magnolia MAGIC

Your trees are bare, their limbs spreading out and up like twisting scrawls against the grey winter sky. But, any time now, they will suddenly look as though a flock of butterflies has landed, covering the limbs with wings of creamy white, faintest pink or deepest crimson to help you welcome spring. These are winter magnolia flowers. Simple, serene and elegant enough not to be gilded with the unnecessary distraction of leaves.

But, if you want leaves with blooms, plant a big, fat Bull Bay magnolia with big flowers dropped like dollops of vanilla ice-cream on its huge leaves in summer. Magnolias are garden royalty. Reign on!