Flower of the day - Tuesday 31st March 2020

Magnolia 'Leonard Messel' in bloom today

Magnolia 'Leonard Messel' has come into full flower today - I just love its delicate pink goblets born on bare branches. Strictly speaking it should be called Magnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel', because it is a selection of the cross between two Japanese species, M. kobus and M. stellata, which arose by chance at Nymans, Messel's great garden in Sussex. Unfortunately my plant has lost its leader, broken off by the wind because I had grown an everlasting pea through it for interest later in the season, but happily it is growing a new one, so I look forward to it developing into a fine specimen.

'Leonard Messel' blooms a few weeks later than its parent Magnolia stellata, also in the garden, which is now at its very best, a veritable snow white pyramid of starry blossoms. Later in the season, after the leaves come out, I find it produces a few late flowers which are tinged with pink. M. kobus is white, so I wonder if 'Leonard Messel' gets its beautiful pink from its stellata parent.

Magnolia stellata in bloom today

Let us rejoice in the glory of God's creation in these strange times!

Oh, the pressure!

Magnolia 'Leonard Messel'

Every Spring it's the same - the pressure mounts to do the garden jobs that should have been done months ago, as growth accelerates. Added to which, this year I have been leading a Lenten Omega course on Climate Change, and I have just started the Foundation Course at the CofI Theological Institute - how on earth can I find the 17 hours required for the first assignment due on Monday, given that I have arranged to take visitors to the Burren on Saturday?

Truffles

I have been planting hazel trees to make the nut walk for which I have hankered for years. I was given the first for Christmas and it has been reproaching me for three months every time I passed it - a wonderful present, it is the plain species (Corylus avelana), but inoculated with the truffle fungus (Tuber aestivum). The instructions say that I may be able to harvest my own truffles within 5 years! I shall look forward to that: gourmets rave over the aroma, though I have to confess that I have never been able to taste anything from the minuscule black specks they put into some patés. I know that it is possible to find truffles in Ireland, because my father found one in his garden only 5 miles away. He sent a bit to the Bots in Dublin, who confirmed it as a truffle, though not the true Black Truffle of the Périgord (T. melanosporum). He ate the rest and pronounced it nice, but not as good as the Périgord one. Truffles are ectomycorrhizal fungi, living in a symbiotic relationship with trees: tree roots feed the fungus with the products of photosynthesis, while the mycelium of the fungus feeds the tree with soil nutrients. T. melanosporum grows exclusively with oak. Cob nuts, which I also adore, are selected forms of the native hazel, so when I saw young plants for sale a few days ago I splurged. I got two varieties, Pearsons Prolific and Webb's Prize Cob, because set is better with different varieties. They are planted either side of the truffle hazel, and I hope the tuffle fungus will also colonise them.

Fritillaria meleagris in the Meadow

Elsewhere in the garden, the delicate pink blossoms of Magnolia 'Leonard Messel' have started to open on bare twigs. I am also delighted with the Snake's Head Fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) in the meadow, which are spreading and colonising as I hoped. And I thought you, dear reader, might like to see this picture of the first tulips flowering with wallflowers.

Tulips and Wallflowers