The one tree that will make your front garden complete

Magnolia soulangeana gives you the best of both worlds. A deciduous tree, it is covered in lush lime green leaves through summer, then drops them in winter to present dramatic large tulip-shaped flowers on elegant, interesting bare branches.

Magnolias come in all shapes and sizes so can be integrated with any garden design. There is nothing more delightful than seeing its buds burst into a profusion of blush pink blooms as the winter chill sets in. Most popular are varieties with flowers that are white inside, with dark pink to port wine purple outside of petals, however it also comes in varieties with all-white flowers.

With size ranging from small shrubs to large trees up to 8m tall, the magnolia prefers a position in full sun, so is an excellent choice of small tree for your front garden – its winter-flowering blooms last into spring and with a magnificent display in an often otherwise bare winter garden.

Of course, a magnolia will work well anywhere in full sun, so if you’re exploring ideas for your back garden, your backyard landscape design might incorporate it as a magnificent feature, particularly when viewed from inside the home.

Best suited to a slightly acid soil, the flowers are softly fragranced and form a striking display when brought indoors as cut branches.

Caring for your magnolia tree is straightforward – with regular water when young, they require a regular dose of mulch to feed surface roots.