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.

21 November 2008

The Gardens continue to be a wonderland of flowers. Not only are small daisies appearing everywhere, so are bottlebrushes with their mostly fiery red flowers seen throughout the Gardens. This walk is short with much to see.

Starting outside the Visitors Centre where opposite a vigorous vine, Pandorea jasminoides [Section 212] with large maroon centred pink trumpet shaped flowers cover a pillar. Edging Banks Walk, Leptospermum ‘Merinda’ [Section 210] displays its bright magenta coloured open flowers over a low dense shrub. Both sides of the path can be seen kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos ‘Bush Glow’ [Section 210,174]. Among its strappy leaves the bare stem rises tall tipped with green-cream and a dash of red flowers resembling ‘paws’. Myoporum floribundum [Section 174] is an upright shrub with lateral branches clad with tiny white flowers edging the top of the branches while its narrow leaves droop below. Alyogyne ‘West Coast Gem’ [Section 210] has an abundance of purple hibiscus shaped flowers over the large shrub while Isopogon ‘Little Drumstick’ [Section 210] is a low dense shrub with a profusion of yellow ‘drumstick’ flowers. Leaning over the waterfall, the branches of Grevillea ‘Bonfire’ [Section 210] are clad with fine divided leaves and attractive curvaceous cherry coloured flowers.

Crossing the bridge overlooking the large fronds of Dicksonia antarctica to the Ellis Rowan Garden where Banksia ‘Stumpy Gold’ [Section 131] with upright cylindrical dull gold spikes rise above the low spreading foliage. The garden opposite contains many bottlebrushes which include Callistemon sp. aff. subulatus [Section 240] a medium dense shrub bearing pinkish flowers and Callistemon citrinus ‘Splendens’ [Section 240] of similar size with rather stiff branches and with crimson coloured flowers. Kunzea pulchella [Section 240], seen opposite the Crosbie Morrison Building has red, almost rounded flower spikes edging the branches while in the small end garden, a Geraldton Wax, Chamelaucium uncinatum ‘Newmarracarra’ [Section 240] is a dainty upright shrub of medium size with open multi-pink petalled flowers.

The opposite corner behind the notice board contains Callistemon subulatus [Section 12], small dense shrubs laden with dark red bottlebrushes, Regelia inops [Section 12], a taller many branched open shrub with small globular pink flower heads. Leptospermum spectabile [Section 12] has lovely open cherry coloured flowers with green centres. Leptospermum brevipes [Section 12] is a large spreading tree attractive with a covering of white petalled flowers. Across the path, equally tall, the top of Melaleuca nodosa [Section 10] clad with pale yellow flower balls.

Smaller plants across the path are Emu Bush, Eremophila calorhabdos [Section 302], an upright slim plant with branches crowded with small leaves and small pink tube flowers. Thelionema grande [Section 303] is also upright with spiky leaves surrounding sprays of deep blue flowers on long upright stems. Behind the seat are numerous grass trees, Xanthorrhoea australis [Section 9] with a skirt of long grass-like leaves and one plant with a tall flower spike clad with tiny white flowers. In front, the garden of daisies is yellow with many flowers, including Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 303] a suckering low plant with small button-like yellow flowers and Podolepis robusta [Section 303] with frilly yellow daisies atop long upright stems.

The Glass House contains numerous flowering orchids to be viewed by those who have time and energy. Otherwise return to view a grouping of Senna odorata [Section 119] profuse with open yellow flowers. At the corner Callistemon ‘Harkness’ [Section 124] a tall shrub with bright red bottlebrushes dangling from its willowy branches while opposite, Melaleuca ‘Hot Pink’ [Section 126] bears its salmon pink bottlebrush flowers on this open upright shrub. Café is just around the corner.

Such a wealth of colour … Barbara Daly.