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.

15 March 2002

There are interesting flowers in and around the Rainforest Gully so come, lets explore. Edging Banks Walk the display includes the vivid blue fan flowers of Scaevola 'New Blue' [Section 174] and the magenta flowers of Pelargonium rodneyanum [Section 174]. In the crescent bed Dampiera sylvestris [Section 60], with its deep blue flowers, is snug between the silver grey wiry strands of Leucophyta brownii 'Cape Le Grand' [Section 60] which is bearing small globular silvery flower heads.

Taking the Main Path into the Rainforest, Syzygium australe [Section 148] is a small tree, best seen opposite the seat, bearing white fluffy flowers amid the dark shining leaves. Taking the next path down and across the gully, the Stream Lily, Helmholtzia glaberrima [Section 147, 159] has soft fading pink plume-like flower heads seen amid the long flax-like leaves. Continuing up the stairs, Alyxia ruscifolia subsp. ruscifolia [Section 125] is an open shrub decorated with colourful orange berries.

Proiphys cunninghamii [Section 114] is one of the lily family and has large fleshy leaves and sprays of white flowers on upright stems. Edging the Brittle Gum Lawn, Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa [Section 110] reveals many upright cylindrical flower spikes, mostly juvenile, with some maturing to their golden loveliness. Plectranthus graveolens 'Bennelong Frosty Carpet' [Section 110] is a dense ground cover with spikes of small blue flowers appearing from the soft velvety foliage. Psychotria simmondsiana [Section 104], next to the king orchids, has a covering of small white star flowers and soft shiny leaves over an open shrub. Across the gully there are still a few bright red trumpet flowers of Rhododendron lochiae [Section 62].

Continuing uphill, Backhousia citriodora [Section 78] is an attractive small tree crowned with clusters of white flowers. In the centre of the triangular bed Alyogyne huegelii [Section 17] displays lovely hibiscus-like purple flowers. Other plants include the Geraldton Wax cultivar, Chamelaucium 'Cascade Brook' [Section 17], displaying soft waxy pink flowers, Rulingia cuneata [Section 17] with a covering of small yellow flowers and Hemigenia pungens [Section 17] with pink bugle flowers along the trailing stems.

Across the road, Leptospermum amboinense [Section 104] has arching branches white with flowers. Commersonia fraseri [Section 140] is a tall graceful shrub with small white multi-petalled flowers on its lateral branches. Phyllanthus sp. [Section 123] is a small shrub beautified with cream saucer-shaped flowers. Banksia speciosa [Section 37] has numerous arching branches with long narrow toothed leaves and flower spikes of all ages including the mature grey-green flower spikes. Banksias along this path include Banksia robur [Section 37], with large leathery leaves and olive green young flower spikes which age to a chocolate colour, and Banksia media [Section 37], which shows off its large ochre flower spikes. A waratah, Telopea mongaensis [Section 37] has out-of-season attractive open red flowers.

Some assortment of flowers ...

Barbara Daly.