In Flower this Week

For Seniors Week this walk will follow the Main Path. It is a pleasant stroll through colourful plants, tall trees and accompanied with a variety of birds. It starts at the end of the café building where the Grevillea rhyolitica , sold locally as Grevillea ‘Deua Flame' [Section 131] just gets brighter and brighter with its pendulous orange-red flower clusters and Epacris ‘Nectar Pink' [Section 131] is a cluster of white tipped pale pink tubular flowers.

So, following the path, Melaleuca ‘Hot Pink' [Section 11] displays its bottlebrush-like flowers atop of rather woody shrub. Emu Bush, Eremophila goodwinii [Section 302] is a small neat shrub bearing mauve bugle flowers. Amid the bed covered with an assortment of yellow daisies, Calotis glandulosa [Section 303] is a small prostrate herb with terminal mauve daisies on radiating stems . Grevillea treueriana [Section 30] is a small upright shrub with divided prickly leaves and deep red small toothbrush-like flowers. Banksia ‘Birthday Candles' [Section 30] is a spreading dwarf shrub with an abundance of upright cream juvenile flower spikes now maturing to gold, rising from the foliage. Opposite, Adenanthos barbiger [Section 30] is a small, many stemmed shrub, showy with bright red flowers . Grevillea lanigera [Section 25] is a dense ground cover bright with pink flowers.Stroll through this next section with many grevilleas and trees including Eucalyptus mannifera with mottled white trunks.

Epacris impressa - click for larger image

Before arriving at the Sydney Region Gully Crowea exalata [Section 112] has pink star flowers over a neat shrub, then from the curvaceous path, small plants include Scaevola ramosissima [Section 191H] is a small trailing plant with deep purple fan flowers along its stems. Goodenia hederacea var. hederacea [Section 191H] has small yellow flowers along its stems. Flannel Flowers, Actinotus helianthi ‘Federation Stars' [Section 191H] continue to flower throughout the section. Their lovely velvety white daisy-like flowers mix with the grey-green foliage. (Information about the Sydney Basin on the Notice Board can be read here). Opposite the look-down Epacris impressa [Section 191P] with fine tubular red, or pink, flowers gathered along the stems. Behind Banksia ericifolia [Section 191G] with long golden flower spikes, a Trigger Plant, Stylidium graminifolium [Section 191G] is a tufted plant with pink flowers on upright stems. Crowea saligna [Section 191U] is small with lovely pink star flowers among the waxy leaves.

Enjoy the walk through the Eucalyptus Lawns to the Rock Garden which abounds with floral treasures. Hibbertia longifolia [Section 15N] beside the seat, has large, bright yellow flowers seen snug between rocks. Another colourful plant nestled between rocks is Dampiera linearis [Section 15D] showy with blue flowers on upright stems.

Edging the Rainforest Gully a White Myrtle, Ehretia acuminata [Section 114] is a tree with long slim trunk and a green canopy adorned with many orange fruits hanging like grapes. A cooling walk through this forest and so down the ramp where, on the bank above Correa glabra [Section 210] mixes its cream tubular flowers with the dense green foliage.

Such magnificent gardens … Barbara Daly.