Magnolia Mountain

There's a nice Magnolia in bloom down the street with the mountains in the background that I wanted to share. My camera didn't co-operate much though. I think it's M. x soulangeana but I'm probably wrong.

Another closeup

Wow! Are they still letting new people into British Columbia?

Scott

This message was edited Mar 27, 2006 7:04 PM

Scott, all this and zone 8b. Ken

Yes, I know! I think the zone 8b part is the thing I'm most envious about! Snow-capped mountains, wild, spectacular coastline, probably the most cosmopolitan, ethnically diverse city in the Universe (Vancouver) and all the exquisite cuisine that comes along with it, and I'm drooling over the zone 8b part and the gardens to boot. I'm such a plant geek.

Scott

This message was edited Mar 27, 2006 8:40 PM

This is where I parked. It's almost a Zone 9. There's a nice hidden Crinodendron hookeri a block away. Well, maybe we could trade. I've always wanted to live in California as its too cold here. I wonder if INS would accept that.

To cold in zone 8, Well, I guess you won't be trading for zone 3 anytime soon. Just think, all the balsam and spruce with sweet cream icing falling down. Who needs Mcarthur's Park!

I'd say probably Magnolia campbellii (from the Himalaya) or one of the hybrids derived from it. Far too large for M. x soulangeana.

Resin

Well, it might depend upon habitat conditions. We have some ancient Soulangeanas nearby that are at least half again as large as that, though not as erect in form. I suspect Growin's benign habitat out there is very magnolia friendly. Regardless, a beautiful scene.

Guy S.

I think you're probably right Resin. Way too upright & tall for a soulangeana. I wish my camera had cooperated better. I drove by this spot and it caught my attention so had to go back.

Guy, the Magnolias are going nuts this year - tons in bloom. I'll try and get some more shots from around town.

And get more shots of that beautiful blue truck!

Scott

None of my mags have begun to pop yet. But I expect to look outside in a few days and see them opening. Then, a day later, I expect a hard freeze . . .
Guy S.

Decumbent, here's another shot of my truck just for you. It's a 1958 Chevy 3200 - 1/2t long box stepside from northern California.

I'm planning on air-layering Magnolia grandiflora 'Victoria' shortly as I might have better success compared to my cuttings which almost all failed. If anyone's done this before, let me know.

I spent most of the day dividing a 6' clump of New Zealand Flax (Phormium) but they really don't have much in the way of roots. Hopefully they'll take.

I may be spoiled by the evergreen Southern Magnolia, but all of the Asian magnolias are just plain ugly to me. I suppose they are pretty when they are in bloom, but thats the only time.

escambiaguy, I tend to agree. There are some Asian magnolias that have leaves that are as large or larger than M. macrophylla here. Some of the spectacular ones are best in a mixed large border in the background.

I really want to figure out the best way to propagate M. grandiflora but I haven't been successful yet. I don't know what I'm doing wrong as I'm following everything in Dirrs prop book.

I believe the best way to propagate M. grandiflora is by seed. I have heard of people doing it by cuttings, but that has failed for me everytime.

Whoa!

It's spring, and young men's minds turn to....

Between the hot truck and The Hot Chick, Decumbent is going to have to apply for a new handle.

'Renaissance Er...', well maybe just Fastigiate will do.

For Growin and others: all I've heard about good rooting success melds with young-as-possible stock plants (juvenile wood). Cuttings from more mature trees yielded far lower success rates with less than optimum rooting conditions.

I have alot of them growing in my woods and would be glad to send you cuttings of young ones and/or seeds. But you have to tell me how and when as I have never done this and never will.

I planted a Magnolia soulangeana at my other place, and when I left the house it was growing well above the first floor roof, plus the window of the basement, so I am pretty sure it was about 20 feet X 20 feet. Of course here in my zone 5, I only got to see it nicely in bloom on the average every third year, but I loved it. Now I grow M. Jane which is hardier and blooms on and off all summer long.

I also grow M. umbellatum, on the north side of my house and keep it trimmed pretty much below the roof level since it is very unhappy with wind. I guess the only reason I planted it was because of the huge leaves. it blooms sparsely.

DonnaS

I'm not sure which one this is but it's planted as a street tree

This ones right next to a newly planted Davidia involucrata (Dove Tree) which the city is planting alot of lately. I can just imagine the fruit the size of golf-balls falling on cars en-masse.

This one's got some nice deep colour to it.

Growin, you are a sadist.

Large flowered deciduous magnolia clones, grown as street trees. What's next, Davidia involucrata? Wait a minute, you just said that too.

The perils of zone 8, Pacific provinces. Must be rough.

Hey VV,

Do I smell a road trip?

Scott

You just may be on to something...

If I imagine well, we could cruise through the land of Maackia and honey; find a Kandlmidd to light our way as we hit the Great White North border; maybe take a sharp Leftwood at MN (watch out for that treelover3!); make a beeline for MT and pick up the wayfaring chest-thumping He-Man Soferdig; take a siesta by the time we reach western WA and partake of a rutholive (maybe she'll sew your drawers, since you'll bound to have split them again by then); and finally cross the Cascades and check on what's growin in BC.

What if they have no Carpinus?

VV, sounds like a good road trip to me. Donna