Beautiful as porcelain: magnolia

The magnolia - star of springThe branch of a magnolia resembles a bizarre sculpture with its ramifications. Many elegantly shaped thickenings covered with fine fur reinforce this impression. The gnarled branches bring forth little miracles: the buds swell more and more, between two furry scales flares suddenly flawless white or powdery rose. Gradually, the flower then peels out of the shell, which looks fully unfolded as if it were made of porcelain. The elegance of the flowers is considered in China as a symbol of feminine purity, beauty and sweetness. From there, the magnolias came to Europe just over 200 years ago; the genus was named after the French botanist Pierre Magnol. Among the best known species are the tulip magnolia with a cup-shaped flower crown and the star magnolia with a wreath of fragrant petals. The buds of both species open in the spring, before the leaves break out of the wood. In the garden, the shrubs rather need moist soil and a sheltered place so that the flowers do not fall into the late frosts. If branches in the vase are to last for a long time, they must not be shorter than one meter as they draw the nutrients from the wood.

A still life like in the old days: magnolias fit every style

Magnolias bloom before forming leaves. The contrast between branches and bright flowers looks like painted by a Chinese master and gives the room a hint of the Far East. Props: private.

Below is a dense, colorful bouquet of blue and white hyacinths, above it a tentatively budding, solitary branch: the joke of the arrangement lies in the play with proportions. Props: private.

The more than 200 magnolia species fascinate not only with their many varieties of flowers, but also with the structure of their branches - even in simple vases.

Here they finally get their appearance, all the different vases from your closet: with floral arrangements of magnolias, cyclamen, perl hyacinths and pansies.

Small chinoiserie on the kitchen table: In a vase from the flea market or grandma that looks like an Asian, a purist ensemble - tulip, twigs and a single magnolia blossom - looks particularly classy.

In the concept of spring blossoms, the magnolia plays the first violin

A good soloist likes to join in, if the choreography is right: with czarred tulips and cyclamen, loosely grouped in the box, the white magnolia blossoms harmonize perfectly. All props: private.

The simpler the environment, the better the filigree magnolia blossoms come into their own. Even a single branch becomes a decorative eye-catcher with every bud that has blossomed.

1. Magnolia 'Susan': This cross between a purple magnolia and a star magnolia flowers from April to June.

2. Kobushi magnolia: Magnolia kobus, up to 10 meters high, is native to Japan and flowers in April and May.

3rd Star Magnolia: The most delicate species, it only gets up to 3 meters high. It blooms in the garden at the end of March.

4th - 9th Tulip Magnolia: The tulip magnolia looks very different in its stages of development (here five examples): The buds are initially slim, conical or egg-shaped. Their petals are pure white inside, outside they have a rosy shimmer. It blooms in April and May.