These amazing trees and shrubs can form the focal point of a garden in spring with their enormous goblet-shaped blooms in shades of pink or white. I love the standalone impressive M. grandiflora, which is really a tree, which will reach 7m (21ft), bearing creamy white blooms, sometimes as large as dinner plates, between July and September.

Alternatively, go for large shrubs such as M. x soulangeana, whose flowers are borne on bare stems and vary from white to pink to violetpurple, or the more compact star magnolia, M.

stellata, which grows to around 3m (10ft) bearing brilliant white, slightly fragrant, star shaped flowers in early spring. Magnolias will grow in any reasonable garden soil enriched with humus, in full sun or light shade.