The Magnolia Tree and Daffodils

Before the garden is blessed with the warming rays of spring each year, springs is notified in late winter by the blossoms of the Deciduous Magnolia and the Daffodil In a way they are the Trumpeters of Spring, assuring us that the goodness of Spring and all that it brings to the garden will arrive soon.

Many are surprised that the plant called the tulip magnolia is in fact a magnolia, as most equate the plant with the evergreen tree (Magnolia grandiflora) with glossy leaves and huge fragrant flowers which blooms in the summer. The deciduous form, In full glory around town during late winter, is prized by the horticulturist and often collected because of the many varieties available.

Varieties of the Deciduous Magnolia (Magnolia soulangiana) to look for: Randy or Karenare great for the small garden due to their diminutive size, sporting purplish buds that take on pink tones as the flower matures. Stellata, also known as the Star Magnolia has atypical pure white flowers resembling a cactus Dahlia. Atlasis a new hybrid with purplish pink flowers that are nearly 12 inches wide. The list goes on and on – do your research now and get your best deal when the balled and burlapped (b&b) selections arrive this winter.

A number of years ago a horticultural society offered a large sum to the first person who would develop a true yellow flowering deciduous magnolia. As a result we now have a number of yellow forms on the market, with the most the most popular being Elizabeth and Yellow Bird – with promising new hybrids on the way.

Daffodils, another trumpeter of spring, are great for peppering around the garden. Each year you can add more to natural garden areas, as nothing says spring is around the corner more than the Daffodil. The nice thing about this bulb is its hardiness. Nothing bothers them, and each year the clumps spread and get larger – like money in the bank. With a wide variety of flower sizes and colors available at local nurseries and online mail order sources, there are unusual varieties for the collector.

The only thing you need to do to keep them blooming strongly each year is make certain you don’t cut the foliage off after the blooms are spent. Some bulbs go through a process called “ripening” .

This is a needed process that actually feeds the bulb everything it needs for the following years’ bloom as the foliage fades. Wait until the stems yellow and can be easily removed with a slight tug, or wait till they brown and then remove.

A companion planting of Ostrich ferns in the garden works great together. The ferns go dormant in the fall and are clipped away during the winter. The Daffodils bloom in the late winter in warm zones, then the ferns pop up and cover the spent foliage of the bulbs allowing them to naturally ripen – unseen.