Dazzling divas that bewitch with colour and grandeur
WHY shouldn’t we go for a bit of style? So many people don’t, but why not — the garden can be a place where a single tree of outstanding quality is the difference between making a style statement and having a run-of-the-mill garden. And when I think of style, I think of magnolia. Apart from one small bushy kind – the star magnolia – the rest are small to medium trees, and one or two kinds are large trees. These are trees of stature and style, but they must be used to best effect, and that is not always the case.
Plenty of gardens have magnolias; they have been flowering for about a week now. But it is true to say that they are often badly placed in gardens, and their beauty is not taken full advantage of. Just look how many gardens have magnolia cramped too close to a wall or to other trees, or too close to the house itself. This problem arises because people do not realise just how large a magnolia can grow.
When purchased as a small plant, it can be difficult to realise that Magnolia soulangeana, the most commonly grown kind, will easily make five, six or more metres in both height and width. The garden centres and garden books are partly to blame here – the impression is abroad that magnolia is a shrub, and this is incorrect. The small star magnolia, Magnolia stellata, is indeed a shrub, reaching only a couple of metres but it is the exception. As such it is suited to small gardens or small areas within a larger garden.
The bigger kinds are the ones that will interest people with larger gardens, and many country gardens are spacious. These big plants need space, not only space to grow but space around them to give them the proper setting. Take advantage of the space available to put in a magnificent magnolia and make that style statement.
Start by choosing a suitable place. Do not buy the tree and then decide on the spot for planting. Assess the spots that might be candidates, trying to visualise how a five or six-metre, or even a 10 or 12-metre specimen will look. As a guideline on size, you can take it that a five or six-metre Magnolia soulangeana will make the size of a large old apple tree while a Magnolia campbelli will reach the stature of a large mature birch tree.
There are three possibilities that come to mind: planting a specimen on a lawn area, planting within an existing border and planting near the house itself. If a specimen is to
The young tree will look lost in its early years but space will allow for development
be planted in a lawn area, it should have at least 10 metres clear space from any other large plant or building. The young tree will look lost during its early years, but that amount of space will allow the proper development of the tree in the long-term, and that is what counts most.
The second kind of position for a specimen magnolia is within an existing border. Given the size of these plants, the borders need to be pretty large, at least three metres wide. Even at that, the border might be widened at the point where the magnolia is planted to give it more development space, but this can be done as the tree grows, making sure to plant the tree at the front of the
existing border. The third typical position for a magnolia, planting in association with the house itself, can be very dramatic. A full-size magnolia in flower close to the house gives an air of tremendous style. Plant the tree not closer than three metres, again to allow for its future spread.
Finally, magnolia will grow on
either acid or limy soil, on rich soil with plenty of humus and good, open drainage. Keep a large area – two metres diameter – free of weeds and grass by mulching with rotted leaves. Consider shelter. If you have a very open site, forget about magnolia. Cold spring winds spoil the tree’s flower and cause poor growth.