Spring is my busiest time in the garden. Planning new areas, planting new plants and getting on top of the weeds feels like a lot. Last week I planted 7 new trees and several shrubs which, for any of you who live on the so called soil of Delaware County will know, is not an easy task in our rocky environment. One hole took me two, yes two hours to dig out, one enormous rock after another. Eventually, and very happily, I was able to plant my prized Magnolia Elizabeth – a pale yellow flowering tree that has been on my wish list for years. It is a hybrid of the cucumber tree magnolia hybridized at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
The gentle spring we have had so far means my garden smells amazing. I have four Magnolia Stellatas around the house and it feels like I’m in a perfume factory. My wife took some beautiful shots of the tree in flower.
detail magnolia Stellata
Magnolia Stellata
detail magnolia stellata
The other star in the garden is Fothergilla Gardenii- a small handsome shrub with white green flowers.
Fothergilla Gardenii in flower
We painted an old metal bench and put it on the hillside among the daffodils and I planted 3 Stephanadra incise ‘Crispa’ around it which will eventually grow large enough to completely encompass the bench.
old metal bench painted white in daffodils walk
We have frost warnings for tonight with temperatures in the low 20’s. My apple trees have sensibly not flowered yet, but the plum, cherry, and pear trees are all in flower and will get zapped I’m afraid.
I wrapped the two magnolias that have yet to flower – let’s see if it works!
Magnolia Elizabeth wrapped.
Rooting for Ideas 
I had to look up the Stephanadra. I’m not familiar with it. I hope you will follow up with pictures when they get some size on them.
My star magnolia finished blooming quite some time ago here. One of the nicest things about living in an older neighborhood is the well established trees. I love walking around when the magnolias are in bloom. They are magnificent. ‘Elizabeth’ is not one I see very often, but it is beautiful. I planted a M.g. ‘Alta’ over the week end accompanied by a lot of drama I won’t go into.
Hi Deirdre- Nice to hear from You. I have been attending and will speak at a local garden talk series and I saw during one of the talks a photo of a 40 year old Stephandra and thought it made a perfect plant for a slope, but then I thought the bench might like it. I bought Magnolia Butterflies last fall but then I happened to see Elizabeth in the nursery this spring which is just that bit paler yellow and had to have it. Poor thing is just about to flower but it’s freezing here. UGH!
Beautiful piccies Don, but what the heck is the intro??? We’re having occasional snow lumps falling today and the wind is bitter. Our yellow Magnolia is past peak slightly and far too big to wrap! Michael
Hi Sonia- sorry that glitch went out in the email of the new posting- I have deleted it now. Wow- you are in a warmer spot. I had two flowers out on Magnolia butterflies but none on Elizabeth. I am looking out the window and seeing snowflakes too. Bitter cold today, but will be in the 70’s late week. Always so difficult to get a firm footing with spring in these parts! Don