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

11 January 2002

Who could not but admire, edging Banks Walk, the tall and graceful kangaroo paw cultivars which include Anigozanthos ‘Bush Haze’ [Section 210] bright with yellow ‘paw’ flowers which harmonise with Anigozanthos ‘Bush Sunset’ [Section 210] bearing burgundy shaded flowers. Opposite, also edging Banks Walk, is a small, ground hugging herb, Calandrinia balonensis [Section 174] with bright pink open flowers along its trailing stems. A rare ‘find’ is the Tasmanian Richea dracophylla [Section 66] seen beside the barrier near the bridge. With tapering pointed leaves the terminal flower spike is yet with pink buds which will soon open to white flowers.

Along this avenue where floating white petals resemble snow flakes, Baeckea virgata [Section 12] is a medium rounded shrub with small white flowers and Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. polygalifolium [Section 12] has many dark trunks patched with pale green lichens and branches laden with similar but larger white flowers. Melaleuca thymifolia [Section 12] has small pink feathery flowers over the small shrub. The prickly paperbark, Melaleuca styphelioides [Section 12], is old with trunks peeling with flaky cream-brown bark and bears small bottlebrush-like white flowers.

Another area of colour is close to the nurseries. On the way, view Banksia robur [Section 28]. The shrubs have either tough leathery green leaves with lighter green veins or leaves with red veins. Both types have flower spikes coloured an attractive olive green. In this bed Tetratheca thymifolia [Section 44] is a low dense shrub covered with pink down-turned flowers or with white flowers. Hibbertia diffusa [Section 44] is a dense groundcover brightened with yellow flowers. Chloanthes stoechadis [Section 44] is an odd, untidy plant with tough wrinkly leaves and blending in inconspicuously are green tubular flowers. Against the rock wall Backhousia myrtifolia [Section 44] is a slim small tree laden with clusters of fluffy cream flowers. Epacris longiflora [Section 44] is a low entanglement of branches containing fine tubular red flowers with white mouths.

Edging the floral Rock Garden, Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H] is dense with blue flowers and nearby, Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 15H] a low sprawling shrub with white fan-like flowers. Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 15H] is so eye-catching with rust-orange flowers on long, swaying stems. Alyogyne huegelii [Section 123] is a medium open shrub attractive with soft lilac hibiscus flowers.

In this garden, Hibbertia stellaris [Section 17] is a very small rounded plant crowned with lovely orange flowers. Ptilotus manglesii [Section 17] is also very small and interesting with fluffy silvery pink flowers. Walk back through the cooling Rainforest and discover the Dorrigo Waratah, Alloxylon pinnatum [Section 148] bearing open flowers on the treetops. View from just past the path barrier or halfway down the stairs. Along the stream below, view the lovely Stream Lily, Helmholtzia glaberrima [Sections 145,144], with long tapering leaves and plume-like pale pink flowers.

Always another flower to admire ... Barbara Daly.