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.

18 July 2008

Epacris reclinata - click for larger image

These bracing sunny days are desirable for a Gardens walk. Banksias continue to be colourful, grevilleas, hakeas and wattles are bursting into flower as are many smaller shrubs. Edging Banks Walk flowers include the Mondurup Bell, Darwinia macrostegia [Section 174], an open shrub with red tubular buds suspended from the branches. Epacris reclinata [Section 174] is a wiry dwarf shrub bright with soft pink tubular flowers with a white mouth suspended in line, from the branches. Zieria formosa [Section 174] is a large shrub with tiny pink flowers which blend in with the grey-green foliage. Chamelaucium ‘Cascade Jewel’ [Section 174] has the first few of its waxy pink flowers amid the many dark buds over the open shrub while opposite, the mint bush, Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] covers itself with pink bugle shaped flowers.

Taking the road on the far side of the Rainforest a wattle, Acacia fauntleroyi [Section 128] is a slim upright shrub with trunk clad with curly peeling bark and single yellow flower balls scattered from the branches. The Dagger Wattle, Acacia siculiformis [Section 128] has short sharp leaves and yellow fluffy flower balls over the rounded shrub. At its base Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Rosy Posy’ [Section 128] is a small dense shrub with pendulous clusters of red-cream flowers, while around the corner the brilliance of the perfumed yellow flower balls, in clusters, of the Q’ld Silver Wattle, Acacia podalyriifolia [Section 126] is eye-catching. Grevillea ‘Poorinda Leane’ [Section 124] has more subdued apricot coloured spider-like flowers scattered over the much-leaned shrub. In front a grouping of dwarf shrubs clad with tiny pink flowers along the arching stems are that of Thryptomene ‘Pink Lace’ [Section 10] while, around the corner is Baeckea crassifolia [Section 10] a dwarf upright many branched shrub pink with its tiny flowers. Another pretty bed is planted with Thryptomene denticulata [Section 9] also with pink flowers edging its low arching branches. Close by Acacia dawsonii [Section 303] is a many branched, medium sized shrub clad with yellow fluffy flower balls.

Following the Main Path past Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia [Section 30] a large spreading shrub with glowing gold flower spikes, the dwarf Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 30] with an abundance of gold flower spikes and Banksia oblongifolia [Section 25] with an abundance of short green flower spikes, some in clusters on a shapely upright shrub, to the next corner where Grevillea lanigera [Section 25] a dense groundcover bright with pink-cream flower clusters. Around the corner Grevillea dimorpha [Section 25] has many upright branches clad with red spider flowers attached to the length of the branches.

Hakea cycloptera - click for larger image

Across the road Hakea cycloptera [Section 24] with open branches decorated with lacy pinkish flowers while further back, Hakea ‘Kincora’ [Section 24], yet a small upright shrub is colourful with bright red globular flowers crowded about the branches. Edging the road are numerous grevilleas including Grevillea irrasa subsp. didymochiton [Section 26] a shrub of medium size, prolific with pink buds maturing to red powdery spider flowers. Towards the end of this road Grevillea floribunda subsp. floribunda [Section 26] is a medium open shrub with rust coloured flower spikes suspended from its branches. Around the upper corner, a dwarf shrub, Isopogon buxifolius var. spathulatus [Section 26] has small floral heads of white, with a touch of pink lacy flowers.

Any return walk will have many flowers to admire … Barbara Daly.