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

23 October 1998

The springtime array of colour and form is so beautiful close to the buildings. It also continues further afield, so this walk starts up and beyond the Nursery where peace and tranquility go hand in hand with ... just come and see.

At the crossroads, see Kunzea baxteri [Section 51] with bottlebrush-like flowers of bright red dusted with yellow adorning this old, rambling shrub. Looking down, the covering of new, red foliage on Callistemon salignus [Section 41] is remarkable and behind, the lovely deep purple daisies mingled with bright pink daisies of Olearia phlogopappa [Section 41] are worthy of admiration. Hakea prostrata [Section 103] is upright with long lateral branches well covered with clusters of lacey, white flowers.

Along this road is a bed of hibbertias, all with their bright yellow flowers. Hibbertia stricta [Section 95] is an entanglement of stems dotted with flowers and Hibbertia saligna [Section 95] is an orderly, erect shrub brightened with larger flowers. Above this bed, low and sprawling Tetratheca thymifolia [Section 101] is a mass of white, downturned flowers which hang like bells. Others coloured dark pink with black centres are nearby. Along the road, the varying shades of the purple mint bushes are seen.. Compare the differing shades of cultivars, Prostanthera `Poorinda Leane' [Section 82] and Prostanthera `Oakdene' [Section 82].

Taking the narrow, mossy green path where numerous boronias are seen. Boronia heterophylla `Morandy Candy' [Section 150] bears bright pink bell-like flowers on an open shrub while Boronia microphylla [Section 150] displays its many pink buds which open to paler pink, open flowers. Behind, Boronia muelleri [Section 150], equally picturesque, displays its bell-like flowers along arching branches. Boronia sp. aff. deanei [Section 150] has deeper pink flowers, and Boronia floribunda [Section 150] is equally floriferous with pale pink flowers, seen behind the base of a stringybark tree. Also seen along this path is Eriostemon buxifolia [Section 150] with pink buds and white starry flowers clustered towards the ends of the branches. Asterolasia hexapetala [Section 150] is a much taller shrub with white flowers which acts as a backdrop to the boronias.

The path then overlooks waratahs, Telopea `Braidwood Brilliant' [Section 75] with bright red flowers. Hakea constablei [Section 75] accidentally lies prostrate with upright branches enveloped with white, lacey flowers. The returning road is edged with the pale mauve flowers of Solanum brownii [Section 203] and Grevillea juniperina [Section 75], a prostrate plant bearing mustard-shaded spider-like flowers. Grevillea beadleana [Section 75], with velvet-like divided leaves, reveals its attractive claret coloured toothbrush-like flowers with black background.

Such beauty ... with the chorus of our bird life too ...

Barbara Daly