Magnolia vs Rose Plants | Which Is A Better Fit For Your Garden
Rose plants and magnolias are two of the most stunning and popular flowering outdoor plants among gardeners, each with its unique charms and care requirements. They have some fairly significant fundamental differences, and understanding them is the key to ensuring they stay healthy in your garden.
This blog offers insights into how the plants diverge from one another, highlighting how magnolia care and looking after roses differ, making it clear how the two options might suit various senses of taste.
Why choose roses for your garden?
Roses are arguably the world’s most iconic flowers and are a suitable choice for all sorts of gardens. These woody, perennial plants generally take the form of shrubs, climbers or groundcovers. As deciduous perennials, you can expect them to lose their leaves during British winters, while most varieties also have thorns.
Growing roses in pots, borders, beds or on trellises is a great choice for gardeners as there are a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes within the species. This means you can make a diverse, repeat-flowering family part of your garden display, with spectacular, varied blooms through early spring and late summer. Once in bloom, they also have great uses as cut flowers or in organised displays.
Caring for roses
Some core care tips for rose plants include:
- Provide 6-8 hours of direct sunlight a day
- Plant in well-drained, fertile soil of a slightly acidic/neutral pH (5.5-7.0)
- Feed with a balanced rose fertiliser or general feed regularly
- Water consistently and deeply, especially in dry spells
- Deadhead and prune roses to encourage stronger new growth
- Protect newer, weaker roses from winter with mounded soil and mulching
They’re a suitable choice for almost any garden in the UK, especially for those who want to capture a classic, romantic gardening sensibility.
Reasons to pick magnolias for your garden
Growing magnolias in containers, in beds or on borders is a much different gardening experience when compared to caring for roses. These plants take the form of trees or larger shrubs, with varieties varying between deciduous (M. soulangeana) and evergreen (M. grandiflora). It’s worth noting they can either be quite compact or even grow into fairly substantial trees.
The flowers generally take thick, single-petaled forms in the shapes of bowls, stars or goblets, with various colours including dark purples, whites, creams, yellows and pinks. The leaves, especially on evergreen varieties, can be thick, glossy and waxy. It’s worth noting that bloom times vary significantly between species, with deciduous varieties generally blooming earlier in the year than evergreen magnolias.
Magnolia care notes
If you’re leaning toward magnolias over rose plants, you need to keep essential care elements in mind, such as:
- Giving them space ranging from full sun (evergreen) to partial shade (deciduous)
- Plant them in moist, well-drained fertile soil, generally acidic or neutral leaning pH
- Water them consistently in the younger, drier periods, mulching to retain moisture
- Fertilise conservatively
- Prune minimally as they’re slow to recover
- Protect from harsh winters with shelter
Magnolias have just as much variety as roses, while also making for more stately additions to the average UK garden.
Magnolias vs rose plants | The final comparison
If you’re trying to decide between these two powerhouse plants, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. For one, Magnolias are less high-maintenance and come in evergreen varieties, which can make them a better choice for those with less free time. However, roses have a certain charm more synonymous with emotion than magnolias.
At the end of the day, you don’t need to choose one or the other! Magnolias can be a better starter plant for new gardeners, while roses might be better for those with extra gardening hours in their lives. Just browse based on taste and decide what you want for your display and time allowances.