Isobel Senna and her magnificent magnolia tree in her garden, at Wootton, last year.
GARDENINGMOTHER’S Day approaches and woe betide the son, daughter or husband who forgets to thank mum for all she does.
But the traditional gift of flowers can be the unkindest cut of all.
They are an oft-made, beautiful gesture but they fade and die, having taken quite a resource in environmental terms to grow in the first place.
The chocolate alternative is a good way to go, but there is a third way, the gift of a living, aspirating plant that will spread the joy for many years to come.
I’m a big fan of the gift of life at this time of year, that portent of a blooming year ahead, magnolia, or for those that want a long-lived splash of colour in the home, orchids in all their tarty glory.
Whether you go for the simple stars of magnolia stellata or the glorious goblets of soulangeana, planting one of these winners is a wonderful way to celebrate mum on her big day.
Smaller varieties are perfect for container growing, so magnolias can deliver their magic even if outdoor space is in short supply.
Magnolia stellata is the perfect choice for container growing, flowering profusely in spring with white or delicate pink flowers, depending on variety.
Magnolia 'Susan’, which produces glorious purple-red flowers with the bonus of fragrance, is another great option if space is limited.
An attractive pot that will be big enough to accommodate the shrub as it grows finishes the gift perfectly. There is ever more variety out there these days, too.
Magnolia x loebneri is a wonderful shrub or small tree for the garden, producing masses of star-shaped flowers, 8cms to 13cm across.
Look out especially for 'Leonard Messel’, which produces pale, lilac pink flowers or 'Merrill’ for white blooms.
For large goblet-shaped flowers that come in mid and late spring, look to Magnolia soulangeana, the most magnificent example of which I featured in a Wootton garden last year.
'Rustica Rubra’ is a beauty, its purplish red goblet-shaped flowers reminiscent of a good glass of country red, alternatively go for 'Lennei Alba’ with its pure white blooms.
Magnolia campbellii would be great if space allows (it is a bigger tree) because it produces those intriguing 'cup-and-saucer’ shaped flowers. 'Darjeeling’ or 'Charles Raffill’ are beauts, too.
Magnolias really can be the showpieces of a garden. Put the big ones in prominent positions or with other trees in woodland garden situations.
Most prefer soil tending towards acidic, although some, including stellata and magnolia x loebneri, are happy in alkaline soils.
They are very light on maintenance, needing nothing more than a trim in late winter to remove any untidy shoots that spoil the framework.
You will also be giving a gift with something of a pedigree. Magnolia is one of the oldest known plants dating back into pre-history.