Magnolias for every garden

Christopher Lloyd explains why every garden should have a magnolia

- Christopher Lloyd

Magnolia x soulangeana or the saucer magnolia

WITH their large, bold blossoms so proudly displayed, magnolias are undoubtedly the most glamorous and effective of all shrubs or small trees and there is room for at least one specimen in every garden. The polluted air of industrial areas does not worry them in the least and they are tolerant of a wide range of soils, although some of them are lime hating.

April is the best month for planting and establishing magnolias. They have fleshy roots that are apt to rot away in winter, following an autumn disturbance, but in spring they can quickly make good any damage done to them. Remember, though, to keep your young plants well-watered until they are settled in.

Christopher Lloyd at his Great Dixter garden

Another point to remember about these fleshy roots is that they strongly resent being dug around. You can easily kill a large and mature specimen by digging over the ground near it. Feed, then, entirely with surface mulches of organic material like garden compost, and don't prod around with a fork. One reason for magnolias making such excellent lawn specimens is that they are undisturbed here. However, it would be as well, at least in the early years, to keep a 5ft (1.5m) circle round your magnolia free of turf; you could plant small bulbs and hardy cyclamen in it.

Magnolia denudata has pure-white waxy blooms that are strongly lemon scented

Striking varieties