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.

28 November 2008

This Main Path roams among the eucalypts with striking white trunks, it follows the path through the Sydney Basin Flora, the Rock Garden including the enclosure of daisies and the Rainforest. So many flowers to enjoy but only few can be mentioned here.

So, starting at the end of the café building passing the large pots of Sturt’s Desert Pea, Swainsona formosa [Section 240] having large red pea shaped flowers with dark centre. Tea tree, Leptospermum ‘Aphrodite’ [Section 10] clad with bright pink open petalled flowers edge the path with Callistemon citrinus [Section 10] with red bottlebrush flowers

Grass tree, Xanthorrhoea glauca [Section 8] with flowing grass skirt has a stumpy spike of white flowers. The garden of daisies is so yellow with the tall Podolepis robusta [Section 303] with frilly flowers and Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 303] a low growing plant with small button-like flowers. Kunzea ambigua [Section 9] is tall and spreading and well clad with white fluffy flowers while Kunzea ambigua x capitata [Section 9] has pink flowers. Beside, almost sheltered by other shrubs a group of potato orchids, Gastrodiasp. [Section 30] having upright brown stems with tubular pendulous white tipped cinnamon coloured flowers. Verticordia galeata [Section 30] is a dwarf shrub clad in profusion with yellow fluffy flowers while Persoonia chamaepitys [Section 27] is a dense groundcover yellow with tiny tubular flowers. Banksia pilostylis [Section 25] reveals its upright lemon flower spikes above the notice board while, edging the path Banksia blechnifolia [Section 25] is a dwarf spreading shrub with dusky red flower spikes and deeply lobed leaves, all appearing to emerge from branches on or below the soil. Find Banksia caleyi [Section 24] a fairly open shrub which conceals its maroon flower spikes below the toothed leaves. Grevillea ‘Bonfire’ [Section 24] with lovely red curvaceous flowers in clusters is seen beside the seat.

From the path through the Sydney Basin ground cover, Scaevola hookeri [Section 191s] is clad with tiny fan shaped white flowers. Ozothamnus diosmifolius [Section 191s] is an erect shrub crowned with dense heads of white flowers. Dampiera purpurea [Section 191s] is a slim upright suckering plant displaying its vivid blue flowers. Near the corner of the road leading to the hot house (really worth visiting) the striking daisy-like flowers are those of Senecio velleioides [Section 191d] Close to the circular seat flannel flowers, Actinotus helianthi ‘Federation Stars’ [Section 191L] has soft velvety grey foliage with the renowned white many petalled white flannel flowers above.

Crossing the Eucalyptus Lawn and a section of wattles to a group of hakeas including Hakea archaeoides [Section 20], a tall rather scraggy shrub with interesting lemon flowers and prominent burnt red styles tipped with yellow. Crossing the lawn passing the enclosed bed of colourful daisies which include the pink and white straw daisies of Rhodanthe chlorocephala, the blue-purple soft petalled daisies of Brachyscome iberidifolia and the taller Schoenia filifolia ssp. subulifolia coloured yellow. [Section 4] Opposite, Verticordia plumosa var. plumosa [Section 15R] has heads of plum coloured flowers. Petalostylis labicheoides [Section 4] is a rounded shrub with a profusion of bright yellow open flowers with red markings. Looking across the pool in front of the waterfall reflections of the Gymea Lily, Doryanthes excelsa [Section 15c] with large cluster of red flowers on elongated stem surrounded by sword shaped leaves and the carpet of Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’ [Section 15d] with red toothbrush-like flowers falling down the rock slope is quite picturesque and the water dragons, all relaxing on the rocks.

Continue to the Rainforest, so cool, so green, so pleasant to the ramp where Boronia ‘Carousel’ [Section 210] displays its deep pink buds now opening to pink flowers, other lovely flowers too, can be enjoyed.

Such a colourful walk … so enjoyable … Barbara Daly.