Garden and Green

14/06/08

If you want to add a touch of the East to your garden, Magnolias are the perfect choice. Ideal for modern and minimalist gardens and for Japanese themed gardens.

FAST FACTS!

Magnolias descend from an ancient genus that evolved before bees were around, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles.

The bark from Magnolia trees has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for it's claimed anti-anxiety properties.

There is a large number of different cultivars available as trees or bushes all offering different variatiions in flowering times and types. Most popular petal colours are pinks and whites.

They are deciduous (although a couple of varieties are evergreen eg. and are happiest in a neutral or acidic soil.

They don't like to be pruned to much and hate cold winds, a sheltered spot is the best location for one, in either full sun or partial shade. It is a good idea to mulch them in Spring.

National Collections of Magnolia can be viewed at;

The Savill Garden
Windsor Great Park
Windsor
Berkshire SL4 2HT
Tel: 01753 860222
Website: www.theroyallandscape.co.uk

C Williams
The Estate Office
Caerhays Castle
Gorran, St Austell
Cornwall PL26 6LY
Tel: 01872 501310
Website: www.caerhays.co.uk

S Catchpole
Wentworth Castle Gardens
Lowe Lane
Stainborough, Barnsley
South Yorkshire S75 3ET
Tel: 01226 776040
Website: www.wentworthcastle.org