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

This walk is around and about the Rock Garden where small and precious plants will be identified. Starting at the top of the steps the overall view this area is the glowing yellow of straw daisies, Bracteantha bracteata [Sections 15A, 15B, 15C]. They seed well and are most colourful. Across the road, the small wattle, Acacia saliciformis [Section 2], is attractive with pale yellow flower balls dotted over its pendulous branches.

Along this top road Dampiera diversifolia [Section 15H] is a prostrate herb bearing deep blue flowers along its radiating stems. Dampiera sylvestris [Section 15H] is an upright plant, dense with showy dark blue flowers. Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 15H] has masses of snowy white fan flowers over an almost prostrate plant. Crowded between the rocks below, Grevillea lanigera [Section 15H] bears its soft pink spider-like flowers while Isotoma axillaris [Section 15H] with blue star-like flowers and Isotoma anethifolia [Section 15H] with white star-like flowers self-seed here and there. Halgania cyanea var. tuberculosa [Section 15G] has china blue flowers over the small plant and Ptilotus obovatus [Section 15G], also small, has silver-grey woolly foliage with small rounded grey-pink flower heads. Verticordia pennigera [Section 15W, 15F] should not be missed for this tiny shrub has a covering of bright pink, feathery flowers clustered along its few branches.

Lomandra leucocephala subsp. robusta [Section 15F] is a small tufted plant with fine grass-like leaves and features clusters of tiny cream flowers tightly packed around the stems at regular intervals. Around the corner, Garland Lily, Calostemma purpureum [Section 15F] bears small trumpet-shaped flowers grouped on long, bare stems while Crinum flaccidum [Section 15B], Darling Lily, presents its spectacular white flowers on longer, bare stems surrounded by long, arching leaves.

Boronia polygalifolia [Section 15L] is another small plant with lateral stems covered with tiny deep pink and light pink flowers ... really a gem. Opposite, Scaevola phlebopetala [Section 15P] is a ground hugging plant with yellow-throated deep purple flowers… another wee gem!
Not so tiny, Chamelaucium 'Cascade Brook' [Section 15R] is well flowered with dark centered pink wax flowers over an open shrub. Brachycome multifida 'Evan' [Section 15S] is a dense, mat plant featuring very small mauve daisies over its green carpet. Crowea exalata 'Binalong Compact' [Section 15S] bears pink star flowers over its small shrub and opposite, Prostanthera porcata [Section 15R] is a much larger shrub with another shade of pink, trumpet-shaped flowers.

Also small and precious, the Fringed Lily, Thysanotus juncifolius [Section 15V] has frilly-edged purple flowers on long, bare stems. Close by, the floral emblem of the ACT, Wahlenbergia gloriosa [Section 15V] shows off its few bluebell flowers.

So much to enjoy … Barbara Daly.