white flowers. Close by, Westringia crassifolia [Section 211] has a covering of small mauve bugle-shaped flowers along the stems.

Near the poor Mallee Fowl standing alone on its large nest awaiting a mate is Hybanthus floribundus [Section 211], a small upright shrub bright with tiny mauve, almost white, flowers. The bright yellow daisies scattered throughout this area are Senecio lautus subsp. dissectifolius [Section 211]. Another interesting shrub, Bossiaea walkeri [Section 211], is of medium height and quite dense with flattened stems supporting minute leaves and bright red pea-flowers. Another plant growing on Black Mountain and scattered throughout this area is Pimelea linifolia [Section 211], an erect shrub with terminal heads of small white flowers.

Another area to view is across the Rainforest Gully, so dense and green, to a triangular bed of a variety of plants. Epacris calvertiana [Section 17] is a rambling shrub with fine cream tubular flowers dense along its upright stems. Chamelaucium ‘Cascade Brook’ [Section 17] is renowned for its pretty pink waxy flowers. Grevillea alpina (Goldfields form) [Section 17] has pale yellow flowers scattered over the dense shrub. Acacia aphylla [Section 17] is dense with rounded angular stems, now brightened with yellow globular flowers. Bordering the road, Baeckea crassifolia [Section 17] is petite and neat, well covered with tiny pink open flowers.

Blue Fairy Wrens, Eastern Spinebills and New Holland Honeyeaters are just a few of the birds enjoying the offerings of these shrubs.

Some place ... Barbara Daly.