April Monthly Inspiration

Although, in Cornwall, some of the best known Asiatic magnolias are already over by late March the magnolia season is by no means over. Later flowering magnolias may well be favoured by those gardening in colder countries or with more limited wind protection after the earlier run of named storms in February and early March.

I have plenty of time this month to write more on my daily garden blog which dates back to 1897!!

We thought the exhibits from Caerhays Castle and Burncoose Gardens at the Cornwall Garden Society show near Wadebridge last year might whet the appetite for some of the best April flowering magnolias:

MAGNOLIA 'Apollo'

Rich violet-purple flowers at first turning purple-rosy-violet later. Highly scented

Available Medium £60.00

MAGNOLIA 'Solar Flair'

Upright deep yellow flowers tinged light rose at the base

Available from £60.00

MAGNOLIA 'Margaret Helen'

Rose-red campbellii-type bowl-shaped blooms which appear freely at a young age. An exceptionally clear colour

Available Medium £60.00

Later in April last year at the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia show at Rosemoor the stars of the show were early season yellow flowering magnolias 'Lois' and 'Limelight' (featureed monthly banner):

MAGNOLIA 'Lois'

Clear primrose flowers without a tendency to fade. Just as good in Burncoose Gardens as M. 'Daphne'

Available from £60.00

My personal favourites for April are Magnolia ‘Peachy’ and Magnolia ‘Daybreak’ which have such an interesting mix of colours in their petals.

MAGNOLIA 'Daybreak'

Unusual fragrant light rose-pink flowers. M. xbrooklynensis 'Woodsman' was the seed parent in a cross with M. 'Tina Durio'. Highly recommended

Available from £60.00

MAGNOLIA 'Peachy'

An unusual but striking hybrid between M. acuminata and M. sprengeri 'Diva'. Tepals are orange-red outside and creamy-white inside

Available from £60.00

The big leafed Rhododendrons sinogrande and macabeanum are also flowering in April. The largest flowers of any rhododendron but our young plants will take a few years to grow to flowering size.

RHODODENDRON macabeanum

Leaves up to a foot long and huge trusses of bell-shaped pale yellow flowers with purple blotches

Available from £35.00

RHODODENDRON sinogrande

The largest leafed rhododendron of all with huge trusses of yellow fading to creamy-white flower with a crimson blush

Usually  £35.00 - Leave your email and we will let you know when it's back in stock.

One of the big excitements here last year was the flowering of Sophora microphylla ‘Sun King’ in the garden. I have seldom seen a (now) 6ft tall shrub so absolutely plastered in golden yellow flowers. So crowded in flower that you could hardly see the leaves as is clear in these photographs.

Sophora microphylla ‘Sun King’

Extremely hardy plant with bright yellow clusters of claw-like flowers in profusion over a long period in late winter and spring

Available £25.00

Malus and Japanese cherries are also making quite a showing. With us Malus ‘Evelyn’ with its pink flowers contrasting with the purple leaves is something special. Prunus ‘Gyoiko’ also has bronze new leaves and large greenish then cream double flowers.

 

PRUNUS 'Gyoiko'

Bronze new leaves and cream or green double flowers

Available from £55.00

MALUS 'Evelyn'

A spectacular North American purple leaved tree whose dark purple leaves turn a stunning orange-red in autumn. Fragrant single pink flowers

Available from £50.00