In Flower this Week

What's in flower? Just come and see… and pleasant walking too.

The pots outside the Visitors Centre include Brachyscome tatei showing its fresh, green-centred white daisy-like flowers against the green foliage. At the base of the stairs the long branches of a she-oak, Allocasuarina thalassoscopica [Section 172] above are covered with slim long foliage, small maroon flowers and many knobbly fruits. On the other side of the steps Hakea ‘Burrendong Beauty' [Section 221] is a semi-prostrate spreading shrub dense with prickly leaves and pretty with soft pink flowers along the terminal branches. Walking past the bus shelter, the path is edged with Brachyscome ‘Breakoday' [Section 174], soft mounding plants with small, mauve daisy-like flowers. Above, the graceful branches of an open shrub, Thryptomene saxicola [Section 174] are coloured with tiny pinkish-white flowers while below Hibbertia kaputarensis [Section 174] brightens the area with its yellow open flowers.

Rounding this garden are medium shrubs covered with the lovely pink star flowers of Crowea ‘Festival' [Section 174]. Returning towards the Visitors Centre, look carefully to view the clusters of lacey coral-coloured flower clusters of Eucalyptus ficifolia ‘Summer Red' [Section 174] on yet a small tree . Eucalyptus ficifolia ‘Summer Beauty' [Section 174] nearby is similar with shiny green leaves and large pink flower clusters.

Grevillea 'Poorinda Queen' - click for larger image

Leaving this area, follow the road on the far side of the Café. Acacia fauntleroyi [Section 182] is small and erect with yellow fluffy flower balls mixed with the fine foliage. Callistemon ‘Howies Fire Glow' [Section 124] actually glows with red bottlebrush flowers on top of this tall shrub while Grevillea ‘Poorinda Queen' [Section 124] is now showing the first of its apricot-coloured spider flowers. Opposite, Banksia spinulosa [Section 126] is bright with upright gold cylindrical flower spikes. Below the spreading limbs of the picturesque Eucalyptus mannifera [Section 10] is Thryptomene ‘Pink Lace' [Section 10], low with arching branches well covered with tiny pink flowers. Opposite, Correa pulchella ‘Pink Mist' [Section 119] is a dense upright shrub decorated with pendent pink tubular flowers.

Turn off at the Queensland Bottle Tree Brachychiton rupestris [Section 302], renowned for its bottle-like trunk, to view some emu-bushes including Eremophila youngii [Section 302] with pink bugle-shaped flowers and grey-green foliage, Eremophila maculata subsp. brevifolia [Section 302] well covered with cerise-coloured flowers over a dense dwarf shrub, and Eremophila oppositifolia [Section 302] bearing its white flowers.

Continue back along the road turning off at Correa alba var. alba [Section 120], a large dense shrub with silver lined almost rounded leaves and white star flowers. Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon' [Section 109], edging the Brittle Gum Lawn, is a low spreading shrubwith deeply divided leaves and really colourful with its terminal tapering red flower spikes.

Edging the Rainforest Gully on the road downhill, Acronychia imperforata [Section 114] is a dense shrub with glossy green foliage and clusters of small yellowish flowers.

Short walk, but ever so colourful.

Barbara Daly.