Normally I really dislike topping trees, but this looks efffective as a nice shrub. Can you imagine when it blooms? This planting is at the Ruby Mize Garden at Stephen F Austin University.
Topped Magnolia Trees
That is really neat. I bet it is really a site when in bloom. I have a Little Gem Magnolia that I've espalliered on a brick wall in my front garden. I'm like you and normally would never consider topping a tree because they usually just look ruined, but my espallier is working out and that hedge has obviously worked without looking like a bad chop job. Thanks for posting it.
Crow
I'm glad you enjoyed the Magnolia topic. I thought it was very interesting and is something new to me and probably lots of us.
There is another stand of these at the entrance to the Native Plant Center off Raguet Street. When first planted, they were spaced for growth and the very idea of topping a Magnolia seemed weird. But the plantings have come along very nicely and are going to be show stoppers. I think this was Greg Grant's idea, but I need to check on that.
I ask my son to run to WM to by all the Magnolias they have to mirror the same effect, as he lives across the street from the Naive Plant Center. At 19, he's resisting Mom's gardening ideas and I'm really having to restrain myself. At least he wants to plant tomatoes this year. And I did get one Magnolia planted early this fall.
In my neighborhood, the builder put a magnolia in the flowerbed on the corner of the house (maybe 2 feet from the house) (not my house, but the ones that came along after mine). (They also did this with loquats. In many cases the loquats have taken over the corner of the house that they are on and have become very overgrown.) All the dwarf magnolias that I have been able to find still get too large for this location. Is there a magnolia that stays small enough for the corner of a foundation planting without special arrangements like espalliering or is the builder just counting on the fact that magnolias grow slow? I would love to have one, but not if that is not an appropriate area. Thanks!
Go to www.sweetthingmagnolia.com
I like that! An excellent privacy screen. Thank you for posting the photo, antiquedrose.
And crowelli, please post a photo sometime of your espallier. My big ambition for years has been to have an espalliered fruit orchard. Looks like I may actually get a chance to get started on that this fall. It has always looked like a fun thing to do!
Yea, I second the motion to see a pic of crow's espalliered Little Gem. Another creative idea I would have never thought of.
I'll try to get a photo of it for y'all tomorrow . It's looking really good and I can't wait for it to bloom this year. I had one lady stop and ask me what it was last year. When I told her a Little Gem Magnolia, she said she didn't know magnolias came in a vine. It took me a while to convince her it wasn't a vine, even though it was tied to wire strung across this brick wall.
I saw a pic of an apricot espalliered to a brick wall once and it was a gorgeous specimen. The tree was quite old and it almost looked like bonsai with the old trunk twisted and gnarled. It was beautiful against the pale cream colored wall. That photo gave me the idea to try this with the magnolia. It's still a work in progress, but I'm pleased with it so far.
Crow
Okay, here's a pic of the espalliered magnolia. There's a pink Knockout in front of it and then some iris, daylilies, mums, etc, in front of that. When in bloom, it's a pretty bed. Right now, the magnolia looks fine, but the other bedding stuff hasn't recovered from the freeze yet.
Crow
That is cool! Thanks for posting the photo.
I love this type of creativity. What a stunner that and the other plants (should they do well), will be once in bloom.
No wonder you had that critter poking around, they get curious too!
This is what it looked like last spring. What a difference the long freeze made in last year's look and this year's! It's slowly showing iprovement, so I have hope, just not much patience.
Very, very lovely. All of us gardeners appreciate these spots of restful beauty. Your "so I have hope, just not much patience" brought a grin to my face.