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

This walk is around and about the Rock Garden where soil mixes in the different beds supply suitable growing conditions for a range of special plants. Because of the long, hot summer with little rain, many plants have suffered. Regardless the area holds a great variety of colourful plants. Firstly, notice Banksia aemula [Section 16] near the bottom of the steps. The shrub has leathery, serrated leaves and the flower spikes are rather squat, greenish-yellow, silky and curly.

Grevillea `Poorinda Royal Mantle' [Section 15D] with red toothbrush-like flowers, completely covers the rock fall. Hibbertia pedunculata [Section 15D] breaks the continuity of the grevillea with bright yellow flowers amid its fine, dark foliage. Brachyscome multifida `Breakoday' [Section 15C], a small, compact plant with mauve daisy flowers, and the brilliant yellow straw daisy flowers, Bracteantha species [Sections 15C,15B,15A], add colour to any garden.

Scaevola aemula [Section 15C] is a ground-hugging plant with large violet fan flowers along its lateral stems. Xanthorrhoea macronema [Section 15D] projects its tall, stark spikes with terminal spent flower heads, surrounded by an array of long, arching fine leaves. Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 15D] is showy with dazzling orange terminal clusters of small daisies in an entanglement of soft green foliage.

Dampiera stricta [Section 15F] is a suckering plant crowded between the rocks, its stems topped with soft mauve-blue flowers. Eremophila maculata var. brevifolia [Section 15F], although still small, bears attractive bugle-shaped cerise flowers. Calostemma purpureum [Section 15F], Garland Lily, is a bulbous plant with clusters of wine-red trumpet-like flowers on long stems.

Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 15H] is low and spreading and is covered with vivid white fan flowers. Another plant with vivid white flowers is Isotoma axillaris [Section 15H] with oddly arranged petals. It has self-seeded in different areas of the Gardens. Derwentia arenaria [Section 15H] is a long-flowering plant with quite lovely violet-blue flowers on long, arching stems. Brachyscome aculeata [Section 15M] with yellow-centered, almost white, daisy flowers, densely covers this bed. Although not flowering, Leucophyta brownii `Cape le Grande' [Section 15S] is an interesting dwarf plant with silver-grey stems and minute silver-grey leaves.

Looking up to the waterfall, Lythrum salicaria [Section 15Q] has pink flowers on tall, erect stems. This plant is a perennial and enjoys wet feet.

On leaving the Rock Garden, Callistemon `Glasshouse Country' [Section 110] is a graceful, open plant adorned with soft pink bottlebrush flowers ... so pretty!

And even more flowers to see ...

Barbara Daly.