The inclusion of big green shrubs in the garden is open to question, even in a larger space. Do two weeks of flower substantiate the area consumed by ‘Magicien’ deutzia (Deutzia x hybrida ‘Magicien’, below)?

If I were a gardener willing to chop the shrub back by a third every second year, there would be no question. The deutzia does not grow with excess vigor, so it would remain tidy and without great effort. Certainly, I could make the time, but I’m not a pruner. I see online gardeners who profess not to prune, who then devote considerable time to demonstrations of the task. Not here, where lessons are perhaps oriented more to what not to do. Don’t do what I do?

In any case, the question of whether ‘Magicien’ earns its spot in the garden is simply answered by looking at it today. While favorites change by the day, this flower glows to my eye. There is no shrub or even a Japanese maple or redbud that I would prefer to fill this back corner of the lower rear garden. Still, I’m not tempted to plant a second.

But, where can I purchase one, you ask. Of course, when it is located, the deutzia is likely to be named incorrectly as Magician, but it is a rarity in garden centers. More common are white flowered ‘Nikko’ and the yellow leafed ‘Chardonnay Pearls’ (above). Both are fine shrubs that occupy smaller spaces in this garden, but I do not dedicate the time to either to enjoy every day of their flowering.

To plant a large shrub, or not, is to be decided by the individual. Lovely photos should not sway the answer. If space is limited, there are better choices. A small tree might be better suited, with raised branching that demands little ground space and allows planting of a ground layer. With more ground to cover in this acre and a quarter garden, happily, the eventual size of ‘Magicien’ was never considered.