Plant of the Month - March 2010: Magnolia x 'Jane'

A few weeks ago, the weather began a pattern in Seattle which has greatly prolonged the blooming season of March's plant of the month.  Sunshine, then cold, and the recent warm temperatures have caused Magnolias all over the city to bloom constantly for almost a month now, and they're still just coming into a full bloom.

Magnolia x 'Jane' is a small multi-stemmed tree that will reach about 10' to 12' tall and 5'-8' wide with age.  It's one of a series of hybrid magnolias named by the national arboretum known as the 'Girls' or 'Little Girls' series.  'Jane' and her sisters in the series (Ann, Betty, Judy, Pinkie, Randy, Ricki and Susan) all vary in height, structure and flower, but they all flower about 2 weeks later than the regular Magnolia soulangeanas.  This slightly later blooming period usually equates to sometime around late March in Seattle.  Flowering a little later is an important quality at the edge of their range, as it allows the 'Girls' to avoid damage from late frosts.  'Jane' and the 'Girls' all prefer full sun to part shade and moist, fertile soil with lots of organic matter, but they can tolerate a wide range of garden soils.  They are cold hardy to USDA Zone 5 and can withstand temperature down to 10 to 20 degrees below zero. 

'Jane' is a very prunable multi-stemmed small tree or shrub that fits nicely into a medium-sized urban garden.  Her profusion of upright, tulip-shaped, fragrant flowers are reddish purple on the outside and white on the inside, and they flower before the tree comes into leaf in the spring.  'Jane' is great as a focal point in a planting bed or planted where it can stand out against the solid backdrop of a wall.

If you haven't taken notice yet, keep your eyes open for Magnolias all over the city. They're one of the best flowering shows of the season, and they're on display now!  And if you're looking to add one to your own garden check out 'Jane' and the 'Girls'.

Letter from the editor: March 2010

Winter is almost over, and I'm a bit ashamed to say that I took February off from The Urban Gardener. February is a great month to get away from Seattle, go somewhere warm, enjoy a brief dose of sunshine and remind yourself of the coming warmth of spring. 

With the arrival of Spring, I'm busy contemplating all the garden projects that I've been either too busy, or too lazy tackle.  I've already cleared some tired old plants that just weren't performing, amended the cutting garden struck a blow at the weeds that seem to have shot up over night and root pruned my bamboo.  And now, I have visions of fresh vegetables dancing in my head. 

Before heading down to the tropics last month, I did take the time to visit the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.  I found the show to be an inspirational kick start to the gardening season, and I highly recommend checking it out if you're into garden design, plants or garden products.  One of my personal favorites from the show:  the kenetic sculptures created by Douglas Walker of Water Works Garden Sculpture http://www.waterworksgardenart.com/. The pieces were made from brass instruments that he converted into beautiful, tinkling and moving pieces of art.  Another favorite was a collection of some really nice miniature greenhouses, or cloches, made by SunPod Greenhouses Inc. (http://www.sunpodgreenhouses.com/) of the Vancouver B.C. area.  

This month I'll get back to posting.  I have a new plant of the month, a delicious recipe made with seasonable produce from the farmers' market and an article on how to extend your growing season and improve yields by building an inexpensive garden cloche.  Gardeners rejoice!  Spring is nearly upon us!