Magnolias were the first flowering plants on earth. Today the enthusiast can enjoy hundreds of species and varieties. Magnolia flowers can be seen over nine months of the year, starting in early spring with the precocious Asiatic species and ending with Magnolia grandiflora, which will flower until the frosts of autumn. Graham Rankin's clear text and beautiful, full-color photos provide the reader with a superb step-by-step guide to the cultivation and care of these magnificent tree shrubs. He has cared for and worked with a greater variety of magnolias than anyone else in Britain; among his prominent posts was his work with "The National Collection" within the Valley and Savill Gardens, Windsor Great Park. Also in the Care Manual series: Roses, Bonsai, Cactus and Succulents, Clematis, Fuchsia, and Rhododendrons.
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It is curious that there are not more books devoted to magnolias, which are surely some of the most magnificent garden trees. Magnolias combine elegant shape, delectable fragrance, and stunning blossoms with being easy to grow--what's not to love? The only tricky thing about magnolias is sorting out all the different kinds and deciding which to choose for your own garden. Graham Rankin's book will help in this process, but will no doubt influence many readers to grow a few more magnolias than they ever intended.
First of all, it is a beautiful book. Oversized and filled with glorious color photos, Magnolia is a public relations document of the first order. And the color! Magnolias come in pure yellow, glowing white, softest petal pink, and even wine red. It is easy to believe pastels were invented just for magnolias. These photographs show off the waxy texture of the flowers, their cupped or spidery shapes, and their colorful center stamen to the extent that you'll be tempted to put your nose up close to the page to try to get a hit of their lemon-sweet perfume. But this is more than a celebration of the beauty and variety of magnolias: Rankin gives detailed and knowledgeable information on care, when to prune, how to plant, disease and insects, and staking and transplanting. He recommends spring bulbs, lilies, ferns, and hostas for companion plantings.
Thumbing through the directory section of the book, you'll find that there is a magnolia for nearly every situation that requires a tree: star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) stays small, has charmingly plump and fuzzy buds in winter, and blooms early in pink or white; Magnolia grandiflora is a statuesque and most useful evergreen, its glossy green leaves trimmed with undersides in furry bronze, blooming in midsummer with huge, fragrant flowers. And those are only two of the hundreds of magnolias presented in this sumptuous guide to growing this most desirable of garden trees. --Valerie Easton
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful pictures, great book,
By Libby (Missouri) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Magnolias: A Care Manual (Hardcover)
I loved this book. Perfect for newbie and greenthumb alike. Everything you ever wanted to know about Magnolias: from their weird prehistoric (!) history to the hundreds of varieties available today. There's even a catalog at the back of all different magnolias with individual pictures and history. I especially loved the chapter on "Plant Hunters," men (and women too!) who traipsed the wilds of nineteenth-century Asia looking for "undiscovered" strains of magnolias. A great coffeetable book but also a great guide to these beautiful flowering trees.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect gift for the magnolia fancier,
This review is from: Magnolias: A Care Manual (Hardcover)
What a wonderful book this is. In my collection I got most of the books published about magnolias and this has a rare perfection that caughts the eye. Wonderful design and trully impressive colour pics all over. You won't see a more detailed magnolia propagation pics on earth! . The information is excellent and do not know of any other book about magnolias more enjoyable than this one. Of course there are books with more info about magnolias, used as a reference, but this is the straight door to enter into 'Magnolia Kingdom' and certainly the perfect gift for anyone even remotely interested on these fascinating flowering trees...
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