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.

7 March 2008

Correa 'Ivory Bells' - click for larger image

Rhododendron lochiae with only few salmon coloured trumpet-like flowers can be seen outside the Visitors Information Centre doors. Likewise the Tangled grevillea, Grevillea leptobotrys a prostrate plant with much divided entangled leaves and tiny pink flowers in terminal sprays.

The Rock Garden is chosen for this week’s walk so, starting at the base of the waterfall continuing in a clockwise direction where the small herb, Isotoma anethifolia [Sections 15C and 15D] with white petals on upright stems are seen. Climbing the stairs Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia [Section 15A] has developing lime green flower spikes among the dense foliage with silver backed leaves invade the path as does Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’ [Section 15D] with red toothbrush-like flowers, which also cascades down the rocks to the waterfall. Correa ‘Ivory Bells’ [Section 15D] is large and dense with tube shaped ivory flowers in profusion throughout the foliage.

Chrysocephalum semiamplexicaule [Section 15D] bears its heads of yellow and orange flowers on long angular stems. Pelargonium rodneyanum [Section 15D, 15Q] with pretty magenta flowers border the stream and in front, an Emu bush, Eremophila dalyana [Section 15D] is an open shrub with greyish foliage and few powder pink tube flowers.

Crowded between rocks, Dampiera stricta [Section 15F] is a suckering plant with blue flowers on upright stems, crowded between the rocks while behind, Eremophila maculata var.brevifolia [Section 15F] is an upright shrub with deep crimson flowers. Allocasuarina rigida subsp. rigida [Section 15A] is of medium size bronze coloured with male flowers. Grevillea lanigera [Section 15W] is a prostrate plant with pink and white spider flowers, falls down the slope.

Beside the stairs Grevillea‘Mason’s Hybrid’ [Section 15H] is a large ageing shrub with branches above the stairs, its terminal flower spikes shaded pink enjoyed by birds and bees. Edging the top road Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 15H] has white fan shaped flowers over the upright shrub with Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H], a suckering plant with blue flowers on upright stems. Olearia astroloba [Section 15H] has a sprinkling of mauve daisies over the medium dense shrub. A waratah, Telopea ‘Corroboree’ [Section 15J] is of medium size with few out-of-season red flowers. Close by Eremophila youngii [Section 15J] is a dense upright shrub displaying its dusky pink tubular flowers amid its grey foliage.

Brachyscome formosa - click for larger image

Taking the path down between the Grass trees, Xanthorrhoea johnsonii [Section 15J, 14] where Brachyscome formosa [Section 15R] is a ground-cover with pink daisies. Across the path Brachyscome angustifolia var. heterophylla [Section 15P] is another ground- cover with smaller pink daisy-like flowers. A patch of Bulbine glauca [Section 15P] with succulent floppy foliage and bright yellow flowers on long stems. Eremophila bignoniiflora x polyclada [Section 15R] with large mauve tinted white bugle shaped flowers with dark spotted throat, is crowded between other shrubs At the lower corner Thryptomene denticulata [Section 15S] is a low spreading shrub picturesque with arching branches clad with tiny pink flowers. In front of the waterfall Lythrum salicaria [Section 15Q] is an erect perennial with still a few spikes of pink flowers. The small garden contains numerous Emu bushes including Eremophila latrobei [Section 15V] bearing cherry red flowers and Eremophila christopheri [Section 15V] with mauve bugle shaped flowers.

Such a maze of rocks and colourful flowers … Barbara Daly.