April Monthly Inspiration
News and Gardening Tips
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:
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):
My personal favourites for April are Magnolia ‘Peachy’ and Magnolia ‘Daybreak’ which have such an interesting mix of colours in their petals.
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.
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.
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.
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