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.

Flowering plants in the Gardens are continuous, from the pots outside the Visitor Centre where our native Australian rhododendron, Rhododendron lochiae, shows its lovely red bell flowers, to the Mallee Section above the Nursery where this walk traverses.

Enter the Rainforest on the Main Path from the ramp. See the Orange Blossom Orchids, Sarcochilus falcatus [Section 148], with bright white flowers growing on numerous tree trunks. Leaving this cool green area, the Pink Rock Orchid, Dendrobium kingianum [Section 104] has clusters of dainty pink flowers on upright stems while the Rock or King Orchid, Dendrobium speciosum [Section 104], with much larger leaves, bears large sprays of cream flowers seen on the same rock group. (It is also worthwhile visiting the Display Glasshouse which includes massed displays of this lovely temperate orchid.)

Continue uphill and around the corner to find an extensive carpet of shiny enamel yellow buttercups, Ranunculus collinus [Section 78], and a backdrop of purple mint bushes, Prostanthera rotundifolia [Section 78]. The triangle bed opposite includes Pimelea spectabilis [Section 17] with large pinky-white flower heads. Passing the Rock Garden, which has a profusion of flowers, compare waratahs Telopea ‘Braidwood Brilliant’ [Section 15H] and Telopea speciosissima ‘Corroboree’ [Section 15J] both large shrubs brilliant with cherry red flowers. Opposite the Nursery is a bed which includes both the mauve and the white flowering forms of Tetratheca thymifolia [Section 44].

Plants in the Mallee Section include Grevillea fulgens [Section 100], with single waxy pink flowers dotted along its wiry limbs, and Melaleuca radula [Section 100], with feathery mauve terminal flowers. This colourful area includes Olearia phlogopappa [Section 41], tall shrubs massed with deep pink and lovely blue daisies, mixed with the not so tall Boronia muelleri ‘Sunset Serenade’ [Section 41], well covered with pale pink flowers.

Follow the boardwalk through the Mallee Section and you will find Gastrolobium retusum [Section 100], a dwarf plant with clusters of orange-centred yellow pea flowers, and Dampiera lanceolata [Section 100], with blue flowers on long loose stems. A medium-size emu bush, Eremophila ionantha [Section 100] has small mauve bugle flowers while, behind, Grevillea dielsiana [Section 100] is brilliant with orange-red spider flowers. Kunzia preissiana [Section 100] has arching branches covered with fluffy pink flowers. Boronia crenulata [Section 100] is a small shrub attractive with deep pink flowers, close to Grevillea flexuosa [Section 100] with pleasantly perfumed yellow cylindrical flower clusters. Micromyrtus ciliata [Section 100] is quite prostrate with many tiny white flowers covering the lateral stems and Isopogon dubius [Section 100] is bright with silky-hairy rose pink tufted flowers.

Another colourful area of these Gardens ... Barbara Daly.