MAGNOLIA 



THIS sketch is of another of the garden pictures to be seen Magnolia 

 at Kew in April, but it is not everywhere that this lovely Stellata 

 Magnolia (stellatd] can be grown so well. I have tried it and other 

 for several years myself, and it makes no growth at all. Probably Varieties 

 it is one of the plants which resent lime in the soil, or our spring 

 winds may be too cold. At Kew the bushes, when out, are 

 protected at night if there is danger of a frost, or all the white 

 flowers would be tipped with brown. I am giving it another 

 trial on a wall, and have planted next it Prunus triloba flore 

 plena ; the two should be lovely together, as the Japanese shrub 

 will reach to the top of an eight-foot wall, and make a mass of 

 fluffy pink flower ; indeed, I can imagine nothing more beautiful 

 for the time of year than its long sprays, shaded from pale pink to 

 the bright pink buds at the tips, grouped with the Magnolia 

 against a grey stone wall. But the Magnolia should be grown 

 also as a bush on the lawn, alone, or, as I prefer, with colour 

 above and below, as its petals are so dead a white, with no 

 noticeable stamens to relieve them. 



The early months are rich in Magnolias conspicua^ 

 which grows into a big tree, is far more beautiful than steliata, 

 as apart from its greater size there is a touch of cream in the 

 petals, which is preferable to the white papery look of stellata, 

 and not less brilliant ; soulangiana, following a week or so later, 

 is also fine, and is tinged with a soft purplish rose at the base of 

 the petals. 



In the sketch, a carpet of Muse art conicum is shown 



in 



