The cheery, delicate blossoms of flowering cherries are everywhere. Visitors flock to area parks and gardens that feature the spring blooms, but a ride through any local neighborhood will display dozens, and even hundreds of the showy trees. The primary attraction is the white flowered ‘Yoshino’, though later in the blooming cycle these are joined by the double pink pompoms of ‘Kwanzan’.

Both are fine trees, as are other similar cherries, though many spread a bit too wide, and dense shade and shallow roots deny the possibility of lawn beneath mature trees. There are two cherries in this garden, the early flowering and more compact growing ‘Okame’ and a pink flowered cherry with pendulous branching that has been battered and bruised by neighboring trees that toppled over in storms to break large sections from this sad tree.

But, no matter that cherries are in high demand, in early spring I imagine planting more magnolias, glorious on every early spring day, though more would entail removing dogwoods, redbuds, and Japanese maples (and cherries), each with its own moment of glory.

Admittedly, there are numerous plants that I cannot live without, but I am greatly disappointed that more of the spring flowering (deciduous) magnolias can not be fit into the garden. There is space enough if I ignored my wife’s dictate that no more lawn be removed, but I’ve just enough good sense to understand which lines should not be crossed.

There are seven magnolias in the garden, two evergreens (Magnolia grandiflora), the treasured Bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla, more on this in a few weeks), and four spring bloomers. Another five would be a start, and there are many marvelous choices, though I do not regret any that have been planted. Besides the Bigleaf magnolia, others are commonly found in gardens, and certainly there is a bit of hair splitting for dozens of others with variations in size and flower color.

These are times when I wish I would have bought that house with fifteen acres,. Five would be allotted to magnolias (with appropriate under plantings, of course), at least an acre apiece would be dedicated to dogwoods and redbuds, and five acres or more for Japanese maples. This would, of course, do considerable damage to my retirement savings, but I’d be happy in my poverty.