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

14 November 1997

See the array of flowers in the pots outside the doors of the Visitor Centre. Marvel at the blue of Lechenaultia biloba and the beauty of Diplarrena latifolia `Amethyst Fairy'. Throughout the Gardens waratahs are still quite showy and bottlebrushes and many others are also colourful but this walk is up beyond the Nursery where boronias, waratahs and callistemons add to the beauty of this area.

Starting at the top intersection Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia [Section 103] presents its attractive rich gold upright flower-spikes. Opposite Olearia argophylla [Section 111] is of medium size with clusters of white daisy flowers mingling with its silver-backed leaves. Pittosporum rhombifolium [Section 96] is a small tree endowed with clusters of small globular, orange fruits amid its glossy green leaves. There is a bed of hibbertias of a variety of species. They all have bright, yellow flowers but vary in some way. Hibbertia alpestra [Section 95] is low growing and quite dense. Hibbertia bracteata [Section 95] is taller and a more open plant while Hibbertia rupicola [Section 95] is a dense ground hugging plant.

Eremophila bowmanii var. latifolia [Section 97] is an open, medium sized shrub with grey, hairy foliage and large blue bugle-shaped flowers. Across the road the low, spreading Leptospermum scoparium var. rotundifolium `Julie Anne' [Section 87] is really florific with its pale, mottled pink flowers. Nearby, Prostanthera cuneata [Section 87] bears its white, trumpet-like flowers with dark green aromatic foliage. Further along, just past Grevillea `Brookvale Letitia' [Section 87] with cherry pink toothbrush-like flowers, see, behind but above other shrubs, the really stunning flowers of Callistemon `Burgundy' [Section 87] These long, deep burgundy bottle- brush flowers must certainly be the flower of the week.

But then follow the mossy green path opposite to view the lovely boronias, all showing off their own shades of pink flowers. Boronia microphylla [Section 150] has some tiny open flowers but mostly unopened flower buds, and behind is Boronia muelleri [Section 150] with such soft, such delicate flowers. There is Boronia floribunda [Section 150] with pink, almost white, open flowers and Boronia molloyae [Section150] with bell-shaped, deeper pink flowers.

Still time to admire, across the road, Chamelaucium uncinatum `Variegated Blush' [Section 87] with showy pale pink and white flowers on an open shrub. Grevillea `Poorinda Royal Mantle' [Section 87] is a dense ground cover with deep red toothbrush flowers. Some boronia cultivars include Boronia mollis `Lorne Pride' [Section 87] with deep pink flowers next to Boronia pinnata `Spring White' [Section 87] together, a picture.

Worth the walk ...

Barbara Daly.