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.

9 May 2008

Pandorea jasminoides- click for larger image

Canberra is so colourful with its autumn colours. The banksias throughout these gardens also are clad with varying shades of gold. Some are seen along this walk which includes colours of other flowers. To start opposite the Visitors Information Centre doors Pandorea jasminoides [Section 212], a long-flowering vine twining itself about anything, continues to reveal its large pink trumpet-like flowers. Edging Banks Walk a mint bush, Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 21], also long-flowering is a shrub with mauve flowers, falling down the rock wall.

Following the map a wattle, Acacia fauntleroyi [Section 182] is an open upright shrub with fine foliage and single yellow flower balls. Banksia spinulosa [Section 126, 37] is a rounded shrub with upright gold cylindrical flower spikes ribbed with red styles. Scaevola albida [Section 124] has small mauve fan shaped flowers amid the dense foliage of this groundcover. Opposite, below the branches of this graceful brittlegum, Eucalyptusmannifera [Section 10] are many straw daisies, Xerochrysum sp. [Section 10] coloured yellow and white which surround Thryptomene ‘Pink Lace’ [Section 10] a small shrub with tiny leaves and tiny pink flowers edging the lateral branches.

Walk up this road to a corner crowded with Correa alba var. alba [Section 107] a dense shrub with dull green silver edged leaves and white tube flowers which leads to the Brittlegum Lawn. Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’ [Section 109] is a low spreading shrub with large terminal flowers coloured red and many buds edging the lawn. Opposite the lawn and edging the Rainforest Acronychia littoralis [Section 114] is a small tree with green shining leaves and clusters of small lemon star flowers. Following this road where Callistemon montanus [Section 104] falls towards the road. While not flowering, the branch terminals have attractive red new growth. Behind, a wombat berry Eustrephus latifolius [Section 104] is a vigorous climber bearing orange fruits, about a tree trunk. The triangle garden opposite contains Dampiera salahae [Section 17], a low suckering shrub dotted with blue flowers while beside, Hemiandra pungens [Section 17], also small, has pink bugle shaped flowers and Hypocalymma asperum [Section 17 is clad in profusion with tiny pink fluffy flowers. At the next corner a Geraldton Wax, Chamelaucium ‘Cascade Brook’ [Section 17] is many branched shrub clad with pink mottled flowers and with many buds. The opposite corner contains a group of Crowea ‘Festival’ [Section 123] attractive with its many pink star flowers.

The path up the next stairs to the right leads to many banksias including Banksia oblongifolia [Section 36], an ageing shrub with green flower spikes, Banksia media [Section 36] with spent grey, ageing gold and fresh compact yellow flower spikes, also on an ageing shrub. Banksia marginata [Section 36] is a tall shrub with shorter yellow flower spikes mixing with ageing spikes. This is the only banksia native to the ACT.

Grevillea lanigera - click for larger image

Taking the zigzag path downhill to the Rock Garden past the corner clad with Grevillea lanigera [Section 15H], a dense groundcover prolific with pink-cream spider-like flowers, almost below the large ageing Grevillea ‘Mason’s Hybrid’ [Section 15H] with large terminal red flower clusters on the arching branches. Banksia ‘Honeypots’ [Section 15D] is a supposedly dwarf shrub with upright deep honey coloured flower spikes, crowded beside Correa ‘Ivory Bells’ [Section 15D]. Opposite, edging the path like a hedge, Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia [Section 15C] is dense with lemon flower spikes rising above its silver backed leaves. This path leads down to the Café.

Good walking, many flowers … Barbara Daly.