Australian National Botanic Gardens

In Flower this Week

sA weekly news sheet prepared by a Gardens' volunteer.
Numbers in square brackets [ ] refer to garden bed Sections. Plants in flower are in bold type.

6 November 2009

Boronia microphylla - click for larger image

The flowers around and about these buildings are varied and most colourful. However why stop here when there is another paradise of such colour in another area where the shades of pink and yellow and white complement each other … so, come and enjoy this other wonderland.

Select any path or follow that marked on the map. At this beginning, a mint bush, Prostanthera scutellarioides [Section 42] is a rounded shrub bearing soft purple flowers and Hibbertia rupicola [Section 42] is a groundcover clad with bright yellow open flowers. Following this lower road Kunzea ambigua [Section 43] is a large dense shrub clad with white fluffy sweet perfumed flower clusters. A bottlebrush, Callistemon ‘Howie’s Fire Glow’ [Section 43] is a tall shrub colourful with branches drooping with its yellow speckled red bottlebrush flowers.

Take the stairs to the right, i.e. between Sections 45 and 49. Olearia megalophylla [Section 45] is a dense many branched shrub clad with open petalled daisy-like white flowers. Behind and numerous shrubs clad with, unfortunately now dropping, yellow pea-shaped flowers Opposite are large shrubs, mostly Zieria sp. [Section 48] clad with tiny white flowers while, in front standing alone is Boronia clavata [Section 48], an upright shrub now covered in profusion with cream buds which will open to lime green cup shaped flowers. This next section is carpeted with a vine, Kennedia retrorsa [Section 47] with trifoliolate leaves and pea-shaped flowers coloured pink-purple, on upright stems. It enjoys climbing about the trunk of a nearby tree and mixing with another Kennedia sp. [Section 47] with orange-red pea-shaped flowers.

Following this curved path, Boronia ‘Aussie Rose’ [Section 46] is a small shrub displaying its rich pink four-petalled flowers. The path is now lined with shrubs mainly clad with white flowers and Philotheca salsolifolia [Section 46] a small shrub with pale pink sharp pointed five-petalled flowers. Boronia muelleri ‘Sunset Serenade’ [Section 46] in a group, is dense with pale pink flowers. This boronia is one of many boronias seen in this areawith Boronia ‘Lorne Pride’ [Section 46] in the background, also in a group is dense with darker pink flowers. Follow the small side-path to the right where plants include Boronia microphylla [Section 46] a dwarf shrub clad with lovely pink shaded flowers (near the tap). Then the popular Boronia heterophylla [ Section 46] is an upright shrub dense with its deep pink closed cup-shaped flowers.

Continue, passing the ageing Grevillea johnsonii [Section 56] which ties its limbs about a tree trunk, shows off its lovely waxy curvaceous red-yellow flower clusters. A grouping of Boronia muelleri ‘Tyalge Ruby’ [Section 46,56] displays its own shade of pink flowers while close to the path Dryandra glauca [Section 56] is a small dense shrub with spiky leaves and bold yellow fluffy flower heads. Waratahs include Telopea speciosissima [Section 56] is displaying its only bright red flower head on an upright stem. Banksia petiolaris sens. lat. [Section 56] is a groundcover with its long branches underground. Its toothed narrow green leaves are upright with many juvenile leaves coloured maroon as are the juvenile yet small flower spikes which will age to cream all rising from the ground. In front of the seat, is a Smoke bush, Conospermum ellipticum [Section 56] a small upright shrub clad with greyish flower clusters. At the exit, Grevillea rigida subsp. rigida [Section 56] a low spreading shrub with long-flowering dark red toothbrush-like flowers.

Grevillea rigida subsp. rigida - click for larger image

Taking the small downhill path, Grevillea ‘Poorinda Peter’ [Section 56] is dense with cherry pink flowers while almost opposite Grevillea wilsonii [Section 56] with long upright stems is showy with rich red terminal flower clusters. Acradenia euodiiformis [Section 56] is an upright shrub with bright green foliage mixing with sprays of tiny white flowers. Nearby is Grevillea ‘Coastal Glow’ [Section 56] with deep pink toothbrush-like flowers on its large lateral branches. Flowers continue all the way to the lower road where, around the corner the attractive Hypocalymma angustifolium [Section 51] is a soft small shrub covering its shapely stems clad with small pink and white flower balls…any path downwards will arrive at the café.

An area to enjoy with flowers and birds … Barbara Daly.