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.

The Gardens are golden with wattles. Banksias continue to bloom and many other shrubs are in bud or exploding into springtime wonderland. This walk is along the Main Path where only a few of the many flowers can be mentioned in this news sheet.

Starting at the far end of the Café building, Hardenbergia violacea [Section 12 and elsewhere] has violet pea flowers scattered along its trailing stems. Eremophila maculata subsp. brevifolia [Section 302] is a low open shrub with burgundy tube flowers. Eriostemon verrucosus ‘J. Semmens’ [Section 30] is a small open shrub so attractive with pink buds opening to white double-petalled flowers. In front of the large Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia [Section 30], showing its vivid upright golden cylindrical flower spikes, the prostrate form of Acacia baileyana [Section 30] is dense with yellow fluffy flower balls over its blue-green foliage. (This wattle can also be seen cascading over a retaining wall in the car park.) Grevillea lavandulacea ‘Tanunda’ [Section 30] is a small greyish shrub bright with a shade of red spider flowers spreading over the rock edge. Continuing along this path of many grevilleas, Grevillea dimorpha [Section 24], below the sign, displays its red flowers along upright stems while Grevillea petrophiloides var. petrophiloides [Section 26] exhibits its pink poker-like flowers atop tall, leafless stems. Grevillea flexuosa [Section 26], with sharp divided leaves, bears its flowers like cream candles at the tips of the branches. Correa pulchella [Section 112] has warm red tubular flowers over the upright shrub.

Follow the path through the Sydney Region Gully. Opposite the lookout Epacris impressa [Section 191p] has pink tubular flowers, dense along the upright stems. Cryptandra amara var. amara [Section 191j] is a picture. This low plant has arching branches which are covered in profusion with white buds and tiny white flowers. At the top of this path Hibbertia sericea [Section 191l] is bright with open yellow flowers.

Continue through the Eucalypt Lawn to an area of wattles which includes Acacia fimbriata [Section 18], with low branches massed with yellow flower balls, and Acacia consobrina [Section 18], an open shrub with firm yellow flower balls along its upright branches. Acacia phasmoides [Section 18] is interesting with its sickle-shaped foliage and rod-shaped yellow flowers on an open shrub. Across the road hakeas include Hakea scoparia [Section 20], dense with cream globular flower clusters, and Hakea corymbosa [Section 20], a well-sculptured shrub with large terminal clusters of greenish-yellow flowers.

Along the path edging the Rock Garden Lechenaultia floribunda [Section 15R] is a small plant with lovely china blue flowers while Dampiera juncea [Section 15R], of similar size, has deep blue flowers and Brachyscome tatei [Section 15R] has white daisies with large yellow centres. So, through the cooler Rainforest with its many shades of green and down the ramp where Acacia boormanii [Section 210], the Snowy River Wattle, glows yellow with soft flower balls.

Such flowers ... Barbara Daly.