Pomaderris intermedia click for larger image

Tis spring! Plants are really maturing from buds to flowers.  Wattles are so prominent throughout the gardens. The walk is short and full of flowers so, starting from the south car park where the boundary garden is edged with Pomaderris intermedia [Section 225]   with clusters of soft yellow flowers. Cascading over the top retaining wall Wyalong Wattle, Acacia cardiophylla ‘Gold Lace’ [Section 225] has small golden flower heads among the soft green foliage while at the far end, Acacia cultriformis [Section 225] with short angular leaves and yellow fluffy flower balls also cascades over the wall with Hardenbergia violacea [Section 225] a vine with bright purple pea-shaped flowers. At the base of the stairs to the Visitors Centre, the Australia’s floral emblem, Acacia pycnantha [Section 224] is an attractive small tree clad with large golden flower balls.

Inside the Visitors Information Centre  the display of orchids are awe-inspiring with colour and shape.  Continuing along Banks Walk  Acacia cognata ‘Green Mist’ [Section 210] is a dense rounded shrub its drooping branches clad with buds just bursting into  small yellow flower balls. Rulingia magniflora [Section 210] has few pink flowers on the erect shrub with upright branches surrounded by the above wattle.  The curved corner up the ramp displays Pomaderris obcordata [Section 210] is a medium size shrub with many small clusters of pink buds which will open to small white flowers.  Philotheca myoporoides subsp. myoporoides [Section 210] is bright with pink star flowers over the fairly open shrub.  Emubush, Eremophila maculata [Section 210] bears its bright yellow tubular flowers on a low open shrub.  Close by a mint bush, Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] has a coverage of mauve flowers.  On the upper side, Grevillea capitellata [Section 210] is a larger shrub with rose coloured spider flowers in profusion while at the top corner Prostanthera saxicola var. major [Section 210] is an upright open shrub with purple flowers.

Returning to the beginning of Banks Walk where a vine, Hardenbergia violacea [Section 174] is bright with deep purple pea shaped flowers (seen in many beds throughout the gardens)  close to the sculpture of Joseph Banks.  Mondurup Bell, Darwinia macrostegia [Section 174] is a low open shrub with pendular cone shaped buds now maturing to large red flowers with white streaked bracts.  Woollsia pungens [Section 174] with terminal white flower clusters continue to flower. Epacris impressa, the Victorian floral emblem [Section 174] also continues to flower with cherry red tubular flowers dangling in rows from the terminal branches.  In a pot, a kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos ‘Bush Bonanza’ displays its yellow ‘paw’ shaped flowers on long upright stems surrounded by short strappy leaves.  Patches of Rhodanthe anthemoides [Section 174], a perennial dense with white daisy-like flowers are so bright.

Epacris impressa click for larger image

Across the bridge over the Rainforest Gully tall wattles,  Acacia melanoxylon [Section 67] are clad with cream fluffy flowers  In the Ellis Rowan garden, just past the café, Correa baeuerlenii [Section 131] is a dense shrub with shiny foliage and slim tubular greenish flowers with calyx resembling a chef’s cap.  Banksia ‘Stumpy Gold’ [Section 131] is a dwarf spreading shrub with gold flower spikes in profusion.  Epacris longiflora [Section 131]  has tubular flowers coloured red with white mouth, all dangling from the wandering stems.  Micromyrtus ciliata [Section 131] is a low shrub dense with tiny white flowers over the arching branches while at the corner Acacia alata var. biglandulosa [Section 240] is  dense with cream flower balls along its flattened phyllodes resembling leaves.  There too, in a pot is a waratah, Telopea speciosissima x oreades [Section 240] a lovely upright plant with its branches tipped with large pinkish buds about to explode into large red flowers.

Short walk, many flowers …                                                        Barbara Daly