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Magnolia x Soulangeana — 21 Comments

  1. Hello Alistair, we’re after a specimen Magnolia x Soulangeana to be the centre-piece of a large border that I’m in the middle of digging. There are many magnolias around us ranging in all sizes from small shrubs to large trees whose display is utterly jaw-dropping. I want a piece of the action too!

  2. Magnolias certainly are abundant in the area Rick. Last September we removed a huge Lime tree from the front garden, it was so out of place, I dont think I would have been so keen to remove a Magnolia though.

  3. Hi Alistair, your garden is really taking shape, I look forward to your summer display. We are surrounded by Magnolias here in every colour form including Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Nigra’ the deep red form which along with Magnolia x soulangeana were pretty much the only ones readily available locally 40 years ago. If you take a drive round the area there are some really substantial specimens, nearly every garden has one including one garden where the tree dominates. Planted dead centre in the lawn it fills the front garden, a bit too much of a price to pay methinks for a few weeks of beautiful flowers.

  4. Hi Alsastair, good to see you thriving in your transplanted site. I’m not familiar with that particular Magnolia. The ones we have here are M. grandiflora and M. stellata. They do well here too, so I guess they do like a bit of summer warmth. You must be very busy, and happy, having two gardens. And it must be convenient for your daughter, to have her own personal gardener!

  5. Thanks Donna, our daughter and grandson are just back from, a week in New York. She says its good to let him have experience of other parts of the world. Ha! when I was his age a week in a mobile home 15 miles away was the event of the year.

  6. Really enjoy your posts.

    I followed your house move with interest as after having lived in Aberdeenshire for 28 years,after retirement we(husband,myself and little dog)moved to Elgin. As I come from Lossiemouth it was almost back to my roots.

    We have never looked back and are really enjoying it.Our last garden was quite large and had become all labour plus we had huge conifer trees surrounding our back garden.

    Our new garden is smaller and more manageable and leaves more time to enjoy it.

    I often look at photos of your Aberdeen garden for inspiration as you had so much in it. I do it now with your new garden.

    Did you cloud prune your bushes yourself.? Looks really nice.

  7. Hi Helene, my daughters Magnolia is the original hybrid which was named Magnolia x Soulangeana, I know there are several others hybridised later such as heaven scent, and alba etc. Oh no, I am so disappointed to hear of your current predicament, its a stressful time as it is without this happening. Hope you soon return to your usual self.

  8. Pam, Tresamble is a beauty which I will be sure to keep, a very happy Spring to you also. Our daughter and grandson have just returned from a week in New York, just in time to see her Magnolia which will receive a shrug of the shoulders and an al-right, I suppose.

  9. Wow, Alistair, your spring garden is stunning! Love Tresamble and want one. I’m sure your attention to the magnolia did the trick! Your daughter must be thrilled. Happy, happy spring! P. x

  10. My magnolia soulangeana ‘Heaven Scent’ has been with me for 3 years now, still growing in a container, and flowered beautifully again last month. However, being 3m tall now (single stemmed), I think it will appreciate me moving house and hopefully giving it a permanent place in the ground. Do you know what type your daughter’s magnolia is? I bought mine with a promise of exquisite scent, but it has no scent at all, the only disappointing part of it…does your daughter’s have scented flowers? Maybe it will come when mine is older?

    Good to see your garden taking shape, the bark on the path was a good idea, I have 13 years of experience with bark in all the beds in my own garden and I can only say it does wonder for the soil as long as it gets topped up regularly.

    On a final note, moving house and garden has turned out to be more complicated than I had anticipated, I am currently in hospital with a dislocated hip replacement and have no idea what to do next.

  11. Annette, Although I did see Stellata growing well in more central town parts of Aberdeen, we never had success with it in our garden

  12. A useful post for me Alistair as I have been wondering whether I should get a Magnolia. I don’t actually think I have a sheltered enough place for one as the whole garden is quite windy. Do you know if a Stellata would grow in a pot? Love your woodland path.

  13. Hi Angie,
    Surprised to hear you have been having frosts in Edinburgh. I don’t think we have – or maybe I haven’t been getting up early enough to notice!

  14. Cheshire does do Spring well Angie. The topiary which came with us from Aberdeen struggled for a while in the very different soil conditions, seems to have settled down nicely.

  15. No chance of such rapid growth here Deb, unless someone out there can tell me differently. Starting to find relaxation a lot easier these days.

  16. Our magnolia took less than five years to grow to twenty feet! This year the blooms were wonderful and lasted for weeks, escaping late frosts that often spoil the spring blooms. I love the photo of the long view of your back garden. It must be a great place to relax, though you probably can’t sit long before being enticed into pulling weeds or some other garden chore. Happy spring!

  17. Magnolia envy here Alistair! I’m sure your daughter is much appreciative of the extra tlc you’ve given the Magnolia. I only grow M. stellata, as you did in Aberdeen but it would be great to have one of the other species.
    Your garden is looking great you really have made it your own in such a short time, the topiary is looking wonderful and makes a real statement along the trellising. We’ve had frost this last 3 mornings, I bet you don’t miss that! Chesire does spring well, doesn’t it?

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