MAGNOLIAS MAKE THE WINTER MAGIC

Deciduous magnolia trees and shrubs are always a sight to behold in late winter when their first flower buds unfurl amongst grey dormant branches and twigs. The large tulip shaped blooms in shades of mauve, pale pink and purple adorn the plants before new spring leaves appear. This creates a floral spectacle of the highest order in the gardens with suitable climatic conditions.

Magnolias enjoy rich loamy soils, reasonably high rainfall, cool misty summers and slightly milder winters. Heavy winter frost damages the or burns the blooms. For this reason, the de Vos and Kosar hybrids were introduced in order to facilitate later blooming and less likelihood of frost damage. This season there are limited stocks available of these lovely hybrid magnolias with names like ‘Ricki’, ‘Pinkie’ and ‘Susan’.