In Flower this Week

Grevillea tripartita subsp. macrostylis click for larger image

Rain or sunshine these Gardens are a pleasure to visit. So starting outside the Visitors Information Centre where colourful flowers in pots include Scaevola phlebopetala, a prostrate trailing plant with vivid deep purple fan shaped flowers. In following pots edging Banks Walk are Scaevola ramosissima with flowers a lighter shade of purple growing with Goodenia heterophylla having small yellow flowers behind which is Epacris impressa [Section 174] with long upright stems tipped with clusters of pink tube shaped flowers. Behind is Eucalyptus ‘Summer Beauty’ (soon to be changed to Corymbia ‘Summer Beauty’) showing off its gorgeous clusters of pink fluffy flowers on a small tree. In the far end pot is Scaevola albida with much smaller mauve fan shaped flowers beside another pot containing a kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos ‘Rampaging Roy Slaven’ with strappy leaves and long stems of furry red and green ‘paw’ flowers. On the opposite side of Banks Walk Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] laden with mauve tube shaped flowers falls down the slope while Grevillea tripartita subsp. macrostylis [Section 210] although rather leggy, has terminal spiky lobed leaves and bright pinkish-yellow flowers with long curved styles. Edging the path Hibbertia vestita [Section 210] is a prostrate mounded plant yellow with open flowers.

Across the bridge and in front of the Ellis Rowan Garden, Epacris longiflora [Section 131] is an upright twisting plant with dangling red tube flowers with white mouth. Grevillea ‘Deua Flame’ [Section 131] dangles its red flower clusters from upright open branches while Epacris ‘Nectar Pink’ [Section 13] is pretty with its pink and white tube shaped flowers. Opposite dense shrubs, Crowea ‘Cooper’s Hybrid’ [Section 240] are clad with pink star flowers.

At the foot of the stairs to the right a bottlebrush, Callistemon viminalis [Section 143] is a tall shrub with pendulous branches of red flowers. Following the Main Path Callistemon chisholmii [Section 11] with arching branches over the path, is an open shrub with well-arranged small pink, fading to white, bottlebrushes.

Somewhere, cross to the left to the road towards the Rock Garden, today, the fine rain is enjoyed by the tiny dancing blue Fairy Wrens to the tune of the chortling magpies.

By this road, Pavonia hastata [Section 124] is a dense shrub bearing open cup-shaped flowers coloured pink with dark centre. The next corner Correa alba var. alba [Section 124] is also dense with white star shaped flowers.

Entering the Brittle Gum Lawn, on the right side, Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’ [Section 109] has large loose terminal red flowers on this low spreading shrub while across the small path a patch of Plectranthus argentatus [Section 110] a vigorous spreading herb with velvety foliage and tiny bluish flowers edging the upright stems. Behind the seat Hibiscus pedunculatus [Section 109] a rather dense medium size shrub bearing pink cup shaped flowers which open with sunshine. At the corner Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa [Section 109] is a large shrub containing, in profusion, juvenile cream-green cylindrical upright flower spikes which will mature to gold.

Grevillea 'Goldfever' click for larger image

Following the downward path, Grevillea ‘Goldfever’ [Section 124] is a small spreading shrub with many apricot coloured flowers. At the corner Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’ [Section 124] is a dense groundcover with many toothbrush shaped red flowers escaping through the foliage. Around the corner, Callistemon viminalis ‘Howies Fire Glow’ [Section 124] is a tall shrub dense with fiery red bottlebrushes dotted with yellow anthers. At the corner opposite the café Acacia fauntleroyi [Section 128] is a medium size upright open shrub with fine narrow leaves and a scattering of yellow flower balls. Lastly, almost opposite edging the rainforest, hard to find, the Lolly Bush, Clerodendrum floribundum var. attenuatum [Section 125] is a tall shrub with cream speckled trunk and shiny leaves with decorative black or green fruits surrounded by dull red calyces which followed its white flowers.

To walk in these Gardens, in the sunshine or in the rain is such a pleasure…

Barbara Daly