Our neighbour dropped by on the weekend with these beautiful dark red Magnolia flowers. Given that many of the well known dark red magnolias were bred here in New Zealand by the Jury family, I guess this may be Vulcan, or one of the hybrids descended from it. The flowers are enormous, and immediately suggested the addition of close relation, a Michelia, adding both beauty and scent.
Michelia ‘Bubbles’ is one of the strongest scents in the garden, even in windy wet weather sending a wet blast of perfume. Bred here in New Zealand by the late Oswald Blumhart, Bubbles is a cross between the large, floppy flowered Michelia doltsopa, and Michelia figo, the ‘Port Wine Magnolia’ with small scented flowers and compact growth habit. Michelias are now considered to be Magnolias, following recent DNA work, and the flowers are certainly similar.
It was dark rainy weather so I tried to catch a little more light by balancing the bowl on a limestone rock.
Meanwhile on the other side of the world deep red is glowing in vases of Dahlias at Rambling in the Garden
Absent Gardener 
That pink is so silky and sweet. It just makes me want to pick it up and hold it. I wonder if a red magnolia could grow here in Florida. I’m off to do some research. 🙂
It is lovely although I actually prefer the smaller flowered scented Michelias. These are mostly are white or cream or slightly pink, but the Jurys are breeding for more colours.
A simple stunning vase with flowers I wish I could grow!
Thank you We all want to grow what we can’t 🙂
That’s interesting to read about the breeding of magnolias in NZ – this dark red one is lovely – and also about the scents as it had never occurred to me that some magnolias might be scented. Thanks for sharing all this with us today
Aren’t they beautiful, I’ve not seen one that dark.
These are both beautiful, Cath. It was also interesting to learn of the breeding work done in NZ.
Thank you Eliza. It’s a very benign place for people who love plants here.
Gorgeous, those photos are luminous, well done. Michelias certainly look like what we call Japanese Magnolias in the US, there are numerous cultivars.
Sweet and simple, but so elegant too. A lovely composition with perfect flowers unspoilt by rain or wind.
I love dark Magnolias, I didn’t know they had been bred in NZ; but I suppose the climate is ideal. I planted two in spring (bad time) and I’m nursing them through their first summer.