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

The golden extravaganza of our wattles throughout the Gardens is at its height. But all gold is not necessarily of wattles for, leading to the gates, the colour is mainly of the soft yellow clusters of Pomaderris intermedia.

This longer walk will view many acacias but also many other spring flowers. The spectacular display of wattles cascading over the car park retaining walls includes Cootamundra Wattle, Acacia baileyana [Section 227] and Acacia cardiophylla ‘Gold Lace’ [Section 226]. Daisies appearing along Banks Walk include Schoenia filifolia [Section 174], an upright herb with terminal bright yellow papery flowers and Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea [Section 174], bright with pink paper flower heads. Hardenbergia violacea [Section 124] with bright purple pea flowers trails over other plants and nearby, Grevillea ‘Poorinda Queen’ [Section 124] is an open shrub of medium size presenting apricot-coloured spider flowers. Around the corner Grevillea ‘Scarlet Sprite’ [Section 119] is dazzling with its scarlet flowers.

See, in the Rock Garden, Isopogon latifolius [Section 15P] of medium size bearing large terminal heads of frilly pink flowers. Dryandra squarrosa [Section 15P] is of similar size, covered with toothed foliage and relieved with rounded clusters of cream flowers. The pendent, candle-like, sweet-perfumed, cream flower spikes mixed with these shrubs are those of Grevillea flexuosa [Section15P]. Above the Rock Garden acacias include Acacia covenyi [Section 3], with soft, fluffy yellow sprays of flowers mixed with the blue-grey foliage, and Acacia adunca [Section 3], Wallangarra Wattle, coloured with rich golden flower balls mixed with fine green foliage.

Walking up to the Mallee Section, Nemcia obovata [Section 100] is a dwarf shrub with lateral branches dense with small, orange-centred yellow pea flowers. Acacia rigens [Section 100] is yet a small shrub with fine foliage massed with small yellow flower balls. Across the road, Grevillea lanigera [Section 34] is a dense ground cover, deep red with its lovely spider flowers. Eucalyptus kybeanensis [Section 34] is a medium mallee shrub dotted with cream flower balls. Along the boardwalk in this area, Adenanthos detmoldii [Section 100] is an erect plant with lanceolate hairy leaves and orange-yellow uniquely designed flowers. Pimelea cracens subsp. cracens [Section 100] is so lovely, being a small, open shrub with pendent greenish-cream bell-shaped flowers. Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia [Section 103] is a large shrub, boldly exhibiting its majestic rich gold, upright cylindrical flower spikes.

Worth the time to visit another area of many flowering acacias including Acacia phasmoides [Section 77] and Acacia floribunda [Section 77]. In particular, a photographer’s delight is Acacia blayana [Section 77], a tall tree with soft grey-green leaves amid the floriferous display of soft gold, fluffy flower balls … really magnificent.

Spring has arrived … Barbara Daly.