A few nights in the mid-twenties (Fahrenheit) ended the ten days of flowering of the two early magnolias, ‘Merrill’ and ‘Royal Star’. A fraction of the blooms remain, and fortunately, the cold was not severe enough to turn the flowers to unsightly brown mush. Along the driveway, ‘Jane’ (above) begins flowering a week later, so…

I declared spring’s arrival a month ago, but many plants do not stir from their winter slumber until the start of April. The recent weather has been a rollercoaster, alternating between unusually warm with a few more typical cool temperatures. A tree with swelling buds at dawn might be nearly in full leaf by late…

Arching branches of the ‘Royal Star’ magnolia (Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’, below) readily root in moist soil in the lower rear garden. Several have been dug and transplanted and a few have been potted to share with acquaintances. Today, two planted in shaded spots are flowering. The parent tree is nearing its peak at the…