In Flower this Week

This week's walk will conclude in the refreshing Sydney Basin, viewing some sections of colourful flowers on the way. Edging Banks Walk the brilliance of Scaevola ‘New Blue' [Sections 210,174] with blue fan shaped flowers on the lateral branches of the prostrate plant and the yellow open flowers of Hibbertia vestita [Section 210] so showy on the semi-prostrate plant. Then, in the Ellis Rowan garden edging the building past the café, Grevillea rhyolitica which is also marketed as Grevillea ‘Deua Flame' [Section 131] is just dazzling with its terminal red flower clusters over the dense shrub . Epacris ‘Nectar Pink' [Section 131] has soft pink tubular flowers complete with white mouths crowded along the fine branches.

Opposite, a bottlebrush, Callistemon ‘Splendens' [Section 240] of medium size, displays many red bottlebrush-like flowers while Callistemon ‘Baroondah Station' [Section 143] is an upright shrub bearing soft pink smaller bottlebrushes. Edging the Main Walk, Callistemon ‘Chisholmii' [Section 11,10] has its own shade of pink bottlebrushes on branches which arch above the footpath. Note, on ageing, these flowers fade to white, well demonstrated on the second shrub.

This next section includes numerous Emu Bushes, including Eremophila christophori [Section 302], a small upright shrub dotted with mauve trumpet flowers. Across the road, Eremophila maculata subsp. brevifolia [Section 302] is quite small and well covered with carmine coloured trumpet flowers while Eremophila weldii [Section 302] is dense, low and spreading, well dotted with deep pink flowers.

Ceratopetalum 'White Christmas' - click for larger image

Then, follow the Main Path to the entrance on the far side of the Sydney Basin taking time along this narrow path for the serenity, the shades of green interrupted with flowering plants, often repeated, and bird calls . Epacris longiflora [Section 191K] is a low, wiry plant with bright red tubular flowers, with white mouth, along the branches. Olearia cordata [Section 191F] is a small plant with mauve daisy-like singular flowers on upright fine stems . Banksia spinulosa [Section 191F] is quite dense, brightened with its gold flower spikes. A NSW Christmas Bush cultivar, Ceratopetalum gummiferum ‘White Christmas' [Section 191K] is tall and attractive with conspicuous white calyces which follow the white flowers….a real find. At the base of the Angophora costata subsp. costata [Section 191F] with pink-brown trunk, are large mushrooms, Glymnopilus sp. [Section 191F] of darker shades blending with the colourful tree trunk . Baeckea linifolia [Section 191J] slender and upright, has fine foliage with an abundance of tiny white flowers while, opposite, Hibbertia pedunculata [Section 191F] bears bright yellow flowers on a matt of green foliage.

Continuing the circuit, Flannel flowers , Actinotus helianthi ‘Federation Stars' [Section 191E] with grey velvety foliage, presents its soft white flannel flowers. Opposite the Eucalypt Lawn flowers include the large greenish-yellow spikes of Banksia aemula [Section 191P] on a large dense shrub and at the corner Crowea saligna [Section 191H] is a picture of waxy pink flowers over a dense shrub, and Grevillea rhyolitica [Section 191H], again, a picture of terminal red flowers over the shrub.

A most pleasant walk… Barbara Daly.