Angophora costata subsp. costata click for larger image

Tis a bright and flowery New Year with many thanks to the team of energetic caring horticultural staff who maintain healthy and happy flowers throughout the year. This walk chases numerous flowers finishing at the not far away, glasshouse.

To start, worth admiring, in the car-park, is the Smooth-barked Apple, Angophora costata subsp. costata [Section 169] with trunks and branches coloured mottled pink and crowned with creamy-white lacy flower clusters. Then, in front of the Visitors Information Centre doors, in pots, Christmas Bells, Blandfordia grandiflora stands upright, showing the spectacular bell shaped flowers coloured red and yellow. Opposite, not so spectacular but quite brilliant Grevillea leptobotrys is prostrate and well clad with small strands of tiny pink flowers. Many kangaroo paws are prominent throughout the Gardens and those seen edging Banks Walk include Anigozanthos ‘Bush Ruby’ [Section 174] with dusky red colouring, Anigozanthos ‘Bush Haze’[Section 210] with bright yellow ‘paw shaped’ flowers and Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 210] with matt green flowers, all on long stems. Edging this path in pots are Sturt’s Desert Peas, Swainsona formosa with greyish trailing foliage and bright red with dark boss pea-shaped flowers. Grevillea ‘Lady O’ [Section 174] are small shrubs laden with red floral clusters at the corner of this section. Rhododendron macgregoriae x lochiae [Section 313] is a low spreading shrub with bell shaped open clusters of orange-red flowers is seen above the stairs to the left.

Continuing over the bridge, Epacris longiflora [Section 131] in the Ellis Rowan Garden, has slim red flowers with white mouth pendent in rows from the twining branches. Babingtonia ‘White Cascade’[Section 131] decorates its arching branches with tiny white buds and flowers.

Following the Main Path Melaleuca linariifolia var. linariifolia [Section 11] is a great old shrub with long branches clad with whitish flaky bark and crowned with white fluffy flower clusters while Melaleuca ‘Hot Pink’[Section 11] is a smaller woody entanglement of branches now displaying its cherry red bottlebrush-like flowers. Pass the bed of yellow daisies. Leptospermum ‘Rudolph’ [Section 30] a large shrub well covered with pink petalled flowers. A small plant, Grevillea treueriana [Section 30] has fine spiky foliage and terminal deep red toothbrush-like flowers. Banksia pilostylis [Section 25] has many compact cream upright cylindrical flower spikes which seem to peer above the notice board. At the next intersection take the road to the right. Grevillea sericea [Section 26] is an upright shrub of medium size displaying its pink spider-like flowers. Close by Banksia petiolaris [26] stretches its prostrate branches clad with upright slim leaves and upright cream flower spikes all appearing to rise from the ground. Another banksia is Banksia lemanniana [Section 25] seen down the slope on the opposite closed side. It is a neat open medium sized shrub bearing almost rounded pale green pendulous flower spikes. Lomatia sp. [Section 25] dense shrubs with dark foliage laden have sprays of fine cream curvaceous flowers, edge the road. At the end taking the road to the left. At the next corner is a group of Flannel flowers, Actinotus helianthi [Section 191h] with soft felt-like greyish foliage and attractive daisy-like white flannel flowers.

Grevillea treueriana click for larger image

Time now to follow some path to the Display Glass House [Section 301] now showing SEX AND DEATH of … come to experience the diversity of exotic and native orchids, carnivorous and tropical plants, in a warm wonderous environment, even with flowers to admire.

Have a happy interesting year with many native plants … Barbara Daly.