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.

25 July 2008

Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' - click for larger image

Our city is bright with the yellow flower balls of wattles. Likewise these Botanic Gardens glow with yellow whatever path is followed. This, now sunny frosty walk will include a selection of flowers. Edging Banks Walk, Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 174, 210] is a dwarf spreading shrub clad with upright cylindrical golden flower spikes. Darwinia macrostegia [Section 174] dangles its long red tubular buds from the branches of this open shrub. Taking the path up the ramp to the left a good view of Hakea ‘Winter Burgundy’ [Section 210] a tall open shrub with a canopy of globular flowers surrounding the terminal stems amid the foliage. Epacris longiflora [Section 210] has long wandering branches clad with short sharp leaves and slim tubular cream pendent flowers. At the stairs the Hairpin banksia, Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa [Section 210] has gold flower spikes ribbed with black stamens.

Down stairs and taking the path edging the Rainforest, the Q’ld Silver wattle, Acacia podalyriifolia [Section 126] is covered with its brilliant golden fluffy flower balls while Grevillea ‘Goldfever’ [Section 124] is a small shrub with not-so-gold spider-like flowers. Opposite the Brittlegum Lawn [Section 108] Acronychia littoralis [Sections 114.104] is a tall dense shrub with dark shiny leaves and small clusters of small lemon star-like flowers. Edging the next rainforest entry a Lilly-pilly, Acmena smithii [Section 140] is a medium sized shrub with dark shiny leaves and attractive with an abundance of pink fruits which followed its tiny fluffy flowers. Opposite is a grouping of Crowea ‘Festival’ [Section 123] dense shrubs crowned with pink star-like flowers. The triangle garden contains Wax flower, Chamelaucium ‘Cascade Brook’ [Section 17] densely clad with its soft mottled pink waxy flowers among its many darker buds. The blueness of the flowers of Dampiera salahae [Section 17] a low suckering plant is so attractive.

Following this path past the Rock Garden which deserves a wander through, Grevillea lanigera [Section 15H] is a dense groundcover dense with its pink and cream flowers. Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H] is also a suckering plant with a lighter blue flower. Olearia astroloba [Section 15H] is a dense upright shrub bearing many daisy flowers while beside Cryptandra sp. a low dense spreading shrub white with tight clusters of tiny tubular flowers. Across the road are many wattles including Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’ [Section 3] a dense spreading tree with much divided greyish leaves with mauve tiny and profuse with soft gold rounded flower balls.

Hakea purpurea - click for larger image

Below the next stairs is a group of hakeas. Some hakeas have been blooming for some time, others are in bud with maybe few flowers and some are well clad with flowers. Note too, how the leaf shapes differ. The Pincushion hakea, Hakea laurina [Section 20] is a tall open shrub with deep red globular flowers, Hakea recurva [Section 20] has clusters of pale green buds, Hakea obtusa [Section 20] which conceals its open pink flowers attached on the older branches behind the foliage and Hakea purpurea with reddish flowers along its branches, opposite the sheltered seats. Along the lower path Hakea francisiana [Section 20] is a low angular shrub with long narrow leaves and quite spectacular deep pink flower spikes. Hakea bakeriana [Section 21] is low and fairly open and is another hakea with rather open pinkish flowers in clusters or single, arising from old branches. This Hakea is known for its large rippled fruits. Hakea verrucosa [Section 21] is a rounded shrub dense with pink lacy flowers … quite a picture … as is Hakea cristata [Section 23] seen edging the lower road. It is of medium size white with clusters of lacy flowers among the oval toothed leaves. Edging this return path is a variety of flowers.

The tiny blue fairy wrens must be the birds of the day. Most enjoyable … Barbara Daly.