Magnolias

I want to begin this Easter Sunday post by mentioning our four children, Edward, Patrick, Sally and Tim. No reason other than they are all home for the weekend, and have been whinging that they never get a mention on this blog anymore. I've explained that this is not entirely my fault. Mrs D, who is an obsessively private person, has banned me from mentioning family members, except for the occasional photograph of little Ffion, Edward (and Karen's) daughter. They've all been helping in the garden, though this is a somewhat 'generous' statement as far as Pat is concerned. I don't know whether they have been admiring the Magnolias, which is what you are about to do. First up is Magnolia stellata, brilliant when it misses late frosts, which this year it has succeeded in doing.

Next up is a Magnolia soulangiana. This has a funny history. When my in-laws were moving house about 20 years ago, Robbie (as I referred to Mr Austen Roberts, Mrs D's dad) heeled it in my veg garden and its still there to this day. It is still thought of as his tree - and serves as a sort of 'rememberence tree'.

This (or more correctly 'these') is another type of soulangiana. We bought several from one of Andy Joseph's 'end of season' salesat the Derwen Garden Centre. They cost only about a fiver each. I think variety is called 'Susan'.

And finally, we have another soulangiana. I planted this one only last week, and it has already made one appearance on this blog. Its another sort of 'rememberence tree'. I'll tell you what its significance is next year. Its that privacy thing kicking in again.