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

16 October 1998

As the Gardens are so colourful with the spring array of flowers, the Rock Garden is selected for this week's walk. At the base of the stairs, a waratah cultivar, Telopea speciosissima `Wirrimbirra White' [Section 15D] is quite magnificent with its large, almost white globular flower heads. Opposite the Gymea Lily, Doryanthes excelsa [Section 15C] is spectacular with large sword-like leaves surrounding an elongated, upright flower spike topped with a large cluster of red flowers.

Epacris impressa `Spring Pink' [Section 15B] is a dainty small plant with tiny pink, tubular flowers crowded below the arching branches. Nearby Ricinocarpos bowmanii [Section 15B] is covered with bright white star-like flowers. Chorizema cordatum [Section 15F] is quite showy with sprays of bright red and orange pea-flowers. Chamelaucium uncinatum `Newmarracarra' [Section 15F], Geraldton Wax, is quite attractive with pale pink and white waxy flowers on a fine, open shrub.

Towards the stairs, the yellow flowers of Phebalium whitei [Section 15A] are brilliant and harmonise with the small mauve bugle shaped flowers of Westringia glabra [Section 15A]. Eutaxia obovata [Section 15A] has neatly arranged foliage brightened with yellow pea-flowers with a red keel.

Along this top road other floral `treasures' include Tetratheca ciliata [Section 15H] massed with rich pink downturned flowers. At the base of Telopea `Braidwood Brilliant' [Section 15H] the lovely Hypocalymma angustifolium [Section 15H] is laden with tiny, soft and fluffy, pink-white flower balls along the arching branches. The blueness of Dampiera diversifolia [Section 15H] is striking as it trails the soil. Oh so blue too, are the pale flowers of Lechenaultia `Autumn Blue' [Section 15H]. Hibbertia empetrifolia [Section 15H] with a mass of wiry branches, is covered with bright yellow flowers and the mound of tiny pink flowers is Baeckea ramosissima `Pink Gem' [Section 15H]. Rhodanthe anthemoides `Chamomile Cascade' [Section 15J], is so floriferous, being covered with small white daisies. Telopea speciosissima `Corroboree' [Section 15J] bears showy, almost scarlet flower heads.

Dryandra squarrosa [Section 15P] is a large shrub bearing yellow fluffy flowers amid the small, sharp leaves and Grevillea flexuosa [Section 15P] has fragrantly perfumed cream flowers resembling candles, among its large, divided leaves. Here, Dampiera stricta [Section 15R] bearing violet coloured flowers mingles with Brachyscome formosa [Section 15R] bearing pink flowers. Close by Boronia megastigma [Section 15R] displays it cup-shaped dark brown and yellow inside, flowers renowned for their perfume. So much to see ...

Barbara Daly