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

Acacia jibberdingensis [Section 77] from the small WA town, Jibberding, is in flower. It grows up beyond the Nursery, so a longer walk is required. On the way admire the dwarf Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 172], brilliant with many golden, upright flower spikes. Edging the Brittle Gum Lawn, Banksia ‘Giant Candles’ [Section 107] is much taller but not so dense, and displays a few 30 cm long, rich golden flower spikes.

Passing the Rock Garden, which is full of floral surprises, don’t miss Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H], a suckering plant covered with bright blue flowers on its upright stems. Farther on find Hakea laurina [Section 20], an open shrub of medium size, bearing golf ball size deep red flowers with cream styles and some all red flowers … and with nectar to attract the Eastern Spinebills and other honeyeaters. In front of the Nursery, Leptospermum squarrosum [Section 44] is a picture, for this erect shrub displays its pretty pink, peach blossom flowers, dense on its old wood beneath the foliage.

Further up where Grevillea lanigera [Section 34] covers its prostrate branches with soft, mottled pink flowers, Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia [Section 103] is lush with gold, almost red, flower spikes. Walk around this loop path through the Arid Area Garden. Desert Banksia, Banksia ornata [Section 100], is quite small with squat cream flower spikes dotted with grey and nearby Banksia epica [Section 100] displays its green, maturing to brown, flower spikes on a still smaller shrub. Almost opposite, Hakea ceratophylla [Section 100] is small and rounded and covered with white, lacy flowers, whilst around the corner Lechenaultia formosa [Section 100] is ground-hugging with bright cherry red flowers on the periphery of the circular plant.

Around the corner, the large, dense shrub, Cliff Bottlebrush, Callistemon comboynensis [Section 103] is dotted with red bottlebrush flowers and fresh, young red-tipped growth. Pittosporum rhombifolium [Section 96] is most colourful for this small tree is bright with clusters of orange berries amid the shiny leaves. Then, maybe a stroll around the area of cultivars. Baeckea virgata ‘Howie’s Sweet Midget’ [Section 87] is neat and rounded and dusted with small clusters of tiny white flowers. Compare Crowea exalata ‘Austraflora Green Cape’ [Section 87], bearing small, pale pink flowers, with Crowea ‘Festival’ [Section 100], bearing brilliant pink flowers, and Crowea ‘Pink Blush’ [Section 100], bearing pink, almost white, star flowers.

Then follow the mossy green path, passing Boronia floribunda [Section 150] with soft pink flowers, to the top road. Wattles include the tall willowy tree, Acacia saliciformis [Section 77] covered with soft cream, perfumed flowers. Then the intriguing Acacia jibberdingensis [Section 77] with long, contorted trunks hugging the ground or otherwise, terminating with long, fine curved leaves and brilliant golden flower rods.

Worth the walk … yes!

Barbara Daly.