Australian National Botanic Gardens
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A weekly news sheet prepared by a Gardens' volunteer.
Numbers in square brackets [] refer to garden bed Sections.
Plants in flower are in bold type.
19 November 2004
Orthrosanthus multiflorus
- click for larger image
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This is a short walk about the buildings, where the variety of colourful plants is large and so only a small selection is included. Starting from the Visitors Centre in an anticlockwise direction, descend the stairs to view a patch of Cheiranthera linearis [Section 223] with blue-mauve open petalled flowers on upright slender stems. Verticordia galeata [Section 222] has a coverage of bright yellow fluffy flowers over small shrubs. A bank of Homoranthus shrubs include Homoranthus papillatus [Section 222] with cream-green flowers and Homoranthus prolixus [Section 222] with yellow flowers. These shrubs are strongly aromatic and compact with a horizontal spread. Leptospermum Rhiannon [Section 222] is an upright shrub with white-centred crimson peach blossom flowers.
Passing the bus shelter and edging the path, Orthrosanthus multiflorus [Section 174] has blue flowers on bare spikes rising above the strappy leaves. The bright pink flowers are those of Pimelea sp. [Section 174] and at the garden curve, patches of the ground cover, Dampiera diversifolia [Section 174] are massed with small blue flowers.
Following the Banks Walk towards the Visitors Centre, Lechenaultia biloba [Section 174] is a dwarf plant presenting white-centred powder-blue flowers. Opposite, Scaevola New Blue [Section 210] spreads its stems well covered with dazzling yellow centred blue fan-shaped flowers along the ground. Sharing the edging are a trigger plants, Stylidium adnatum [Section 210] small, many stemmed plants profuse with pale pink flowers. Opposite, Hibbertia vestita [Section 174] is a small, mounded plant with dark green foliage brightened with yellow open flowers. A kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos Bush Glow [Section 174] reveals its paw-like red-yellow flowers on upright stems while the large florific shrub, Alyogyne huegelii Westcoast Gem [Section 210] continues to bear purple hibiscus flowers.
Anigozanthos 'Bush
Glow' - click for larger image
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Border plants in the Ellis Rowan Garden in front of the café building are Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 131] with soft grey foliage bright with yellow button flowers on upright stems. Brachyscome Breakoday [Section 131] has soft green foliage dotted with small mauve daisies. Behind, Grevillea Deua Flame [Section 131] is a many-branched shrub with loose red pendulous flowers amid the bright green foliage. Tetratheca Bicentennial Belle [Section 131] is a dwarf shrub covered with downturned mauve flowers. In the small square garden opposite, Tetratheca ciliata [Section 240] is a larger upright shrub having white flowers. Chamelaucium uncinatum Newmarracarra [Section 240] is an open shrub with long arching branches covered with pink wax flowers. Opposite, Lechenaultia formosa [Section 240] is so small but covered with deep red flowers while behind, Prostanthera spinosa [Section 240] is a neat rounded plant clad with small white bugle flowers amid the spiny stems. Find, around the corner, Goodenia macmillanii [Section 240] bearing large pink crimped flowers on upright stems.
Such flowers, such colour Barbara Daly.
A bonus for those with time, in the Public Display Glasshouse Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, the Elephant Yam with huge purple flowers just maturing dies after about 4 days.