In Flower This Week A weekly news-sheet prepared by a Gardens volunteer Numbers in brackets [ ] refer to garden bed 'Sections'.

This walk will discover winter flowering plants not damaged by recent heavy frosts in the Rock Garden. The large rocks in this area act as a source of heat, absorbed during the day and radiated slowly after dark. The soil mixes in the different beds supply suitable growing conditions for a range of special plants.

Crowea `Festival' [Section 15C] is a neat, dense, long-flowering shrub still with numerous deep pink star-like flowers. The red foliage, in particular, is quite outstanding. Correa `Ivory Bells' [Section 15D] is another shrub which flowers for a long time. This dense shrub has silver backed leaves and pendent ivory coloured tubular flowers. Further back, the Grass Tree, Xanthorrhoea johnsonii [Section 15D] is always an eyecatcher because of its crop of long, twirling grass-like leaves. The brilliant yellow straw flower heads of Bracteantha species [Section 15D] can be seen in various areas.

Homoranthus darwinioides [Section 15F] is a low, spreading plant with foliage coloured mauve-grey and tiny pendulous flowers, once yellow, now reddening as they age. Around the corner find Guichenotia macrantha [Sections 15F and 4] which has velvety pink bell-like flowers along an upright stem.

Phebalium lamprophyllum [Section 15N] has an attractive covering of clusters of deep red buds and is already showing a few tiny white flowers. In front is the lovely spreading, moss-like cushion plant Scleranthus biflorus. Melichrus adpressus [Section 15K] is not flowering but is quite interesting for this dwarf shrub has branches densely packed with short, green leaves. Melichrus urceolatus [Section 15K] is low and spreading and is dotted with tiny, lemon tubular flowers. Dryandra squarrosa [Section 15P] is a tall, many branched shrub which continues to produce many yellow flower-heads scattered among the fine toothed leaves. Grevillea maxwellii [Section 15P], a semi-prostrate, spreading plant has deep red grape-like clusters of flowers which are almost concealed by the much divided leaves. Hardenbergia violacea `Mini Haha' [Section 15S] is upright, dense and just exploding with deep purple pea flowers. Nearby Leucophyta brownii `Cape le Grand' [Section 15S] is an interesting dwarf plant with wiry silvery stems. Correa pulchella [Section 15S] continues to bear soft pink, tubular flowers, and, in front of the waterfall, Correa reflexa `Carpenters Rock' [Section 15] is resplendent with small red, tubular flowers tipped with yellow. But most colourful of all must be the tiny, dainty blue Splendid Fairy Wren, seen throughout this area... so brilliant, so dashing...

Always much to see ...

Barbara Daly.