Leptospermum 'Outrageous' click for larger image

The colourful magenta flowers edging the road to the entrance of the gardens are those of tea-tree, Leptospermum ‘Outrageous’ … some sight! The gardens are a blaze of colour and this walk will mention few of the many seen from the paths. Outside the Visitors Centre, in a pot is Hakea pulvinifera clad with long needle-like foliage and clusters of cream curvaceous flowers, both rare and endangered. Edging Banks Walk Scaevola aemula [Section 174] a prostrate spreading plant with white throated, blue-mauve fan-shaped flowers. Leptospermum 'Merinda’ [Section 210] with cherry coloured open petalled flowers edges the path. Epacris longiflora [Section 174] in a group displays its cream tubular flowers in rows dangling from its wandering branches. Isopogon ‘Little Drumsticks’[Section 210] presents its yellow terminal flowers over a low spreading shrub. Leptospermum ‘Outrageous’[Section 174] bears its dark red flowers on the upright branches. At the corner Grevillea ‘Lady O’[Section 174] is a small spreading shrub clad with red spider flowers.

Edging the side path Leptospermum ‘Pink Cascade’[Section 240] has a coverage of pale pink flowers over the shrub which leans towards the path. Grevillea johnsonii x wilsonii [Section 240] has large sprays of deep pink flowers on the long arching branches while Tetratheca ciliata [Section 240] is a low spreading shrub white with downturned flowers. Taking the path to the left past the building where Leptospermum ‘Lavender Queen’[Section 131] yet small shrubs bearing soft pink flowers. Continuing, groups of kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 127] have pale green ‘paw’ shaped flowers developing on long upright stems surrounded by shorter strappy leaves. At the next corner Melaleuca fulgens [Section 127] has a covering of large orange bottlebrush-like flowers over the medium sized shrub. At the opposite corner Callistemon ‘Harkness’ [Section 124] is tall with rich red terminal bottlebrush-like flowers on its willowy branches. Across the road, also tall is Callistemon salignus [Section 10], a many branched shrub laden with small cream flowers. Mint bushes, Prostanthera sieberi [Section 6] is tall and well covered with purple bugle flowers while beside, Prostanthera saxicola var. major [Section 6] is a lower shrub white with flowers.

Entering the Brittle Gum Lawn, walk below the arching branches of Callistemon salignus [Section 107] which bears pink bottlebrush flowers. On the opposite side of the lawn, Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’[Section 109] is a low spreading shrub displaying large heads of red flowers.

Grevillea ' Lady O' click for larger image

Walking down the road edging the Rainforest a group of smaller shrubs include Leptospermum ‘Outrageous’ [Section 124] clad with dark red flowers, Leptospermum ‘Tickled Pink’[Section 124] with paler flowers and Grevillea ‘Goldfever’[Section 124] a low spreading shrub with apricot coloured flowers. Almost opposite Native Elderberry, Cuttsia viburnea [Section 125] is a large dense shrub with shiny leaves and with large sprays of buds now maturing to small white flowers. Close by, orchids include Dendrobium delicatum [Section 125] on rocks, with sprays of cream flowers. A group of Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Rosy Posy’[Section 128] displaying its pink-cream flowers over the small shrubs. The coffee shop is across the road!

A most pleasant walk, today, in the rain … Barbara Daly.