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Trees and shrubs I love to see in my garden - Page 2

© Gay Klok

MAGNOLIAS and MICHELIAS

These favourites have the one bad habit of making you swoon with joy for only the briefest of time. Most are too extravagantly large for the available space in a small garden, but, don't worry, there are some small varieties that will amaze your friends for a little while every Spring. And these seem to blossom for longer than their large, show off cousins.

Here are a few Magnolias I have photoed in the gardens

More Magnolias

For the smaller garden, the Magnolia stellata, never reaches a very big height but does grow wider and wider in its advancing years [like the writer], its tattered flowers covering the twisted branches for most of Spring and Michelia yunnanensis may even be planted as a hedge or in a container and has superb brown furry buds that delight you through all of Winter then open up to perfect cup shaped white scented blooms later in Spring and early Summer

Lack of space stops me writing [will the same problem stop me planting? I doubt it, there is always room for just one more irresistible beauty!] and this is only the tip of the iceberg. If my own particular garden fancies interest you, I will continue examining my favourites in the next article. I could probably continue for another two years, there are so many! I do not write to influence you in what to plant in your garden. I have hoped that by showing in my photos, many of the plants I love to grow in my gardens and how I place them within the garden scenes, that this will give you, dear readers, some joy . Over the years, I have been asked to "do" friends' gardens. The request always gives me trouble. I firmly believe that every gardener should experiment and find out for themselves. When asked, I will tell them the requirements of their own chosen plant, I will accompany them to a nursery ["No, Gay, not more plants"] and I will suggest and lend them books to read.

To answer "What do YOU think I should plant here?", I find that all I can reply is - "Go to the Botanical Gardens or go to other peoples' Open Days or walk around the neighbourhood and see what is growing well and take note of the flowers and trees that appeal to you. Decide on a certain look and feel that suits YOU in YOUR garden, THEN I will thoroughly enjoy joining with you and experiencing the excitement of the creation of your new gardens"

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