Australian National Botanic Gardens

In Flower this Week

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.

14 September 2007

Acacia baileyana - click for larger image

Tis spring … plants are flowering … birds are singing… so follow the Main Path and marvel at the gorgeous flowers where many golden wattles and purple native sarsaparillas are seen. The walk starts at the end of the Café building, not omitting a gaze at the wattle, Acacia leprosa ‘Scarlet Blaze’ [Section 131] with vermillion coloured flower balls on long arching branches lean towards the path.

Thryptomene saxicola [Section 10] is a small open shrub with lateral branches clustered with small white flowers. Bulbine glauca [Section 303] displays its yellow flowers on top of the upright stems surrounded by succulent leaves. Philotheca verrucosa ‘J. Semmens’ [Section 30] has a coverage of pink buds and many pale pink many-petalled flowers over the low shrub. Behind, the false sarsaparilla, Hardenbergia violacea ‘Mini Haha’ [Section 30] is a vine with dense clusters of purple pea-shaped flowers. Cootamundra wattle, Acacia baileyana [Section 30] is a supposedly prostrate form is dense with its grey-green divided foliage and yellow ball shaped flowers. The flowers of Grevillea lavandulacea subsp.‘Tanunda’ [Section 30] are bright scarlet against its grey-green foliage while Grevillea alpina [Goldfields form] [Section 30] has a scattering of apricot coloured, often single flowers over the taller shrub …a red flowering form can be seen in Section 27.

Many grevilleas are now in flower along this path. They include Grevillea ‘Poorinda Adorning’ [Section 27] a prostrate plant with red spider-like flowers and Grevillea dielsiana [Section 26] with graceful orange-red pendulous flower clusters on an open shrub. Behind the double-seat Grevillea tripartita subsp.macrostylis [Section 26] has sharp holly-like leaves with splendid red and yellow flowers with long red styles. Grevillea flexuosa [Section 26] bears yellow cigar shaped flowers over an entanglement of branches.

Acacia myrtifolia - click for larger image

Across the road the bright yellow flowers on a neat low shrubs are those of Phebalium squamulosum [Section 112] while between Philotheca difformis [Section 112] also low, has tiny white flowers. Continue along the curvaceous path through the Flora of the Sydney Region flowers include Boronia pinnata [Section 191h] a low spreading shrub covered in profusion with bright pink four-petalled flowers, Acacia myrtifolia [Section 191s] a low open shrub bearing cream fluffy flower ball and towards the exit, Hibbertia saligna ]Section 191l] yet a small shrub bearing bright yellow open flowers. Grevillea aspleniifolia [Section 191l] is a shrub with an enormous spread. It has long slim leaves and red toothbrush-like flowers among the many pinkish buds.

Cross the Eucalyptus Lawn passing through the section of many wattles to view Hakea recurva [Section 20]. This large many branched shrub has an abundance of yellowish rounded flower clusters with the narrow sharp pointed leaves. Behind, Hakea scoparia [Section 20] has clusters of pink terminal flowers on long stems. The Rock Garden has a profusion of flowers which include Gastrolobium celsianum [Section 15r] a prostrate plant profuse with many large red pea-shaped flowers, an emu bush, Eremophila maculata var. maculata [Section 15v] clad with mauve tube flowers and few lovely Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp.rosea [Section 15v] with soft pink daisies on upright stems.

Such a garden to enjoy ………………………………… Barbara Daly.