In Flower This Week

7 February 2003

This walk focuses on the summer flowers in the Rock Garden, although this sheet can only list a few of the many special plants in flower. On your way there see Eucalyptus ‘Wildfire’ [Section 174] near the bus stop, so petite and pretty with clusters of fiery red flowers.

Crinum flaccidum [Section 15C], the Darling Lily, has long succulent leaves and large cream trumpet-like flowers atop the long thick stems. Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’ [Section 14D] is a carpet of green with red toothbrush-like flowers, flowing down the slope. Garland Lily, Calostemma purpureum [Sections 15B, 15F], has finer succulent leaves and heads of trumpet flowers of varying shades of pink on thin upright stems. The diagonal corner is brilliant with the orange flower heads of Chrysocephalum semiamplexicaule [Section 15D]. Nearby Halgania cyanea [Section 15D] is a dwarf plant with deep blue flowers.

Another plant with deep blue flowers, Derwentia arenaria [Section 15G], can be seen over the rise while above a kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 15H], stands tall with its lovely burnt red ‘paw’ flowers on long slender stems. Below are patches of a dense ground cover, Grevillea lanigera [Section 15W], with pink and cream spider flowers. Above the steps find Hibbertia kaputarensis [Section 15A], a small shrub almost always displaying its bright yellow open flowers. Opposite Persoonia linearis x pinifolia [Section 15H] is a large shrub with soft pine-like needles and terminal sprays of small tubular yellow flowers on pendulous branches.

Along this top road Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 15H] is low and spreading with white fan flowers and Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H] is a dense suckering plant with a canopy of blue flowers. Between is Pimelea ferruginea [Section 15H], still small, with heads of pretty pink flowers. Brunoniella australis [Section 15J] is a small herb with its own special shade of blue flowers. Opposite the stand of grass trees, Xanthorrhoea johnsonii [Section 15N], Scaevola ‘New Blue’ [Sections 15J, 15R, 15N] edges the path, radiant with a deep shade of blue fan-flowers on prostrate, spreading plants. Astartea heteranthera [Section 15R] is a dwarf plant with tiny open white flowers. In the centre of the bed, Petalostylis labicheoides [Section 15R] is an open shrub decorated with open apricot-coloured flowers while, in the distance, Eucalyptus lansdowneana subsp. lansdowneana [Section 15R], with long narrow trunks, has clusters of red fluffy flowers amid the greenery at the ends of the branches.

Continue into the new extension, which is well planted with small flowering plants placed between a scattering of rocks. Hemigenia pungens [Section 15N] displays pink bugle flowers on long ground-hugging stems while Scaevola brookeana [Section 15N] displays its powdery blue flowers on a dwarf shrub and Hypocalymma sp. [Section 15N] has pink bell-shaped flowers. Verticordia pennigera [Section 15N] has mauve feathery flowers while, above, Solanum sturtianum [Section 15N] is an upright shrub bearing bright purple flowers.

Now, that’s a colourful wonderland…                                             Barbara Daly.