Like our fair city, our Gardens are being clad with the yellow flower balls of wattles.  This walk includes only a few but will mention many grevilleas and banksias along a section of the Main Path.

1. Opposite the entry to the Visitor Information Centre is the Snowy River Wattle, Acacia boormanii [Section 210], showing its soft fluffy yellow flower balls amid its foliage.
2. Grevillea ‘Scarlet Sprite’ [Section 174], growing among other shrubs, is of medium height with red spider-like flowers.
3. In front of the café building, Grevillea rhyolitica [Section 240] is a large dense shrub bearing pendulous red flower clusters.
4. Surrounding the large tree trunk is the Winged Wattle, Acacia alata var. biglandulosa [Section 240], a dense shrub with flattened zig-zag stems with cream flower balls attached.
5. Continue along the Main Path with numerous flowers to admire before viewing the Cootamundra Wattle, Acacia baileyana [Section 30].  This is a prostrate form clad with a profusion of gold fluffy flower balls.
6. Beside it is the Heath-leaved Banksia, Banksia ericifolia [Section 30], a grand ageing shrub with long lateral branches, all with many golden upright cylindrical flower spikes.
7. In a pot nearby, Grevillea saccata [Section 30] is a low shrub with its lateral branches edged with small leaves and its terminal yellow-tipped dusky red flowers extending over the edge of the pot.
8. Almost opposite, Banksia heliantha [Section 30] is a low sprawling plant with serrated leaves and terminal yellow flower heads and buds set in dark bracts.
9. Banksia spinulosa var. neoanglica [Section 25] is of medium size and so attractive with yellow flower spikes.
10. Banksia ericifolia ‘Red Clusters’ [Section 25] is a many-branched upright shrub displaying its really red flower spikes.
11. Nearby Grevillea dimorpha [Section 25] has deep red flowers edging the branches.
12. Crossing the road, Grevillea ‘LadyO’ [Section 26] is resplendent with its graceful lateral branches crowded with red flowers.
13. Grevillea lavandulacea [Section 26] sprinkles red buds among the grey foliage.
14. Behind is Grevillea sericea [Section 26] displaying its pink spider-like flowers.
15. Opposite, a Grevillea sp. [Section 24] is attractive with its terminal flower spikes.
16.  A short way up this path, are larger shrubs including Grevillea brevifolia [Section 23] bearing strands of rust orange flowers.
17. Grevillea capitellata [Section 23] with differing foliage has scarlet spider flowers.
18. Edging the Main Path, Grevillea ‘Canterbury Gold’ [Section 26] is a semi-prostrate shrub with long lateral branches clad with apricot-coloured spider flowers.
19. Grevillea speciosa [Section 26], seen here below the branches of a banksia, is an upright plant with brilliant red spider-like flowers.
20. Grevillea tripartita subsp. macrostylis [Section 24] is of medium height with sharp pointed leaves and red-cream flowers with long curved red styles.
21. Grevillea vestita subsp. isopogoides [Section 26] is clad with cream fluffy flowers over the low spreading plant.
22. Grevillea centristigma [Section 26] is a small upright plant with yellow flower clusters almost concealed below the hairy leaves.
23. Opposite is Grevillea ripicola [Section 24], a dense vigorous spreading shrub displaying its red flowers.

Flowers continue whichever path is taken. To walk among a section of wattles see the marked map overleaf.

Barbara Daly