The sky may be grey, but i'm really happy as the first creamy white flower (centre picture) is showing on the Magnolia Grandiflora in my front garden.
I was lucky enough to inherit two Magnolia's in my front garden when I moved to this house.
Magnolia Grandiflora is a Stately specimen, - mine is taller than the house, and about 15 metres wide ( the photo was taken from the upstairs window)
The other is a deciduous type, and flowers prolifically in spring (probably Soulangeana)
It then drops all its leaves in the Autumn, causing us several weeks of raking /sweeping up.
Now you'd think that the Evergreen Magnolia Grandiflora wouldn't be as much hard work, - after all, Evergreens don't drop their leaves, do they?
But this one does. - Not all at once, and not so the tree goes bald, but between Early Spring and summer, it regularly deposits a sack full of tough leathery leaves on my foliage bed each week
It only stops dropping leaves for the summer when the new growth is complete, all the glossy new leaf buds are fully open, and the flowers start coming.
So as well as cheering on the first beautiful flower of the season, i'm now looking forward to a couple of months without having to rake up leaves every week.
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